Fourth Industrial Revolution

Futurism is a means to see beyond COVID-19. Here's how to time travel

The suggestion of time travel shown by blurred lights on a conveyor.

The pragmatist sees futurism as a means of harnessing tailwinds, dodging headwinds and setting a more intentional course. Image: Tomasz Frankowski/Unsplash

Mike Bechtel
Managing Director and Chief Futurist, US Consulting, Deloitte
Ruth Hickin
Strategy & Impact Lead, World Economic Forum
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Fourth Industrial Revolution

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What is the Global Technology Governance Summit?

A diagram showing exponential, linear and cyclical trends.
These three types of trendlines broadly characterize virtually any natural, social or technological trend. Image: Source: Deloitte Analysis

A diagram showing possible outcomes of exponential, linear and cyclical trends.
Relatively non-controversial probabilities can be predicted with an understanding of previous trends. Image: Source: Deloitte Analysis
A diagram showing an overwhelming amount of data and possible resultant future outcomes.
As available data increases, a single 'general relativity' model accounting for all future projections becomes an impossibility. Image: Source: Deloitte Analysis
A diagram showing how an education filter has been applied to a set of data and trends.
Rather than attempt to see a single holistic future, we can apply a filter to focus attention on a subset of trends. Image: Source: Deloitte Analysis

A table showing the taxonomy of technology change: eternities to endgames.
The history of information technology has been a story of progress along these enduring layers: interaction, information and computation. This story will likely continue. Image: Source: Deloitte Analysis
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Related topics:
Fourth Industrial RevolutionArtificial IntelligenceEconomic ProgressDavos AgendaDavos Agenda
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December 1, 2023

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