That separation is disappearing fast.

AI shopping assistants are moving from the sidelines into the centre of the buying journey. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot are no longer just helping people research purchases. They are recommending products, surfacing prices, inserting “Buy” buttons and, in some cases, letting users complete a purchase without ever leaving the conversation.

This shift is happening faster than most people realise. Advances in generative AI, changing consumer expectations and growing frustration with traditional online shopping are converging. Add in a generation comfortable outsourcing decisions to algorithms, and the result is a retail landscape that looks fundamentally different to the one we grew up with.

For professionals, retailers and leaders, the urgency is real. This is not just a new marketing channel. It’s a rewiring of how trust, influence and decision-making work in commerce.

Trend 1: Advice and Advertising Are Merging

The first shift is subtle, and that’s what makes it powerful. The line between genuine advice and paid promotion is becoming increasingly blurred.

Modern AI assistants don’t just answer questions. They suggest products, rank options and increasingly prompt users to buy. Microsoft Copilot now embeds shopping recommendations directly into conversational responses. Other platforms have experimented with sponsored answers that sit alongside organic suggestions, often without clear visual distinction.

Unlike traditional advertising, these prompts don’t feel like ads. They feel like guidance. When a recommendation arrives in a conversational tone, supported by what looks like reasoning, people lower their scepticism. The persuasive power comes not from interruption, but from integration.

For consumers, this creates a new challenge. How do you tell the difference between impartial advice and a commercial nudge? One practical habit is emerging: ask the AI why it recommended something. Does it explain trade-offs? Does it offer alternatives? Or does it funnel you toward a single “best” option? Real advice explains choice. Advertising pushes outcomes.

For businesses, this trend rewrites influence. Visibility alone is no longer enough. Products must be defensible, explainable and competitive when placed side by side in an AI-generated comparison. If your offering can’t survive transparent scrutiny, AI will expose that quickly.

Trend 2: Transparency Will Be Forced, Not Volunteered

At the moment, regulation in this space is lagging behind reality. There are few clear rules forcing AI shopping tools to disclose what is paid, what is sponsored and what is genuinely impartial.

That lack of clarity matters for two reasons. First, consumers deserve to know when bias or commercial influence is present. Second, accountability becomes murky when AI systems get things wrong.

A recent example highlighted this risk when an AI travel assistant confidently advised tourists to visit a hot spring in Tasmania that simply does not exist. The issue wasn’t just the hallucination. It was the absence of clear responsibility. Who is accountable when an AI invents reality with confidence?

As AI increasingly shapes purchasing decisions, transparency will become unavoidable. Disclosure around sponsorship, data sources and limitations will be demanded by regulators, journalists and consumers alike.

For leaders and organisations, this is an opportunity to move early. Systems that explain recommendations, acknowledge uncertainty and clearly separate advice from advertising will earn trust long before regulation forces compliance.

Trend 3: AI Is Compressing Hours of Shopping Into Minutes

Despite the risks, the consumer upside of AI-powered shopping is undeniable. These tools are dramatically reducing friction.

Tasks that once took hours now take minutes. Comparing prices across retailers. Summarising thousands of reviews. Tracking historical discounts. Monitoring price changes. In some cases, completing a purchase without opening a single browser tab.

Australian consumers are leading this shift. Research shows a significant majority of Australians have interacted with AI while shopping in recent months, well above the global average. More tellingly, more than half of those users have made purchases based on generative AI recommendations.

This is no longer experimental behaviour. It’s habitual. Many households are already using AI to stretch budgets, find better deals and automate parts of the shopping process.

For businesses, this fundamentally changes discovery. Where search engine optimisation once dominated, answer engine optimisation now matters just as much. If an AI model cannot easily surface, explain and justify your product, it effectively disappears from consideration.

Trend 4: The Weekly Grocery Shop Is Being Rewritten

AI-driven shopping is not confined to screens. It is reshaping physical retail too.

Smart carts and supermarket apps already allow shoppers to scan items as they go, track their total in real time, receive personalised discounts and pay without lining up. But the bigger transformation is happening quietly in the background.

Experts predict supermarkets will become smaller and more focused on fresh food. Pantry staples like toilet paper, nappies and cleaning products will increasingly be reordered automatically and delivered to homes without conscious effort.

In practice, in-store shopping becomes about choice, quality and freshness, while AI handles repetition behind the scenes. Two shoppers standing in the same aisle may see different specials because the system understands their habits, preferences and household needs.

AI is also changing how decisions are made in the moment. A shopper considering a new pair of headphones can take a photo, upload it to an AI assistant and instantly receive a comparison across models, prices and stores, including historical data showing whether a discount is likely soon.

For retailers, loyalty will be driven less by location and more by usefulness. The brands that win will be the ones that integrate seamlessly into consumers’ decision-making systems.

Trend 5: Trust Becomes the Ultimate Competitive Advantage

As AI takes on more of the buying journey, trust becomes the scarce resource.

These systems are persuasive by design. They speak with confidence. They explain reasoning. They feel personal. That makes over-reliance a real risk.

Consumers will increasingly judge platforms not by how clever they are, but by how transparent and controllable they feel. Can users understand why something is being recommended? Can they override it? Can they see alternatives?

For professionals building or deploying these tools, the goal should not be to remove humans from the loop, but to keep them meaningfully informed. Trust grows when people feel empowered, not nudged.

Brands that over-optimise for persuasion may win short-term sales, but they risk long-term credibility. Restraint, clarity and honesty will prove more valuable than cleverness.

What This All Means

AI-powered shopping is not a future scenario. It is already reshaping how people research, decide and buy. The five trends are clear. Advice and advertising are merging. Transparency will be demanded. Shopping is becoming faster and more automated. Physical retail is being re-engineered. And trust is becoming the defining differentiator.

The challenge for leaders and professionals is not technical. It is behavioural. Understanding how people make decisions when AI is in the room, and designing systems that support rather than exploit that reality.

