future of work Archives - Page 3 of 3

Future Proof Me – How to Ponder the Future…

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020
by Claire

Welcome to our first Future Proof Me mini episode!

These episodes, will share a ‘nugget’ of an idea, advice or a thought-provoking insight to help us all thrive and adapt in future.

Our environment’s changing so fast right now, this seems more important than ever …

In these mini episodes we’ll feature the best from previous and future guests including brand new content. Plus, we’ll share ideas and great tools to try that we’ve put into action or experimented with ourselves.

This week’s ‘nugget’ comes from investment banker Lindley Edwards who we had on the show about a year ago. Her episode was very popular and you could really tell from that, that Lindley is a deep thinker.

Lindley runs a corporate advisory business called AFG Venture Group which specialises in cross-border investments and transactions, particularly between Asia & Australia. She’s also Chairperson for two startups and a Non-Executive Director of a Think Tank called AsiaLink.

We love these insights from Lindley because:

1) They seem so relevant now in these strange times of coronavirus and;

2) Lindley shares some really helpful ways to think about the future… and that’s by building on the ideas and insights from the past;

3) Plus, she talks about how to move forward and create change in new ways that will get traction and maybe even disrupt an industry.

If you’re keen to hear more from Lindley, hear our full interview here.

We hope you enjoy this first Future Proof Me episode…

Useful Links

Our full interview with Lindley Edwards on Don’t Stop Us Now!

Lindley on Linkedin

Philosophers mentioned by Lindley:

Hafiz

Book of poems by Hafiz

Rumi

Book of poems by Rumi

Interview

Cecilia Tham – Predicting the Future

February 11, 2020
by Claire

If you’ve ever wondered about what we’ll all be eating in 10-15 years time then this is the episode for you!

Our guest is Barcelona-based Cecilia Tham, a Social Technologist and Futurist. She happens to have the coolest day job working for Alpha, which is Telefonica’s innovation arm briefed to build moonshots to address some of society’s biggest problems, including the future of food.

Cecilia was raised in Macau, attended high school and Harvard university in the US, and then found herself in Spain having to start from scratch, language included. She describes herself as an entrepreneur by heart, a designer and biologist by training, and a maker for life.

On her journey to working at Alpha, she founded and co-founded 3 separate ventures including a Maker cafe, a co-working community, and a coding and tech academy for women.

We think you’ll find Cecilia’s life and career lessons really inspiring. In particular you’ll learn:

How Cecilia’s former husband’s gift of a sewing machine first insulted her and then led to her uncovering a passion and her first entrepreneurial venture
What ‘Trim Tabbing’ is and why it makes her more productive
How Cecilia managed to turn her mindset around and be comfortable being different to everyone else in the room
And…. how she and her colleagues are looking at future scenarios where you’ll be able to grow an entire meal, including meat and veg, with the one plant – yes you read that right – grow your dinner!

Enjoy this episode with the multi-talented and dynamic Cecilia Tham.

Links of Interest

Cecilia’s website

Alpha

Makers of Barcelona (MOB)

FAB Cafe

allwomen AI Training School

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Interview

Dr Cath Ball – Flying High with Drones and…

September 24, 2019September 24, 2019
by admin

In this week’s episode we meet an entrepreneur and innovator who’s been through more than her fair share of challenge and trauma, yet has found a way to forge her own unique path. We’re talking about the irrepressible Dr Catherine Ball.

Catherine, or Cath, grew up in a pretty poor, single parent household in an industrial town in the UK. Unlike her peers she was determined to go to university where she studied environmental protection. She then went on to complete a PHD – a process she now describes as torturous.

Needing to pay off her student debt, her path then took her into the corporate world where she worked with a number of engineering consultancies in the UK and then in Australia.

Just as Cath was being recognised as a leader in her space receiving the Queensland Telstra Business Woman of the Year award in 2015, her company merged with a competitor and she, to her surprise, was made redundant.

It was this shocking jolt that led her to start her first company and led to her building on her already existing experience working with drones.

Since then she’s be recognised as a true thought leader in emerging technologies, having been awarded many accolades in Australia, including then AFR Women of Influence and Top 25 Women in Robotics Lists, both in 2016.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How she’s carved out her unique path as an entrepreneur;
How she manages her time involved with 10 different projects plus having a young toddler and another one on the way;
How drones will change our lives and
How you need to think about your career in a world of AI, robotics and cybersecurity.

Enjoy this episode with the witty and inspiring Dr Cath Ball.

Links of Interest

Dr Cath Ball’s website

World of Drones Congress

Dr Cath Ball Linkedin

The Social Start Up

World of Drones Education

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What Is Episode

What is Artificial Intelligence?

January 17, 2019
by admin

Welcome to our first ‘What Is. . .’ episode. And, drumroll please … the topic of our first in this series is Artificial Intelligence (AI).

