Technology &
Media

What could urban living look like in 2032? In this keynote for SAP, we explored the future of smart cities, focusing on how cutting-edge technologies and data-driven solutions can transform urban environments into intelligent, efficient, and liveable spaces. Advancements in urban infrastructure, mobility, energy management, and governance, emphasize the potential for innovation to improve the quality of city life. As the starting point for a company-wide hackathon, the session inspired participants to develop new solutions for smarter, more connected cities.

The internet is fragmenting along geopolitical lines, giving rise to the Splinternet—a world where digital borders reflect political divisions. While once seen as a force for global openness, nations like China and Russia are increasingly building sovereign networks, restricting access, and setting their own rules. The question is no longer whether the internet will fragment—but how far it will go.

At IBC 2024, we explored how foresight fuels innovation by shifting focus from short-term fixes to long-term adaptability together with an innovation network. We discussed key trends shaping the media landscape—democratic backsliding, generational anxieties, AI’s evolution, and the rise of a "placeless" internet. The goal wasn’t prediction but anticipation—spotting signals, questioning assumptions, and staying ahead of change.

Despite the promise of automation, much of the digital economy runs on low-paid human labor disguised as AI. Behind self-driving cars, chatbots, and algorithmic platforms are thousands of microworkers—cleaning data, training models, and moderating content under precarious conditions. Dubbed fauxtomation, this illusion of automation lets companies cut costs by outsourcing digital labor instead of developing true AI.

At the Digital Tech Summit, we gave a talk on how businesses can use foresight to prepare for the unexpected—whether it’s a disruptive technology, a sudden regulatory shift, or a global crisis. We shared practical insights on horizon scanning, showing how organizations can identify weak signals, track emerging trends, and turn foresight into strategic action. A key takeaway was that while AI can accelerate the scanning process, human insight is key for making sense of change.

We’ve worked with research agencies and consultancies to provide expert foresight and actionable insights on key topics, including:

Technology Foresight: Identifying emerging technologies and their impact on industries, policy, and society.
Environmental Agencies & AI: Examining how artificial intelligence can transform environmental monitoring and policy development.
Smart Cities: Offering insights into how data and digital solutions can create more sustainable, efficient, and liveable urban spaces.

In this article, we explore how Salvador Dalí’s vision of art and science connects to the rise of AI-generated creativity. Visiting the Dalí Cybernetics exhibition, we saw how AI can animate human imagination, blurring the boundaries between reality and the surreal. Dalí’s fascination with science—from quantum mechanics to psychoanalysis—reminds us that creativity thrives at the intersection of disciplines.

Workshops for Consilio Circle business leaders