The question is no longer whether AI will influence what we buy. It already does. The real question is whether we build a shopping ecosystem that is helpful, honest and human, or one that quietly nudges us while pretending not to.

The difference will come down to the choices being made now, while the rules are still being written.

___________________________________________________

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, change strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 10 books. His most recent book Mindstuck explores the psychology of stubbornness and how to change minds – including your own. Find out more here.

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, click here.

Of course, there are two certainties in life we can count on: death and taxes. And now, even the mystery of death is being unraveled by technology.

For centuries, humans have sought ways to predict how long they might live – whether through actuarial tables, horoscopes, or, more recently, genetic testing. Today, artificial intelligence is stepping in. I recently tried an AI-powered longevity app called Death Clock, which has gained popularity, with 125,000 downloads in its first five months.

The app uses data from over 1,200 life expectancy studies and 53 million participants to calculate a predicted date of death based on factors like stress, diet, sleep, family history, and more.

My results?

Well, I guess I’m pleased to report that I am projected to live until Wednesday, September 4th, 2075, reaching the age of 93. The app even broke down my remaining time: 50 years, 286 days, 29 hours, 17 minutes, and 45 seconds. The AI also predicted my most likely causes of death: cardiovascular disease, cancer, and sleep-related conditions. While the first two don’t take a genius to determine (given they are such predominant causes of death, poor sleep was an interesting factor to consider!)

Interestingly, the app highlighted areas where I could improve my longevity. If I made better lifestyle choices, I could extend my life expectancy by nearly two years. The key factors affecting my longevity include better sleep quality, lower alcohol consumption, and reduced processed food intake. Among the recommendations were improving my sleep, considering supplements like NAD+ boosters (whatever that is) and resveratrol, and discussing GLP-1 receptor agonists and metformin with my doctor.

The whole experience of considering when you might die is fascinating (and a little unnerving). Whether or not we take these predictions seriously, they reflect our enduring desire to control the uncontrollable.

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, change strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 10 books. His most recent book Mindstuck: Mastering the Art of Changing Minds explores the psychology of stubbornness and the art of 21st century influence. Find out more here.

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, visit www.MichaelMcQueen.net.

In recent weeks, I’ve been reflecting on the degree to which my own profession and profile makes it hard to prioritize wisdom. Whether it’s speedily scanning volumes of research in preparation for a presentation, assembling bite-sized content pieces to share on social media, or crafting soundbite responses for media interviews, I too easily find myself merely trading in knowledge and information. While quality trumps quantity when it comes to thinking and ideas, I increasingly find myself consumed in the quantity game all too often.

I suspect that I’m far from alone in this.

In all of human history, the individual has never been as informed as we are today. News and fake news, fact and fiction, information, misinformation and disinformation are quite literally at our fingertips. This excess of knowledge has equally led to an excess of power. Our technology has never been so advanced, and the implications of its use have never been so significant. Artificial Intelligence especially grants us greater abilities than we would have thought possible and, alongside the plethora of powerful technologies available at the moment, its development continues to accelerate exponentially.

We quite literally have more knowledge and more power than we know what to do with – and this is the problem. Both our knowledge and our power become dangerous if our wisdom does not keep pace with them.

What is wisdom?

If wisdom is more than merely the accumulation of information or knowledge, then what is it? Here are 5 attributes that I’d suggest characterise wisdom:

1. Wisdom is slow rather than hasty.

There is a slow and steady pace to wisdom. While knowledge hastens to act and execute, wisdom is considered, restrained and discerning. Wise people are often characterised by a distinct air of calm – they are unhurried and non-anxious and do not respond to the pressure to rush into decisions and conclusions.

2. Wisdom is nuanced rather than superficial.

Where knowledge is prone to seeing things in terms of the black and white, wisdom is able to find truth in opposing perspectives and nuance in shades of grey. Ambiguity is not threatening to wisdom.

3. Wisdom is curious rather than certain.

There is an attractive certainty that comes with acquiring knowledge. We become comfortable in our ivory towers and intellect and fail to maintain a posture of curiosity. Rather than remain open to discovery and change, we become highly adept at arguing for our point of view. In contrast, wisdom embraces a posture of humility borne of curiosity and wonder.

4. Wisdom is deliberate rather than reactive.

Where our knowledge can lead us to react with defensiveness when our position is threatened, wisdom takes a slow and deliberate approach to others. Often, wisdom will first turn us inward to interrogate our own assumptions and reactions before responding.

5. Wisdom impacts rather than impresses.

Dazzling others with our knowledge and intelligence is appealing, but it is fundamentally opposite to wisdom. Where knowledge puffs up, wisdom builds up. Knowledge prioritises the ego, while wisdom prioritises the other.

Although we live in an age that’s abundant with sources of knowledge, I suspect that wisdom is what people are yearning for. Those we are looking for serve and engage are increasingly craving more than a fast-food diet of facts and information. Instead, they’re seeking out the input and perspective of those individuals willing to do the work of thinking deeply, deliberately, and diligently – and thus have real wisdom to share. My goal is to redouble my efforts to become one such person. Who’s keen to join me?

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, change strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 10 books. His most recent book Mindstuck: Mastering the Art of Changing Minds explores the psychology of stubborness and the art of 21st century influence. 

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, michaelmcqueen.net/programs.