We’re quite sure you’ll be hearing a lot more about AI this year and so why not start 2019 one step ahead and enjoy this super useful primer on all things AI, all explained simply with some fascinating examples.

In this episode we’re thrilled to feature two world-class AI experts: UK-based Kriti Sharma (see also Episode 19) as well as Australian-based Marie Johnson. (Stay tuned for our longer interview with her coming up in the next few weeks.)

So, if you’re a bit fuzzy about the differences between AI, automation and machine learning then this episode is for you!

You’ll learn:

What AI is and what it isn’t
Some of today’s amazing use cases for AI
What a digital human is and how it can respond to speech, text or even sign language
How to help reduce the chances of bias being coded in to systems
The new types of jobs that AI is creating
How to future-proof yourself
And much more.

Don’t miss this one!

Want our special AI Cheat Sheet briefing?

If you’d like a copy of our ‘What is AI Cheat Sheet’ briefing paper we’ve prepared, then don’t forget to email us at hello@dontstopusnow.co for your copy!

Meet our AI Experts featured in this Episode:

Kriti Sharma

Kriti Sharma is an Artificial Intelligence technologist and a leading global voice on AI ethics and its impact on society. In addition to advising global businesses on AI, she focuses on AI for Social Good. She built her first robot at the age of 15 in India and has been building AI technologies to solve global issues ever since, from productivity to education to domestic violence. Kriti was recently named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for advancements in AI and was included in the Recode 100 list of key influencers in technology in 2017. She was invited as a Civic Leader by the Obama Foundation Summit for her work in ethical technology. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Google Grace Hopper Scholar and recently gave expert testimony on AI Policy to the UK Parliament in the House of Lords. Earlier this year, Kriti spearheaded the launch of the Sage Future Makers Lab, a forum that will equip young people around the world with hands-on learning for entering a career in Artificial Intelligence.

Kriti was appointed a United Nations Young Leader at the General Assembly in 2018.

Kriti on LinkedIn

Kriti on Twitter

Marie Johnson

Marie has been described as a “public entrepreneur”, “crazy brave” – a trailblazer with a track record for tackling wicked problems head-on. Marie says she prefers the ‘edge’ because it’s uncomfortable and that’s what sparks innovation.

Marie conceived and led the global co-design and co-creation effort with people with disability to deliver ‘Nadia’ the first AI powered digital human for service delivery. This world leading work has sparked a global industry and appetite for AI powered digital humans.

Her next humanitarian project is bringing to life the AI powered ‘Digital Human Cardiac Coach’ – with the mission to make cardiac health information accessible to anyone on the planet.

The digital initiatives Marie has led have been recognised globally. Marie was named ‘Innovative CIO of the Year 2006-2007, Australia’ and in 2013, named one of Australia’s ‘100 Women of Influence’.

An impatient optimist, Marie is an inclusion and diversity advocate. She believes that artificial intelligence is a creative liberating humanising capability, that will truly transform the interactions between people regardless of ability.

Marie on LinkedIn

Marie’s business: Centre for Digital Business

Other Useful Links

All about Pegg, the accounting chat bot (mentioned by Kriti): https://www.sage.com/en-gb/products/pegg/

Article on rAInbow (mentioned by Kriti): https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/technology/new-ai-smart-companion-aims-to-combat-domestic-violence-in-sa-18132692

Video introducing the digital human Nadia (mentioned by Marie): https://youtu.be/lf6L6DrPiOE

Article “The Making of the Digital Human Cardiac Coach” (mentioned by Marie): https://www.cio.co.nz/article/646193/cio-upfront-making-digital-human-cardiac-coach/

MIT Media Lab newsletters (as recommended by Kriti): https://www.media.mit.edu/

Book Marie recommends: AI Superpowers https://www.amazon.com/AI-Superpowers-China-Silicon-Valley-ebook/dp/B0795DNWCF

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Interview

Kriti Sharma – Robots, AI and the Future

November 20, 2018December 5, 2018
by admin

We’re excited to bring you this week’s guest, Kriti Sharma; a leading global expert in AI and its impact on society and the future.

Kriti grew up in Rajasthan in India. She didn’t have access to a computer at home so she built one herself. She followed that with her first robot when she was 15.

Today Kriti applies her AI and tech expertise to solve global issues from productivity to education to domestic violence. And she’s part-time VP of AI and Ethics at Sage.

She’s recently been named a UN Young Leader; she features in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for advancements in AI; and was included in the Recode 100 list of key influencers in technology last year alongside Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How Kriti’s upbringing in India has shaped what she’s doing today
How a ‘cat with a jetpack’ has helped her tackle gender bias
Her thoughts on the power of AI, both for good and bad and…
Her experience of being invited to meet the Obamas and why it was “life changing”,

Enjoy this episode with the talented and delightful Kriti Sharma.

P.S. Interested to learn more about Artificial Intelligence? Stay tuned for our first ever ‘What is?’ episode early next year dedicated to AI.