Ososim’s friend and partner, neuroscientist Tara Swart, published a TED talk this month (TED Talk - YouTube) in which she describes mankind as being at a critical point in its relationship with technology and the development of artificial intelligence.
She calls this a liminal moment – the threshold between our previous way of structuring identity, time or community, and a new way which will be the future shaped by our response to technology.
What will technology do to humanity? Will the AI brain develop humane qualities? How will technology change the human brain? Will we let technology happen to us or harness technology for the benefit of humanity? She explores these questions optimistically, citing the ability of the human brain to adapt and control the change.
From a different perspective, 2015 may also prove in hindsight to have been a liminal year for technology developments that disrupt traditional businesses, even more than the advent of the internet twenty years ago. 2015 may prove to be the year when the shared economy came into its own, when the prospect of driverless cars suddenly seemed real, when the power of big data was properly exploited and when machines overtook human beings in their ability to learn. The consequences for work, employment and the way we live our lives are immense.
For Ososim, 2015 has also been a liminal year. A year of massive growth and development, we have expanded the range of work we do, the parts of the world we do it in and the team to support this. We are at the threshold of a new future as we apply the capabilities of our technology team, leveraging artificial intelligence to develop richer learning experiences and new technology applications.
We wish all readers of this note a very happy New Year as we prepare for 2016.