The Never Normal

We’re at a crossroads. Certainly since the COVID-19 crisis but even before that, we have been evolving into a world with many new types of disruptions. There’s this potent cocktail of global platforms, information, intelligence, and automation that is accelerating the pace of change. But technology is no longer the biggest driver of disruption. What’s coming at us is ecological, biological, societal and geopolitical in nature and this is just the beginning. These many disruptions are going to evolve into seismic shocks that will completely overturn how we live and work. Think about the rising sea-levels we might experience the next decades. Or pandemics like COVID-19. Or the cold (trade) war between the US and China.

What we have to do now is prepare our organizations for these seismic shocks and their ensuing systemic shifts. Prepare them for an unpredictable world. Continuously changing consumer behavior, for instance, triggered a new way of performing business on the edge, permanently adapting.And so we have to become agile in capacity and resources. And this also means that we need a different type of skillset, different types of people and different types of organizations. Financial performance, too, has shifted, to one that is much more fluid and suitable for uncertainty.

This is a world in permanent flux. One where ‘normal’ keeps getting redefined. Are you ready for that? Is your organisation? In this keynote, Peter Hinssen uncovers how companies, leaders and employees will need to adapt to survive and thrive in the Never Normal.

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The Era of Augmented Intelligence

Everybody is talking about AI, but the discussion tends to center around the two extremes of hype or doomism. In this keynote filled with practical examples and cases, Peter Hinssen wants to demystify AI in order to provide his audience with a profound and nuanced story of both the challenges and the immense potential of this technology. These are the 4 pillars of his presentation:

1.              Evolution of Artificial Intelligence - From Then to Tomorrow

2.              Application of AI - Realities and Responsibilities

3.              ImplementingAI - Leveraging Power and Getting Started

4.              PhoenixPotential - Transforming with the Power of AI

In this uniquely topical keynote, Peter starts by outlining the disruptive journey of Artificial Intelligence (AI) from its inception to the dawn of generative AI and beyond. He delves into some historical milestones, the resurgence of neural networks, and the advancements in machine learning and deep learning that have set the stage for the current era of AI.He also emphasises the applications and implications of generative AI across various sectors, forecasting future innovations that promise to redefine the field.

Addressing the realities of AI, Peter debunks common myths, setting realistic expectations for AI's capabilities and limitations. He highlights the challenges of interpretability, biases, and privacy concerns inAI applications, advocating for responsible use through effective governance and ethical frameworks. This segment of his keynote underscores the critical balance between innovation and ethical considerations in leveraging AI's potential.

In guiding businesses on implementing AI, Peter provides a practical roadmap for leveraging AI to enhance operations, improve decision-making, and gain a competitive edge. He discusses assessing organisational readiness, selecting the right AI technologies, and fostering anAI-centric culture. The focus is on the strategic integration of AI, emphasising data quality, model acquisition and overcoming operational and cultural challenges to foster innovation and growth.

Concluding with the transformative power of AI in this NeverNormal era of constant change, Peter inspires businesses to embrace AI as a catalyst for radical innovation and continuous improvement. Through casestudies of phoenix companies that have successfully leveraged AI, he illustrates its role in driving innovation, optimising operations, and identifying market trends. In doing so, he encourages businesses to harnessAI's potential, turning their current challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth.

AI Unveiled: moving beyond the hype in East and West

In the rapidly evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence(AI), the discourse tends to fluctuate between extremes: hype versus doomism and West versus East (China in particular). This joint keynote - featuring innovation strategy and tech expert Peter Hinssen and China keynote speaker Pascal Coppens - seeks to navigate beyond these binaries, offering a nuanced but profound exploration of AI's transformative potential as well as its challenges.

Peter Hinssen sets the scene, taking his audience on a journey from AI's early days to the cutting-edge era of generative AI. He presents realistic expectations for AI's capabilities and limitations, while highlighting its transformative impact across sectors and the need for responsible implementation. He also offers a strategic roadmap for businesses to integrate AI, emphasising the importance of organisational readiness, ethical use amidst growing concerns of interpretability, bias and privacy, and fostering an AI-centric culture. Through practical case stories from Walmart, JPMorgan, McKinsey and more Peter illustrates how AI can drive innovation, enhance operations, and secure a competitive advantage. His message is clear:AI is not just a technological advancement but a catalyst for radical change, empowering Phoenix businesses to rise in this Never Normal era of constant change, with newfound strength and innovation. His vision encourages leaders to view AI as an opportunity for growth, leveraging its capabilities to navigate the future confidently.

Pascal Coppens will present China as a compelling case study of how a nation's strategic investment in AI can redefine global standards of innovation and technology, while zooming in on what business leaders can learn from that. In 2015, China set its sights on becoming the global AI leader by2030—a vision rapidly becoming reality as evidenced by the pioneering AI technologies of TikTok, Baidu's autonomous vehicles, and Ant Financial's payment systems. The US response, restricting China's access to AI resources in2020, only underscored China's leading position in the AI race. With the rise of Generative AI, China surged ahead, supported by proactive government policies and achieving over 250 large language models (mostly B2B) by 2023, including Baidu's 'Ernie bot'. Pascal dives into China's transformation into a global AI innovation hub within just eight years. Through compelling stories from giants like Baidu, Huawei, and Ant Group, he'll explore how China is reshaping the landscapes of work, service, creation, and more—offering profound insights and scalable models for the global stage. China's journey illustrates not just technological advancement but a strategic playbook for leveraging AI to redefine industries and innovate at unprecedented scales.

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The Phoenix and the Unicorn

Unicorn start-ups are brilliant. But, let’s be honest, very few of us will start one, become one, or work for one. Most of us are connected to large companies that often struggle to keep themselves relevant for the ever-changing customer. That’s why this keynote is about a creature that’s justas magical but perhaps offers a more realistic inspiration: the Phoenix. These are the companies that – just like this mythical bird – are able to rethink themselves in cycles: time and time again they rise from the ashes of the old, and come out stronger than ever before. They are the Walmarts, the Volvos, the Disneys, the Apples, the Microsofts, the Ping Ans, the Assa Abloys andAT&Ts of this world.

This keynote is about understanding what is happening in a world of constant change. It’s about observing and trying to learn from theUnicorns. But primarily, it tells the story of how companies can ACT on theirDay After Tomorrow, and how they can apply innovation as an antidote to a radically changing environment. It doesn’t just zoom in on WHAT you need to do in order to innovate, but also on HOW you can make innovation a reality in your organisation.

From the deceivingly simple Hourglass model, to the types of innovation, company culture, organisational disruption, platforms, customer experience, organisational structure and many inspiring innovation cases: if you are working in a traditional business or market, this keynote will help you reinvent yourself like a Phoenix.

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