Welcome to this 114th issue of our newsletter “Weak Signals and other Trends”.
Each week, I sift through hundreds of sources of inspiration to track where we’re heading. If you are a new subscriber to this newsletter, take the time to send me a note and introduce yourself, I love to understand who is reading.
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I have prepared this newsletter this week from Miami, United States. This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing with those who look into the future.
Estelle.
Strategic blindspots
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots. This section also is about the risks we miss.
OpenAI forms new team to assess ‘catastrophic risks’ of AI . Amazon will sell cars online, in a partnership with Hyundai. Vox covers retail theft from the perspective of the shoplifters. The skyhook solution. We are entering an age of existential risk. Starbuck’s anti-bias training is now open sourced. YouTube is expanding its presence in gaming. Ikea will enter the smart home market with sensors — each less than $10 — that detect open doors and windows, motion, and water leaks. What If Money Expired?.
Our future
We keep you updated on those trends and more on Twitter (which I still find infinitely better than Threads).
Four major forces changing the labor market. Scenarios for European Space Exploration 2040-2060. Use GenAI to Improve Scenario Planning. Even the hopeful forecasters were pessimistic. Self-service, AI-powered CarePods offer immediate care. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture grew 14% in 20 years. Micromobility vehicles are displacing 1M barrels of oil a day, four times as much as all the electric cars in the world, , or roughly 1% of the world’s total oil demand
Weak signals
Weak signals are indicators of a change, a trend or an emerging risk that might become significant for the future. They allow us to run hypothesis, expand our thinking, and challenge assumptions. How will you interpret those in your industry or field of expertise?
The ‘Ozempic Effect’ on Wall Street Has Gone Overboard. Bluff sausages. Unilever to share reformulation patents to tackle emissions. Tech Conference Accused of Creating Fake Women Speakers. EU regulators objected to Amazon’s pending $1.7B deal to buy iRobot. McDonald's is releasing a new adult happy meal. Why 2024 Will Be The Year Of The Solo Traveler. Amazon warns workers who don’t return to the office will have a harder time getting promoted.
On our radar
The 2024 trends reports are slowly coming out, and I am busy updating my keynite presentations to incorporate the latest: Pickles, halloumi and camel milk: What we’ll be eating in 2024. The T Predictor: What We’ll Be Obsessing Over in 2024. 2024 Trends. Color trends for 2024.
I am represented by Speakers, should you need to book my time for keynote presentations.
Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that led me to many useful threads, or a single site, that opened many doors: “A rabbit hole is not a distraction. A rabbit hole is your brain trying to tell you to pay attention to something you’re curious about. Ignore algorithmic rabbit holes” ( by are.na)
This week, I stumbled upon this collection of the Disney’s 100 years.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths
Nature gives a detailed overview of the developments in brain-reading technology. The first organisational chart was a beautiful plant. Invisible Landscapes of interstitium. Can AI help with grief? Pronouns . Genomics Has Revealed An Age Undreamed Of.
Numbers
40%- Salesforce’s study of 14,000 workers in 14 countries reveals that over half use generative AI at work without official permission, and 40% use banned AI tools.
750,000- In 2023, Amazon has 750,000 robots in its warehouses, a steep rise from just 1000 a decade earlier.
58%- In 2020, North America accounted for 58 percent of the $25 billion global lawn and garden equipment market
Feeling good
Map Pathfinding Visualizer. Antique maps. Internet artifacts. Can you guess the artwork? Gen Z getting more Gen Z.
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