Dual transition towards an eco-digital era that is more digital and more sustainable

During the event The eco-digital era: The dual transition to a sustainable and digital economy I learned about a survey of 1,500 executives led by Professor Suraj Srinivasan showing that 77% of the executives believe we are experiencing a dual transition towards an eco-digital era that is more digital and more sustainable.

An example from page 52 of the report: “As part of its transition to a circular economy by 2030, IKEA has been testing a circular furniture subscription model since 2019. The company introduced a limited roll-out of a B2B edition called IKEA Rental in six markets during 2021: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Spain, and Poland.

An example from page 69 of the report: Bijoy Sagar from Bayer comments: “To transform an organization into a digital business is the work of more than one function. This requires a lot of training, new ways of working: Agile as a methodology is now consistently implemented across all the digital functions. But it’s also a very challenging process because, going forward, every function is going to become a digital function.”

An example from page 47 of the report: “Airbus uses AI algorithms in its generative design process to develop lighter-weight parts for its aircraft, resulting in lower fuel consumption and lessened environmental impact. The initial design was 45% lighter than the traditional part and is projected to reduce Airbus’s annual CO² emissions by nearly 500,000 metric tonnes if rolled out across its A320 fleet.”

An example from page 56 of the report: “Rolls-Royce is using digital twin technology and ML to extend maintenance time for some airplane engines by up to 50%, improving efficiency. This has saved around 22 million tonnes of carbon to date.”

What jobs does AI have the potential to a) eliminate and b) create?

A. Some jobs that AI has the potential to eliminate:

Routine, repetitive, manual tasks
AI-powered automation can replace many routine, repetitive manual tasks in manufacturing, assembly lines, and other industries. Automation and robots are already replacing manual labor in factories.

Transportation and delivery jobs
With the development of autonomous / self-driving vehicles and drones, AI has the potential to replace some jobs in transportation and delivery. For example, drones deliver lightweight packages.

Customer service
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can answer basic questions and handle many basic customer inquiries. That will reduce the need for human customer service representatives.

Data entry and processing
AI algorithms can process large amounts of data more quickly and accurately than humans, reducing the need for manual data entry and processing jobs.

Telemarketing
AI can be used to identify potential customers and make automated calls.

Basic medical diagnostics
AI systems can assist healthcare professionals in diagnosing diseases and interpreting medical images. This will reduce the need for some diagnostic roles.

B. Some jobs that AI has the potential to create:

AI-powered service providers
In healthcare, for example, AI can assist with diagnoses, treatment plans, and surgeries. As AI technologies are increasingly integrated into healthcare systems, there will be a need for healthcare professionals who can use AI tools to improve patient care – and thereby provide personalized services that are even more helpful for people. In addition, robots can serve as companions / friends / conversation partners to people, who need it.

AI explainability specialists
There is a need for people who can explain how AI decisions are made and mitigate bias.

AI trainers and ethicists
As AI becomes more common in society, there will be a need for individuals who can train AI systems and ensure they operate in a responsible and unbiased way.

Policy makers
There is need for people, who can develop policies to mitigate the negative impacts of AI and ensure that the benefits of AI are shared widely.

AI and machine learning specialists
As AI technology advances, there will be an increasing demand for experts who can design, develop, implement, and maintain AI systems.

Data analysts and scientists
With the proliferation of big data, there will be a growing need for professionals who can collect, analyze, and interpret data used by AI.

Sources
chat.openai.com
gemini.google.com
you.com

WEF: The global economic outlook

Listening to a session entitled The global economic outlook, these are notes I took:

Mohammed Al-Jadaan
There are more than 600 million people living in Africa, who have no electricity. We need to change that. We need stronger investments in education.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam
– We need to focus much more on finding solutions to aging of societies and polarization.
– We need more fiscal investments although this is not popular, for example to solve broken social security systems or climate problems. If we do not act, vulnerable communities will suffer the most.
– We need to redirect subsidies for fossil fuels to invest much stronger in renewable energies.
– Healthcare financing is broken, I understood from what Mr. Shanmugaratnam said. Some people pay too little. And other people, who really need healthcare treatment or prevention, do not get what they need.

Christine Lagarde
The European market is strong. It needs to become even stronger. For example, we need, across Europe, much stronger investments in developing, producing, distributing and using all kinds of renewable energy technologies.