In the banking and finance sector, AI is set to enable significant productivity gains for those that integrate it. Providing automated reporting, improving risk transparency, automatically updating policies and procedures and performing compliance and risk audits are among the ways generative AI will be capable of improving efficiency. Beyond this, algorithms can analyse vast amounts of financial data to identify patterns and trends, enabling more accurate predictions and informed decision-making.[1]

In the risk and compliance sector, generative AI can take three broad forms. It can be used as a virtual expert, like the one recently developed by McKinsey which can provide tailored answers on finance related questions according to the firm’s information and assets. It can take the form of manual process automation, performing the time-consuming tasks that typically disrupt individuals’ workflows. Finally, it can perform code acceleration, updating or translating old code or assisting in writing new code.[2]

Role of Leadership

With all of this in motion, finance chiefs and leaders around the world are having to make decisions about the integration of AI within their companies. While the returns can be enormous, the initial cost is no small matter, with some big companies investing millions for the implementation of AI infrastructure and the forming of partnerships with software companies.[3]

There are several options for sourcing AI. Businesses can pay to use the proprietary models from companies like OpenAI or can also build their own generative AI tools using open-source models like Meta’s Llama 2 AI model. Building AI models from scratch is rare.[4]

Motorola is one company testing applications of AI. So far, they have used it to summarise complex industry contracts and assist in the development of code. Airbnb has been experimenting with implementing it within their customer service, using it to automatically identify features of properties on the platform like room types and amenities to help guests find relevant listings.[5]

Effect on Workers

While concerns about the effects of automation have been primarily directed towards blue collar workers for years, generative AI entails a much more widespread impact. People with university degrees, once considered the safest from the effects of automation are now in the direct firing line.

Workers including business analysts, marketing managers, administrators, software developers and lawyers are all at risk with this new wave of machine learning that is only gaining momentum by the day. Especially in organisations with budgets large enough for AI experimentation and implementation – including big corporations like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase or tech behemoths like Google and Microsoft – jobs are likely to be affected.

In the finance sector, research suggests that banks are spending 60 to 80 per cent of their payrolls on workers most likely to be affected – or replaced – by AI.[6]

It must be noted, however, that what is most likely is that AI won’t act as a complete replacement for human labour but as an addition that significantly streamlines workplace activities. For businesses and workers, there is a rising need to learn to work alongside AI as well as an opportunity to reimagine the human contribution of employees to their work. In any case, the trick will be using the technology to improve the lives of humans, rather than the other way around – lest it create a headache rather than cure one.

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, change strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 10 books. His most recent book Mindstuck: Mastering the Art of Changing Minds explores the psychology of stubborness and the art of 21st century influence. 

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, michaelmcqueen.net/programs.

[1] Agarwal, R, Kremer, K, Kristensen, I & and Luget, A 2024, ‘How generative AI can help banks manage

risk and compliance’, McKinsey & Co, 1 March.

[2] Agarwal, R, Kremer, K, Kristensen, I & and Luget, A 2024, ‘How generative AI can help banks manage

risk and compliance’, McKinsey & Co, 1 March.

[3] Braughton, K & Maurer, M 2024, ‘CFOs Tackle Thorny Calculus on Gen AI: What’s the Return on Investment?’, Wall Street Journal, 24 March.

[4] Braughton, K & Maurer, M 2024, ‘CFOs Tackle Thorny Calculus on Gen AI: What’s the Return on Investment?’, Wall Street Journal, 24 March.

[5] Braughton, K & Maurer, M 2024, ‘CFOs Tackle Thorny Calculus on Gen AI: What’s the Return on Investment?’, Wall Street Journal, 24 March.

[6] Lohr, S 2024, ‘Bankers, lawyers and tech workers mostlikely to be in AI firing line’, Sydney Morning Herald, 11 February.

2024 is set to be another massive year for AI as we continue to see big companies integrate it into their operations, jobs evolve with the takeover, and regulations play catch up.

Here are 3 ways generative AI is set to affect the way we do business-as-usual.  

1. It’s not just blue-collar work in the firing line.

We have long been familiar with the threat of automation on industrial work, factories, administration and the simple, repetitive tasks that tend to clog up our everyday work. While there has been talk for years of AI replacing people like journalists, surgeons and lawyers, the reality of this seemed a long way off. This is no longer the case.

With generative AI having only accelerated since models like ChatGPT were launched a couple of years ago, white collar jobs are among those at risk of being taken over. The Burning Glass Institute recently published a report revealing the increasing need for workers to prepare for an AI-driven future workplace. Particularly for the large multi-national corporations with a high capacity to integrate the technology quickly, the trade off in paying such large employee bases will simply no longer prove worth it.[1]

It is most likely that AI won’t act as a complete replacement for human labour but as an addition that significantly streamlines workplace activities. For businesses and workers, there is a rising need to learn to work alongside AI as well as an opportunity to reimagine the human contribution of employees to their work. In any case, the trick will be using the technology to improve the lives of humans, rather than the other way around.

2. Generative AI will become a coworker in all parts of life.

Not only will we be learning to live alongside AI in our workplaces, but we will increasingly find it a part of our regular daily activities as companies integrate it into their existing systems.

Microsoft has begun the year with a change to its laptop and PC keyboards, adding a Copilot key which will enable faster access to the Copilot function on Windows. Rather than acting as an add-on, this move signals an integration of generative AI into the basic functions of computers, offering the ability to instantly and automatically create images, write emails, draw up spreadsheets and summarise information.[2] Alongside this, Microsoft also launched their Copilot app for iPhone users, enabling all the same functions via smartphones.

Google is running the same race, integrating its existing AI app Bard into a more advanced model which they are calling Gemini. Not only can Gemini complete the basic AI tasks of brainstorming business ideas or creating schedules, but it can engage in much more complex activities – coding, logical reasoning and creative collaboration. This will be available on both laptops and smartphones, meaning this kind of AI is set to pervade the most fundamental of our everyday tasks.[3]

It would be easy, and quite logical, to assume that AI like this would be kept in our homes and workplaces existing solely on our devices. This is not the case at all, with Volkswagen now integrating an AI-powered chatbot similar to its cars. Several Volkswagen models will be featuring the chatbot, including its line of electric vehicles. Mercedes-Benz features ChatGPT in its infotainment system as well, with both companies looking to include the technology enabling drivers to voice control car functions, source information and have conversations. And of course, it is all hands-free.[4]

3. The rules will need to play catch-up.

With the technology evolving so rapidly and with companies integrating it so quickly, it is no surprise that regulations are needing to play catch-up.

