“May you live in interesting times.” Is it a Chinese curse, or a promise for the future? No matter which it is, we are certainly living in interesting times as technology progresses into robotics and artificial intelligence (or intelligence augmentation).
Today, there are robots in the warehouse, manufacturing plant, retail stores, health care, and more. Cars are now capable of autonomous driving. Digital assistants open doors, set temperatures, monitor security, and answer our daily queries for information. Drones deliver packages and pizzas. The smartphones in our pockets have greater computing capabilities than was ever dreamed of. What was once deemed science fiction, is now today’s reality.
Where did this all start, and more importantly, where is it going? Will robotics give us faster and safer solutions to humanities problems, or will it lead to a jobless future?
What’s your opinion?
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- This is a different type of post. Instead of having students develop marketing solutions or new products, use this topic to generate critical thinking by students.
- There is a series of videos by Wired that discuss robots and technology: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLibNZv5Zd0dxEjUuwSuvNkAPmc_J4we6M
- Show any/all of the videos to generate class discussion about future technologies.
- Divide students into teams. Have each team view a video and summarize it for the class.
- What are the business and marketing implications from the video and discussion?
Source: Wired
