Futures
Spoiler alert: here’s what you need to know about what’s next.
Don’t worry if you’re not across stuff like the emerging skills the future demands, the seven things AI can do, the new truths replacing old wisdoms, and the world’s most influential trends—we’ve got you covered, and we’re willing to share.
What leaders need to know next
The 2025 Skills Horizon focuses on the future of tech, work, and skills in this decade of disorientation.
This new, annual, global initiative explores what leaders need to know next and features insights from conversations with more than 70 executives and leaders about our changing world.
Articles of interest
Thoughts and insights on the AI capabilities stack, the evolution of social media algorithms, how to apply generative AI, and more…
Out with the old, in with the new
The Unlearn Project is about changing common sense.
The way the world works has changed. Things you thought you knew—like automation will make our work easier, music is something to listen to, large companies can’t innovate, or data is the new oil—are no longer true. Hosts Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer set out to unlearn old wisdoms and discover new ones.
We set out to unlearn old wisdoms and discover new ones, starting with computers.
We discuss why it’s no longer true that automation and AI will make all our jobs easier.
We discuss how the way we engage with music is fundamentally changing – from something we just listen to, to something we create with.
In this extra episode, we take a deep dive into the history of the music industry.
We discuss why collecting that gold watch and retiring at 65 might not be the best thing and why it’s time to change the retirement narrative.
Now shaping our world
The six Megatrends of the 21st Century are already underway.
Megatrends are large, transformative processes with global reach, broad scope, and dramatic impact. Understanding them can inform your long-term strategic thinking—helping you to make better decisions for the future, today.
The future is urban. Currently, more than half the people in the world live in cities, which account for more than 80% of global GDP.
Accelerating Individualisation is a megatrend changing societies around the world. This megatrend stems from powerful, interconnected social and technological developments.
The world economy is shifting, as Asia becomes the largest trading region, fuelling the rise of a newly affluent community and a different breed of corporations.
It took the telephone 75 years to reach 100 million users. The mobile phone got there within 16 years, Twitter in five, Facebook in four and a half. Instagram took two years, and ChatGPT landed its 100th million user in just two months.
The future is urban. Currently, more than half the people in the world live in cities, which account for more than 80% of global GDP.
After more than 200 years of rapid growth, the world’s population is set to peak at 11 billion by the end of this century.