The Federal Communications Commission in the US recently banned robocalls that contain AI-generated voices, as a New Hampshire investigation into robocalls imitating Joe Biden continues. This will not only outlaw the dangerous use of AI impersonations for manipulative purposes, but any use of AI voices in phone calls. Harsh fines are in place for any company that breaks the law.[5]

However, cases like the Joe Biden impersonation call are becoming more and more common. Recently, a worker was scammed into paying $39 million as a result of receiving a deepfake video of his co-workers. Artificial intelligence software was used to impersonate his superiors in a video conference in which all members except him were fake. While this is an extreme case, deepfakes of public figures, celebrities and politicians can be found all over the internet, with some dangerous results. Both regulations and ethics themselves will need to keep up as this technology continues to burgeon.[6]

If we are wondering what will feature most heavily in our new normal moving forward, it is generative AI. Within a decade, it is likely that the most basic of our tasks will be unrecognisable with much of our human effort supplemented by this technology. How will it impact our quality of life, the way we spend our time or our philosophy of what it means to be human? The jury is still very much out.

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, change strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 10 books. His most recent book Mindstuck: Mastering the Art of Changing Minds explores the psychology of stubborness and the art of 21st century influence. 

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, michaelmcqueen.net/programs.

[1] Lohr, S 2024, ‘Bankers, lawyers and tech workers most likely to be in AI firing line’, Sydney Morning Herald, 11 February.

[2] Warren, T 2024, ‘Microsoft’s new Copilot key is the first big change to Windows keyboards in 30 years’, The Verge, 4 January.

[3] Hsiao, S 2024, ‘Bard becomes Gemini: Try Ultra 1.0 and a new mobile app today’, Google, 8 February.

[4] Korosec, K 2024, ‘Volkswagen is bringing ChatGPT into its cars and SUVs’, TechCrunch, 9 January.

[5] Swenson, A 2024, ‘FCC votes unanimously to ban unsolicited AI robocalls’, The Associated Press, 9 February.

[6] Titcomb, J 2024, ‘Deepfake video call scams global firm out of $39 million’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 February.

Agricultural technology, or ‘agtech’, is moving just as quickly as the technology in other industries, and is significantly improving the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of farming. Significantly, agtech is boosting precision agriciulture which is based on precise monitoring and measurement of the environment and aims to maximise farm outputs. Particularly as concerns grow surrounding food wastage and the health of our environments, the sensors, drones and autonomous technology now being used on farms are providing solutions that are both effective and timely for farmers.[1]

Robo-farmers aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.

It’s the last place you would expect to find them, but recent innovations are seeing robots getting their hands dirty on our farms to get food into human mouths. Farms have struggled to find workers in the last couple of years, as pandemic border closures cut off the already somewhat unreliable backpacker labour force. Labour shortages have meant large amounts of food wastage as farmers have simply not had enough hands to harvest the food from the field.

Help is on its way, but from the unlikeliest of places. With several companies creating tech-driven solutions, robots are now able to step in to help where there are no longer enough willing humans. Daryl Boardman, an avocado grower based near Toowoomba, has been among the many farmers now planning to engage robot help. Australian start-up, Lyro Robotics, will be providing a robot that will work in the packing shed, transferring avocadoes from a conveyer built to the trays that will arrive in our supermarkets.[2]

While the cities are seeing the rise of self-driving cars, the country is not missing out, getting its fix of autonomous vehicles in the form of self-driving tractors. Agricultural machinery company, John Deere, has now delivered the 8R tractor which can plough fields and plant crops without the assistance of humans. Stereo cameras and AI allow the vehicle to scan and respond to the surroundings, and the whole thing can be controlled remotely by the farmer via a smartphone app.[3]

Similarly, a US company called FarmWise Labs Inc. has created a huge robot with twelve arms that is being used to sort the weeds from the celery on a farm in California. Computer vision and in-built AI discern whether a plant is food or a weed and then direct its ‘arms’ to act accordingly. The robot runs on diesel, but generates its own electricity in order powers its computer systems.[4]

Not only are robots taking over the farm work that has typically been reserved for humans, but also the farm-work that we have always delegated to dogs. Boston Dynamics the last couple of years has been deploying robo-dogs, called Spot, to herd sheep and inspect crops. Some of its greatest value is found in its ability to navigate rough terrain and complete the tasks which are both difficult and dangerous for humans.[5]

Another set of hands, and another set of eyes.

AI technology and robots are not only helping farmers out by getting their hands dirty, but also by automating the monitoring of crops that is so essential for effective farming. The Internet of Things, or the move of AI-powered sensors into various human environments, is now making its way into our farmlands in order to reduce food waste and implement pest control.

Every year, hundreds of billions of dollars are lost in damages to agriculture as a result of insect pests. The problem is often less about getting rid of the pests, and more a matter of knowing they are there in the first place. A California-based startup FarmSense, a startup based in California, has been working to rectify this, using machine learning to track insects before they become a problem.

The sensor they use, which they call ‘FlightSensor’, uses similar laser technology to that used by Russian spies in the Cold War. Attractants are used to draw insects into a tunnel containing a light source where a sensor then tracks them by determining how much light is obstructed by their flight. This monitoring takes place in real time, meaning farmers have access to highly accurate data and are then able to respond quickly and accurately. Knowing the precise amount of pesticide to use, based on this data, means they save money and protect the environment – some of the biggest benefits of precision farming.[6]

This automated monitoring of crops is hitting the skies too, with drone technology being continually developed for farming purposes. One company called Indigo Drones is using unmanned aerial vehicles and Internet of Things devices to help farmers aerially map and monitor their land. This technology can be used to determine need for pesticides, similar to FarmSense’s FlightSensor, but also the data can help to forecast weather so that farmers can pre-empt the kind of care their crops will need months in advance.[7]

What these farm-based innovations highlight is how the technology which we often fear will take over out jobs is often simply taking over the jobs that we don’t want to do. When tasks are dangerous, difficult or plain unpleasant for humans, when the labour market is suffering shortages and when there is literally too much ground to cover is when technology can serve us best.

