Do you know what the future holds for technology? I sure don’t!
What I do know is that we need to get comfortable with change and uncertainty. I was reading this article on Wired today where Noah Raford talks about preparing for a not-so-nice future and I started thinking about what genuinely scares me about the future of tech.
Technology has evolved so profoundly and quickly over the past 20 years or so, and it seems like growth has accelerated exponentially in the past 5-10 years! It makes you wonder what’s on the horizon in 2025, 2030, 2050 and beyond. With AI making an all-in jump into the deep end (it seems with no life vest), ransomware attacking our public (and private) organizations, and Big Data buying and selling every little detail about us as tech users and tracking our history to develop our global tech-DNA, there’s a lot to be concerned about!
I think what scares me most as a professional working for a public school district is the threat of ransomware and data theft or destruction. I’m not sure what to think about AI yet, other than suggesting to anyone who will listen that we should proceed with caution. What scares me more than all of this is the apparent “I want everything now, no questions asked” culture we live in (at least in my area on the west coast).
When you combine immediate gratification demands with technology usage and management, you have a recipe for a quick disaster. I tend to be very conservative yet proactive with safety measures and security actions. I strive to ensure that I am making good, practical, yet forward-thinking decisions. What’s hard is knowing what you don’t know. There are all sorts of books and blogs and YouTube videos about where tech is headed and what the next big thing will be, but those sources are not always accurate, and some views are definitely not based in experience and wisdom (IMHO). That being said, I don’t know that I trust Noah Raford’s futurist predictions either (even though it appears he’s been right about a number of things so far…)
So, what can we do as technology leaders and/or end-users to prepare for the future? I think learning how to integrate awareness into our daily lives is key.
I’m talking about awareness of what’s next, awareness of where you’re at currently, awareness of what’s going on around you, awareness of the tools and help available to you.
So many of us go through life waiting for someone to tell us what to do. Stop it!! Instead, take time to actively work on your awareness skills. Add a little wisdom, maybe some collaboration and long-term planning/consideration, and I think you’ve got a recipe for strong decision-making. If you learn to be an actively aware decision-maker, I believe you will find in time that you are able to navigate the inevitable unexpected variables life throws at you.
So let’s not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself! Each day has enough trouble of its own. Instead, be actively aware as you navigate today. Be on the lookout for technical threats. Keep actively learning and growing in knowledge and wisdom. Look forward to the future as an opportunity to grow and learn with the changing times.
If you can master these things, everything else will fall into its proper place!
It's Technically Possible 