David M. Rubenstein
– Several projections on how economies develop have been wrong.
– Mr. Rubinstein mentioned that people asked him to become President of the USA. He rejected this wish from others with the argument that he is only 74 years old.
– The word “trade agreement” is almost a curse word in the USA. In the USA, trade is seen as something that favors people, who live in other countries such as China. That is not popular in the USA. Personally, Mr. Rubinstein hopes that people, who live in the USA, will buy more pandas from China.
– The purpose of the World Economic Forum is to inspire and educate people. He encouraged people to learn more and help create more value for others.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
– Because of climate change there are problems in the Panama canal.
– It is because of trade that people / companies were able to bring new forms of energy to Europe.
– Digital trade is growing 8% per year. Ms. Okonjo-Iwela wants to do more to make sure that digital trade benefits ordinary people to a much larger extent.
– Raising taxes and subsides are politically difficult topics. Politicians do not talk about it, because they are afraid they will not be reelected for doing what is needed. Building on what Mr. Shanmugaratman mentioned, Ms. Okonjo-Iwela underlined that it is important for politicians to step up and do the right things. An example: Delete subsidies for fossil fuels.

Christian Lindner
– Mr. Lindner rejected Ms. Lagarde’s term “back to normal.” On the contrary, he said, we are witnessing a new normal. Think, for example, of the developments in AI and geopolitical challenges we experience. There is a need for continuous changes in legislation that helps people and companies grow and flourish, I understood from what Mr. Lindner mentioned.
– There is an alternative to carbon tax. An alternative is a carbon market developed by OECD.

WEF session about technology in a turbulent world

Listening to a WEF24 session entitled Technology in a turbulent world this is what I learned:

Sam Altman
– People can ask other people as well as AI to explain their reasoning.
– People care about what other people think. That is very deep in us. For example, Mr. Altman mentioned that when he reads a book, he wants to also learn about who the author is.
– Iterative deployment of AI makes it possible to let people use technology and have conversations with everyone before moving on to the next step. It is important that we communicate with each other about AI – including all the things that can go wrong and what level of safety we want. AI developers need to seek inputs from people.
– There is a strong need for new economic models – including what and how people get paid for contributions they make.

Marc Benioff
– It is an experimental time for AI. An example: Maybe there will soon be AI powered moderators at the World Economic Forum. At least, moderators need to ask AI what questions they should ask and how to invite people to participate / contribute.
– With AI we want to make sure that nobody gets hurt. Safety is very important.
– People, who develop AI systems, need to work well with regulators.

Julie Sweet
– When e-mail came, Julie Sweet was told by a colleague that she could not send an attachment via e-mail because the colleague believed it would not be safe.
– Leaders and everyone else need to spend time using AI and learning how to use it even better.
– We all need a good sense of humility. We need to continuously read, communicate, learn and work on developing how we think.

Albert Boula
– AI is used intensively in Pfizer labs.
– With AI, drug design becomes possible. Thereby, more lives can be saved.
– Benefits of AI currently outweigh risks.
– In life sciences much progress is being made all around the world thanks to AI.

Jeremy Hunt
– We need to make sure that AI becomes a technology for good. We have control of laws and need to shape AI. We need to make choices.
– Benefits of AI need to spread all around the world.

WEF session about climate and nature: A systemic response is needed

Listening to a WEF24 session entitled Climate and nature: A systemic response needed this is what I wrote down as takeaways.

Jesper Brodin
– This is the decade that things need to change. All of us need to go through a massive transformation.
– The energy sector is not doing enough. We need the energy sector to take full responsibility. Leaders in the energy sector need to significantly step up and change.

André Hoffmann
– The current system does not work.
– Stakeholder focus is essential. Roche focuses primarily on patients – not on shareholders. If Roche had not had a stakeholder focus, the company would not exist today, I heard Mr. Hoffman say.
– We need to help each other pursue happiness and peace.
– We need to reintroduce the notion of nature in the way we work – by measuring impact.

Katharine Hayhoe
Scientists live primarily in the head. Scientists need to start also using their hearts and help people connect climate problems with what people care about. How do scientists do that? They ask people questions and listen to what people say. Scientists need to start communicating with people.

Ajay Singh Banga
– 45% of World Bank financing go to climate.
– The World Bank connects 100 million people in Africa to renewable energy.
– Solar power is cheaper than fossil fuels.

Kristalina Georgieva
– First of all, people need to cooperate – not compete. When doing that 1 + 1 = 6.
– Subsidies to fossil fuels need to be removed globally. The money that is freed up needs to be invested in climate action.
– Leaders need to do the right things – even if it is not popular.

WEF session about Gulf economies

During a WEF24 session entitled Gulf economies: All in this is what I learned:

Khalid Al-Falih:
Energy will transform to de-carbonized renewable energy solutions. In addition, digital solutions will grow.

Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa:
– 83% of Bahrain’s GDP is non-oil. The largest sector is banking and finance.
– The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have a young and a growing population.
– It is important to embrace new technological development such as AI.

Mina Al-Oraibi:
– There is strong growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
– There is an untapped potential to bring more women into the workforce.

Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari:
– Sovereign wealth funds play an important role to drive growth and support startup companies. Qatar invested much money in building physical infrastructure. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates share the same language and see themselves as complementing and helping each other more than competing with each other.
– There is a strong degree of openness to invite people from all over the world to work and live in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi:
– The United Arab Emirates is a hub for new companies.
– Public private partnerships are important.
– Strong focus is on increasing productivity.
– Technological development is of key importance.

Majid Jafar:
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries benefit from an increasing number of well educated young people.

WEF open forum: Medicine and women

During a WEF open forum event entitled Medicine and women, an event that was well moderated by Victoria E. H. Lee, this is what I learned:

Jude Kelly:
– In theatre, there have been very few plays featuring stories of women. Most theatrical plays have been about stories of men. For example, Ms. Kelly mentioned that she has never seen plays about menopause or breastfeeding. There has been much silence about the body. I learned from what Jude Kelly mentioned that there is a large need for more openness and more change.
– Women have not learned about how to communicate about their health and what they need.
– There is a need for forums that help people come together to share their stories.
– There is a need to include the value of unpaid work into the gross domestic product (GDP) of countries.

Bjoern von Siemens:
– Relatively few women educate themselves to become surgeons. There is a need for more women to educate themselves to become surgeons.
– Technology and capital are the most powerful drivers of change. We can address 80% of the problems through technology such as diagnostic tools and capital such as reimbursement of healthcare costs that people have. Regulators such as the European Commission need to make laws that make strengthen equal access to care for all.

Sophie Achieng Otiende:
– Modern slavery impacts 50 million people around the world. 70% of the 50 million are women.
– Many women are forced to marry.
– There is a need to increase access to care for more people. Access to care is reduced not least due to costs.

Lucy Perez:
There is a strong potential to change product development to focus even more on helping satisfy needs that people have.

Jodie Padilla Lozano:
Ms. Lozano explained, as I heard it, that there is a potential to treat women in Ecuador with more kindness. She asked how women can communicate with emotional intelligence when the environment around them is very aggressive. I heard Ms. Lozano say that there is a need to help women communicate vulnerability.

Experiences of Italians in Switzerland

An exhibition at the Swiss national museum in Zürich entitled “Italianità” displayed experiences, which Italians had in Switzerland. Some examples:

Rosanna from Zürich mentioned that Italian workers could not bring their families to Switzerland. It was indecent and inhuman, she said. Nunzio from Biel explained that because Italian workers could not bring their families to Switzerland, he could not go to school, when he was a child growing up in Switzerland. When it was discovered that Nunzio, as a child, was living with his parents, who worked in Switzerland, the entire family had to leave the country within 2 weeks.

Studying research of the exhibition I learned that Italians in Switzerland used to be accused of blocking sidewalks. Vita from Stabio in Ticino, a canton of Switzerland that shares international borders with Italy, explained that when she came to Switzerland, she saw signs on walls informing people that buildings would not be rented out to people from the South. Sacha from Bern explained that the Italian language was perceived as an inferior language. Gemma from Jona explained that she had the impression that although she was there in Switzerland, she was not wanted.

Asking ChatGPT about what Italianità means, I found out, for example, that family plays a central role in Italian life. Also, communities are important aspects of Italian culture. In addition, I learned that the Italian language is known for its melodious and expressive nature, and that Italians tend to express their emotions openly, whether it’s joy, love, anger, or frustration.

Reflecting on the interviews of the exhibition, I learned from what Lara from Jona said that having the capability of being ironic of themselves is something that characterizes Italians. In addition, Sandro from Geneva mentioned that in the Italian culture, the influence of Catholicism is relatively strong.

I found that the exhibition had a high quality. Interviews with people were shown on a very large wall. On the side walls relevant photos were continuously displayed using beamers. There were headphones and small tablets enabling visitors to listen to the individual interviews in a variety of languages. In the exhibition, there was also a large touch screen inviting people to learn more.

Thinking about what I like about the Italian culture, Italian food and the love of beauty come to mind. For example, I love tomato mozzarella salad, pizza, various kinds of pasta meals as well as desserts such as tiramisu. I also experience that many Italians have strong competencies in design, for example design of spaces as well as design of clothes. I appreciate these contributions.