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, business strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 9 books. His most recent book The New Now examines the 10 trends that will dominate a post-COVID world and how to prepare for them now. 

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, michaelmcqueen.net/programs.

[1] Estes, Adam Clark 2022, ‘We’re one step closer to self-farming farms’, Vox,  8 January.

[2] Bonyhady, N 2022, ‘Could robots be coming to the places that grow your food?’ The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 September.

[3] Estes, Adam Clark 2022, ‘We’re one step closer to self-farming farms’, Vox,  8 January.

[4] Mims, C 2021, ‘How AI Is Taking Over Our Gadgets’, Wall Street Journal, 26 June.

[5] 2020, ‘Boston Dynamics deployed a fleet of its dog-like robots to conduct agricultural tasks in New Zealand’, Trend Watching, 1 June.

[6] Magloff, L 2022, ‘Real-time insect pest identification could prevent damage to crops’, Springwise, 25 January.

[7] Lane, K 2022, ‘Unmanned crop monitoring helps small farmers in Costa Rica’, SpringWise, 25 March.

Generative AI & The Job Hunt

As with every industry at the moment, recruitment is facing major disruption at the hands of AI. While some recruiters may lose jobs lost to the technology, most will find that their work is made much more efficient, precise and free of bias. The simplest way it will improve efficiency is by automating the repetitive tasks that recruiters must engage in, such as direct messaging potential workers, crafting job outlines and personalising the responses to applicants.[1]

Not only will it help to craft these job outlines, but it will likely write them far better, and far more quickly. More significantly, the outlines it produces will be more likely free of the human bias that tends to get written into job outlines, and thus into applicants and employees. Especially with positions that are stereotypically filled by a particular demographic, job descriptions are often written with those characteristics in mind. AI can adapt the language to avoid non-inclusive terminology and jargon.[2] AI will also be better able to locate keywords focused on candidates’ skills rather than more superficial credentials like university degrees that are more likely to catch the human eye.[3]

Equally important for recruiters to know is the impact generative AI will have on job hunters. As much as recruiters use the technology to sift through resumes, applicants will use it to write them – meaning their applications are likely to be precisely crafted to match the job ads and the jargon used by recruiters. Not only this, but the job search itself will be aided. In conversation, people can ask generative AI for specific job advice based on their skills, experience and interests and it will be able to point them in the direction of precisely suitable industries and roles. Such insights offer individuals at every stage of their careers ways of being proactive in seeking out the roles, training and education that would best empower them.[4]

The Great Attrition & New Worker Expectations

While much of our world has returned to normal following the pandemic, the behaviour of workers is a trend that just won’t settle. The Great Resignation came with the era of quiet quitting, and the employee-driven market of the post-pandemic world has also been dominated by workers with fundamentally different expectations than they had before. 40% of workers globally say they might leave their jobs in the near future.[5]

Among employees, the priorities of pre-pandemic times are persisting, as are the traditional ways of attracting workers. Job titles, advancement and compensation remain the go-to methods of appealing to potential candidates, despite the fact that the portion of the market that would be most attracted to such factors has diminished.

In a recent study, McKinsey & Company broke the job market into five distinct personas. These ‘traditionalist’ personalities, those drawn primarily to job security, prestige and compensation, remain a significant portion of the workforce, but still not enough to fill all the positions open. Traditional recruitment strategies work best with this group, as do the traditional appeals. However, the remainder of the workforce is a mix of self-employed individuals gig workers, carers and students, and is proving to be increasingly difficult to reach.[6]

The largest persona which emerged from this studied were the ‘do-it-yourselfers’, and these are the ones recruiters are going to need to shift gears for. While the traditionalists value the conventional incentives, this group values flexibility above all else. During and following the pandemic, this group sought out new positions or turned to part-time or gig work in search of greater autonomy. The other groups that the study revealed indicated similar workplace priorities of increased flexibility, meaningful work and higher compensation.[7]

 Among traditional recruiters, the challenge in attracting this large non-traditional cohort will be finding ways to make traditional workplace arrangements appealing. Ultimately, it is freedom that these workers crave, and so much of the solution will centre around designing work that can be autonomously conducted and giving employees a much greater level of choice in their workplace routines. Measuring effectiveness by outcomes rather than activities will be one way of doing this, as it achieves goals while allowing workers the freedom to decide how these goals are achieved.[8]

It is these metrics of success that employers and recruiters are going to need to adjust in order to keep up with the expectations of workers. Traditional metrics of productivity will need to be adjusted to measure the value rather than the volume of work delivered. 86% of workers say they want to work for an organisation that prioritises outcomes over output. They want to feel free and trusted to conduct their work where and how they choose.[9]

Across the board, flexibility is the name of the game for recruiters. And in order to offer this flexibility, employers are going to need to focus their efforts on building a strong trust relationship with their workers. Workers need to be able to trust that their employers understand their complex living circumstances, responsibilities and abilities, and need to feel trusted to complete their work with autonomy.

With tech and market trends shifting the ground we have stood on for decades, now is the time for recruiters and employers to take stock of their systems, and reconsider the way things have always been done. Those who are able to use AI to their advantage and give the new generations and cohorts of workers the space to shine are sure to reap the rewards in the years to come.

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, business strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 9 books. His most recent book The New Now examines the 10 trends that will dominate a post-COVID world and how to prepare for them now. 

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, michaelmcqueen.net/programs.

[1] Coffee, P 2023, ‘AI Set to Upend the Talent Search at Ad Agencies and Brands,’ Wall Street Journal, 7 August.

[2] Magloff, L 2023, ‘AI makes job ads more inclusive,’ SpringWise, 16 August.

[3] Hancock, B, Schaninger, B & Yee, L 2023, ‘Generative AI and the future of HR,’ McKinsey & Company, 5 June.

[4] Hancock, B, Schaninger, B & Yee, L 2023, ‘Generative AI and the future of HR,’ McKinsey & Company, 5 June.

[5] De Smet, A, Dowling, B, Hancock, B & Schaninger, B 2023, ‘The Great Attrition is making hiring harder. Are you searching the right talent pools?’, McKinsey & Company, 13 July.

[6] De Smet, A, Dowling, B, Hancock, B & Schaninger, B 2023, ‘The Great Attrition is making hiring harder. Are you searching the right talent pools?’, McKinsey & Company, 13 July.

[7] De Smet, A, Dowling, B, Hancock, B & Schaninger, B 2023, ‘The Great Attrition is making hiring harder. Are you searching the right talent pools?’, McKinsey & Company, 13 July.

[8] De Smet, A, Dowling, B, Hancock, B & Schaninger, B 2023, ‘The Great Attrition is making hiring harder. Are you searching the right talent pools?’, McKinsey & Company, 13 July.

[9] Minahin, T 2021, ‘What Your Future Employees Want Most,’ Harvard Business Review, 31 May.

Comparing ChatGPT’s success to other major companies gives some indication of how monumental it has been. Within 5 days it had reached 5 million users – for Netflix, acquiring this customer base took 3.5 years.

However, ChatGPT is not even the tip of the iceberg when compared what else is out there and what else there is to come. There are over 11000 AI apps built on language models like ChatGPT, which successfully achieve tasks all the way from planning logistics to creating artworks.

The potential uses for the technology and the ways it can streamline the most time-consuming activities are more numerous than we formerly thought possible. Especially within the events space, there is abundant opportunity for innovation and for the integration of AI.

Here are 5 ways AI can help make your next event happen:

1. Graphics & artwork

There is a vast and ever-growing range of generative AI art apps that offer strikingly sophisticated artwork. Far from gimmicky, these apps create original art and graphics that could be used for any of the promotional content or presentations necessary for an upcoming event.

One of the most established apps for AI artwork is OpenAI’s DALL-E 2. While use of the app is not free as many other AI generators are, it is relatively low cost and is able to produce incredibly high-quality art of any style. Even the most obscure and specific of prompts yield a result, and all art is original. In place of stock images or stale pictures from free platforms, the AI apps available create original art that can be directly geared towards your specific needs, style and audience.

2. Presentations & speakers

Audiences usually know what to expect from the presentations and speakers on stage at a conference. While the presenters may differ, the conventions remain in place. The speaker paces the stage, offers a couple of jokes within an eloquent presentation and refers to a slideshow generated by PowerPoint, Slides or Canva.

This is where you can start having some fun with the wide range of AI apps, which are now able to not only reinvigorate slideshows, but stand in place of speakers altogether. Tome is an AI-powered presentation platform. In seconds, it is able to respond to simple prompts and create a full slide-deck with clean aesthetics and layouts. Among many others, Pitch.com and Beautiful.ai are alternatives which offer different capabilities while still streamlining the process of creating presentations. Canva itself is rapidly integrating AI, and is offering many creative aesthetic solutions in its own right.

Beyond slide-decks, AI can now itself conduct the presentation. With many AI programs creating virtual customisable avatars in seconds, apps like D-ID able to turn these into videos and Eleven Labs offering AI-generated human voices, you can create a whole, original professional speaker powered by machines. While human beings will always value other humans as their presenters and collaborators, these opportunities offered by AI are undoubtedly a way of bringing originality and flair to conferences.  

3. Logistics & organisation

While the use of AI for graphics and presentations is impressive, it is the most mundane parts of event preparation that AI does best. Logistics and organisation are among AI’s most fundamental skills, given that they are all about analysing data and optimising processes for efficiency. It can easily assist with tasks like scheduling, budget management and venue and speaker selection, which are often sources of the most inefficiency and friction for event planners.

ReclaimAI is one app which syncs with Google Calendar and organises schedules to optimise productivity. While it is useful for teams and individuals anywhere, it is especially helpful within events planning and management. Able to account for both fixed and flexible events and respond in real time to cancellations and rearrangements, the app finds the most efficient and logical organisation of tasks, saving teams time, money and energy.

Beyond schedule management, MagicalAI is able to automate many of the other tasks required in event planning. For example, as a web browser add-on it can do website scraping on various subjects and automatically develop a spreadsheet. For example, it could gather information on the various speakers you are considering for an event and create a spreadsheet categorising and comparing them.

4. Copy & marketing

Writing the marketing content for an upcoming event is often a highly inefficient process. Despite it being a fairly straightforward task, writing copy can take significant amounts of time. Using programs like ChatGPT means you can achieve in seconds what might take hours for a human, and without the typos.

Beyond simple efficiency, AI can respond automatically and effectively to data related to the event, such as event descriptions, target audience information, previous attendee feedback, and other successful marketing campaigns. From there, it can create promotional emails, social media posts, and website content that resonates with the target audience.

Here is a promotional Instagram caption for an upcoming speakers event that ChatGPT generated in under 3 seconds:

“Get ready for an unforgettable evening of inspiration and wisdom! Join us at our upcoming professional speakers event on [Date]! 

Experience the power of captivating storytelling and thought-provoking insights from top industry leaders and experts. From business visionaries to motivational gurus, our lineup of exceptional speakers will ignite your passion and propel you towards success. 

Expand your network and connect with like-minded individuals, entrepreneurs, and change-makers in one dynamic setting. This event is your opportunity to engage, collaborate, and build lasting connections that can elevate your professional journey. 

Secure your spot now and unlock a world of possibilities. Limited seats available, so don’t miss out! Tap the link in our bio to reserve your ticket and join the ranks of the inspired and motivated.