What does it mean to think strategically?

Key elements of strategic thinking include:

1. Developing a vision
   Strategic thinking includes developing a clear vision that makes sense. It focuses on the big picture as well as long-term goals and outcomes.
   
2. Inviting others to contribute
   Strategic thinking involves considering multiple perspectives and involving various stakeholders in the decision-making process. It includes inviting people to contribute and ensuring that everyone believes in the strategy and feels a part of it. Collaboration ensures that decisions are well-informed and have the buy-in of those affected by them.
   
3. Analyzing information
   Strategic thinkers gather and analyze relevant information, for example about needs users and potential users have as well as about technological changes and other changes happening in the environment.
   
4. Creative thinking
   Strategic thinkers invite people to come up with new and innovative solutions to problems and participate themselves in thinking creatively. They are open to exploring new ideas and approaches and are always looking for ways to do new things that create more value and/or do things in new ways that may be able to create more value.
   
5. Anticipating change
   Strategic thinkers are able to think ahead and anticipate potential problems. They are not afraid to ask questions including “what if..?”. And they are able to change plans when things do not go as previously planned. Strategic thinkers are good at identifying potential shifts that happen and can anticipate how these changes might impact the organization as well as what to stop doing and/or start doing.
   
6. Risk management
   Effective strategic thinking involves evaluating potential risks and rewards associated with different courses of action. How will decisions impact future outcomes? This includes assessing the likelihood of success, potential obstacles, and how to reduce potential negative outcomes.
   
7. Flexibility and adaptability
   Strategic thinkers understand the need to adapt and adjust plans as changes happen. Flexibility is important in a dynamic and evolving business environment.
   
8. Prioritization
   With limited resources, strategic thinkers prioritize initiatives and allocate resources in a way that maximizes their impact on achieving long-term goals.

Sources:
bard.google.com
chat.openai.com
you.com

Do children play enough, and what can we do to create urban environments that are more fit for play?

Asking ChatGPT whether children play enough, this is the response I received:

Play is a crucial aspect of a child’s development as it promotes physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Through play, children learn to explore their surroundings, solve problems, develop creativity, build relationships, and regulate their emotions. Play also helps in developing motor skills, coordination, and spatial awareness.

There has been a growing concern about the decrease in unstructured, child-driven playtime. Factors such as increased screen time, academic pressures, and structured extracurricular activities can limit the opportunities for children to engage in free play. Additionally, concerns about safety and changes in urban environments may also contribute to reduced outdoor play.

To the question what we can do to create urban environments that are more fit for play, this is what I learned from ChatGPT:

1. Design and allocate play spaces:
   Incorporate dedicated play spaces within urban areas, such as parks, playgrounds, and community centers. These spaces should be designed to accommodate a variety of age groups, include diverse play equipment, and prioritize safety while still allowing for risk-taking and exploration.
2. Promote walkability and connectivity:
   Design urban environments that are pedestrian-friendly, with safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes. Ensure that neighborhoods and play areas are easily accessible, allowing children to independently navigate their communities.
3. Integrate green spaces and natural elements into urban environments:
   By integrating green spaces, trees, plants, and natural elements into urban environments, we will provide provide opportunities for imaginative play, exploration, and interaction with nature.
4. Engage the community:
   Involve the local community – including children, parents, educators, and urban planners – in the design and decision-making process. Seek their input to identify specific needs, preferences, and concerns related to play spaces and activities.
5. Support mixed-use development:
   Encourage mixed-use development that combines residential areas with shops, recreational facilities, and public spaces. This creates vibrant neighborhoods where children can access play areas within walking distance.
6. Safe routes to school:
   Establish safe walking and biking routes to schools, reducing the reliance on cars and encouraging physical activity. This can involve traffic calming measures, designated crossing points, and collaboration with transportation authorities.
7. Flexible and adaptable spaces:
   Design urban environments that can accommodate various types of play and activities. Incorporate flexible spaces that can be used for sports, games, performances, and community events.
8. Reduce traffic and noise:
   Implement traffic management strategies, such as speed limits, traffic calming measures, and restricted vehicle access in certain areas, to create safer and quieter play environments.
9. Address safety concerns:
   While ensuring safety is essential, it’s important to strike a balance between risk and benefit in play environments. Address safety concerns by providing appropriate supervision, clear signage, and regular maintenance of play equipment.
10. Advocate for supportive policies:
    Work with policymakers and local authorities to advocate for policies that prioritize play in urban planning and development. This can include zoning regulations, incentives for play space creation, and incorporating play requirements in building codes.