Mark your calendars, gather your tribe, and be part of this transformative experience. We can’t wait to see you there! #ProfessionalSpeakersEvent #InspirationUnleashed #UnlockYourPotential”

5. Feedback & improvement

Finally, AI’s ability to analyse and interpret data means the process of gathering feedback and making improvements to events can be optimised. A range of available apps are designed to streamline this process, able to attain feedback from customers or attendees and then deliver recommendations that respond directly to the data analysed. Apps such as GapScout and Kraftful enable processes such as this, with Kraftful even analysing data from competitors in order to make the most effective recommendations.

From the most mundane to the most creative tasks, AI can assist in streamlining and optimising processes, freeing humans up to do what they do best. The ever-growing range of AI apps offers huge opportunity to curious minds across every industry. In the events space, where audiences come expectant for inspiration and innovation, the opportunity is greater still.

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, business strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 9 books. His most recent book The New Now examines the 10 trends that will dominate a post-COVID world and how to prepare for them now. 

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, michaelmcqueen.net/programs.

References

Rispin, C, 2023 The Future of AI for the Events Industry – Chat GPT and the 11,038 other AI Apps, 25 May.

These trends of personalisation have become especially personal, particularly as they have worked their way onto the health and nutrition front. While we have traditionally seen nutrition advice speak to the public en masse, this trend of customisation is set to change that entirely. Beyond that, the conflicting advice of various diets, and the constant struggle for people to maintain them, highlights a very clear need in the market for problem-solving.

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London suggests it’s high time we approached nutrition in a more targeted way. “Low-calorie, low-fat and eat-this-not-that approaches aren’t working,” he says. “When it comes to nutrition, we’ve had a lot of amazing advice that’s gotten us nowhere.”

Spector continues, pointing out that “there are 26,000 chemicals found in foods. They combine with more than 1,000 different species of microbes in the gut, then mix in your blood with your body’s own chemistry to influence your 20,000 genes and other pathways.” He suggests that all this means that “a slight change and the whole system can move out of kilter, which can cause long-term problems.”[1]

There are a number of companies already experimenting with personalised diets based on gut microbiome tests, gene-sequencing and even stool samples. Some noteworthy players include Viome, Biomes and Zoe. Viome’s at home test kits examine a customer’s gut and immune health and have been able to offer their 250,000 users personalised nutrition advice.

British startup Zoe will soon offer users a testing kit to be used at home, and then utilises a combination of AI and microbiome sequencing to analyse gut health, blood fat and blood sugar. Users are then provided with an individual report and offered a highly personalised set of dietary suggestions that respond to the specific needs of their gut and metabolism. With an app that works in tandem with the physical testing, the whole program is set to be user-friendly and easy to implement for the everyday individual.[2]

In the case of Biomes, the approach to personalisation centres on extracting DNA fragments from a customer’s stool sample in order to create a “personal intestinal flora profile.” This lets customers know which microorganisms are out of balance and what to do about it.[3]

In a fascinating example of how stool sampling could become a mainstream part of everyday life, consider a technology launched at the 2021 international Consumer Electronics Show called Toto. This ‘smart toilet’ analyses a user’s fecal matter and then recommends foods and nutrients that may be lacking.[4] Industry commentators point to the strong likelihood that our grocery shopping lists will be informed by data from smart toilets like Toto in the not-so-distant future.[5]

It’s worth pointing out that Toto are only one of a number of tech companies looking to make our toilets smarter than we’d ever imagine. A company named Casana have released a smart toilet seat that monitors a user’s blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels while Medic.Life’s intelligent commode gathers 20 health metrics including sugar and sodium levels from a stool sample.[6]

The intersection of personalisation trends and nutrition doesn’t end there. Recognising the crucial role of diet in managing chronic health conditions, US company Free From Market has set up an online store of health products in order to make them more accessible for low-income consumers. Coaching and educational resources are also available to provide information and advice on health and nutrition. For some of the most disadvantaged individuals in society, this kind of innovation represents a breakthrough toward a more accessible and egalitarian future for health.[7]

Beyond nutrition, personalisation is also hitting the rapidly growing home gym market. With AI and automation making the monitoring of health metrics and the Quantified Self Movement highly viable, this area is ripe for innovation. One example of technology enabling ther personalisation of exercise is Tonal, a home gym system that uses the data of its users physiological condition to alter the difficulty of its workouts.[8] It promotes itself as an ‘intelligent home gym and personal trainer’, and thanks to these technologies, this is a marketing promise it can keep as its utilisation of data enables the personalisation of the user’s physical experience.

Health, exercise and nutrition have become an obsession for many in recent years. However, the availability of health metrics and mass data and the integration of AI mean these can be monitored and responded to at a level that has not been viable before. Given that personalisation in today’s market is a need and not a want, what better place to integrate it than in the area that is more personal than any other.

__________________________________________

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, business strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 9 books. His most recent book The New Now examines the 10 trends that will dominate a post-COVID world and how to prepare for them now. 

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, michaelmcqueen.net/programs.

____________________________________________

[1] Morris, B. 2021, ‘Diets Engineered to Work With Your Microbiome Are Latest Startup Craze,’ The Wall Street Journal, 28 June.

[2] Alam, A, ‘An at-home kit for personalised food recommendations’, Springwise, 19 March.

[3] Morris, B. 2021, ‘Diets Engineered to Work With Your Microbiome Are Latest Startup Craze,’ The Wall Street Journal, 28 June.

[4]  Kan, M. 2021, ‘Toto’s Wellness Toilet Will Analyze Your Poop’, PC Mag, 12 January.

[5]  Kronsberg, M. 2022, ‘The bathroom of the future is here,’ The Wall Street Journal, 21 January.

[6]  Phan, T. 2021, ‘Smart toilets, explained,’ The Hustle, 9 September.

[7] Bradley, J 2023, ‘A platform for personalised health food shopping’, Springwise, 7 February.

[8] Mattin, D 2020, ‘New World Same Humans #45’, New World Same Humans, 30 November.

New updates to various smart watch brands now enable real-time measurement of blood oxygenation, blood pressure and even the detection of atrial fibrillation. Upcoming Apple Watch releases are also expected to be able to measure blood glucose levels as well as blood alcohol readings. According to Rockley Photonics who is developing many of the sensors smart watches use, this turns our timepieces into a “clinic on our wrists.”[1]

For those looking to fall pregnant or avoid doing so, a range of new fertility tracking devices offer valuable insights too. The Oura Smart Ring, for instance, monitors a wearer’s heart rate and body temperature to predict ovulation with remarkable accuracy.[2] According to Oura CEO, Harpreet Rai, fertility monitoring is just the beginning, with hopes that the company’s device may soon offer solutions for those suffering from conditions such as sleep apnea.[3]

While the devices we wear can provide valuable health insights, technology showcased by Toronto-based company NuraLogix at the 2022 CES event shows that even selfies can prove to be a powerful diagnostic tool. NuraLogix’s latest app, Anura, leverages AI and a user’s smartphone camera to measure general wellness by analysing a 30-second video selfie. This technology development was deemed so significant that Anura won ‘Best Biometric Sensor Solution’ at the 2021 annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards.

Based purely on these video selfies, Anura’s clever machine learning algorithm offers over 30 health measurements including heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, stress levels, and metabolic risks.

“It’s a truly revolutionary concept”, explains NuraLogix’s CEO, Marzio Pozzuoli. “Just by sitting in front of your computer’s camera, you can track your general health and wellness with medical-grade accuracy.” The core technology behind Anura relies on Transdermal Optical Imaging which utilises light and the translucency of human skin to capture changes in bloodflow.[4]

While using AI to monitor what’s happening under our skin is impressive, a health tool launched by Google in 2021 promises to revolutionise the diagnosis of medical conditions on the surface of our skin itself. Once users submit three photos of a skin condition, rash or sunspot, Google’s system cross references the mark against millions of images of skin conditions to offer a diagnosis. Wide-ranging studies show that these predictions boast an 84% accuracy.[5]

If measuring our vital signs, walking patterns and skin health weren’t enough, the latest devices are also capable of detecting our emotional state. A new wearable biosensor called EmotiBit can provide incredibly accurate indications of an individual’s mental and emotional state.[6]

While there is much we can monitor and observe from outside the body, there is little doubt that the next frontier of AI-powered healthcare will involve devices that work within our bodies. 

In May 2021, a team of researchers at Columbia University demonstrated a revolutionary new chip can be implanted via a hypodermic needle to measure internal body temperature, and potentially much more. The implant created by the engineers at Columbia is record-breakingly small with a total volume of than 0.1 cubic millimeter.[7]

Various neural implant solutions offer similarly exciting possibilities. The most prominent of these, Elon Musk’s Neuralink technology, impressed the medical world in 2021 by enabling a paralysed patient to ‘type’ at a speed of 90 characters per minute by using his mind to merely think the words which then appeared on the screen.[8]

A similar brain-computer interface developed by medical startup Synchron was given the go-ahead by the Food and Drug Administration in July 2021 to begin running clinical trials. Numerous patients around the world have subsequently received the implant, which is being used “for data transfer from motor cortex to control digital devices,” Synchron said.[9]

While some express concerns about the reliability of AI-powered diagnosis, Japanese researchers demonstrated a computer-assisted system capable of analysing polyps found during a colonoscopy. The technology was able to identify cancerous cells in less than a second and with 86% accuracy.[10]

Similarly, a South African company named Envisionit has developed an AI diagnostic tool that can scan over 2,000 x-rays, mammograms and ultrasounds per minute in order to help under-resourced health teams prioritise the patients in most need of care.[11] In even more exciting developments, numerous companies are testing ‘liquid biopsies’ that use AI and gene-sequencing technology to identify the presence of over 50 forms of cancer from a simple blood test – and long before any symptoms emerge.[12]

Healthcare is set for nothing less than revolution as innovators continue to forge its intersection with emerging technologies. With health metrics and data becoming increasingly accessible and smart technology being integrated into their monitoring and improvement, we will soon be more consciously aware of our health than we ever thought possible – the real question is whether we will be healthier.

__________________________________________

Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, business strategist and award-winning conference speaker.

He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 9 books. His most recent book The New Now examines the 10 trends that will dominate a post-COVID world and how to prepare for them now. 

To see Michael speaking live, click here.

For more information on Michael’s keynote speaking topics, michaelmcqueen.net/programs.

____________________________________________

[1]  2021, ‘The World Ahead: 2022’, The Economist, 13 December.

[2] Golub, M. 2021, ‘Natural Cycles app gets FDA clearance for first wearable birth control’, TrendWatching, 19 July.

[3]  Wetsman, N. 2021, ‘Oura adds period prediction and heart rate to its next-gen smart ring’, The Verge, 26 October.

[4]  Lane, K. 2022, ‘Tracking health through selfies’, Springwise, 19 January

[5]  Wetsman, N. 2021, ‘Google announces health tool to identify skin conditions’, The Verge, 18 May.

[6]  Magloff, L. 2021, ‘A biosensor that can measure emotional data’, Springwise, 27 April.

[7]  Bergan, B. 2021, ‘The Smallest-Ever Injectable Chip Hints at a New Cybernetic Medicine’, Interesting Engineering, 12 May.

[8]  Timmer, J. 2021, ‘Neural implant lets paralyzed person type by imagining writing’, ARS Technica, 13 May.

[9]  Holt, K. 2021, ‘FDA clears Synchron’s brain-computer interface device for human trials’, Engadget, 28 July.

[10]  Molina, B. 2017, ‘New Artificial Intelligence Can Detect Colorectal Cancer In Less Than A Second, Researchers Say’, USA Today, 30 October.

[11]  Khoury, K. 2022, ‘Deep AI imaging diagnostics help doctors prioritise care’, Springwise, 18 February.

[12]  Ternyila, D. 2020, ‘Liquid Biopsy Assay Detects 50+ Types of Cancer and Identifies Cancer Origin in Tissue’, Targeted Oncology, 7 April.