Our Future Led series

Exploring our best working future

In the midst of the AI revolution, we find ourselves caught between the threats and opportunities of its disruption. While economists and industry experts may be divided as to whether AI represents just another step in technical progress or unprecedented transformational change, its impact stretches across the economy, society and industry. 

 

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The new era of healthcare

Australia’s healthcare system, like many around the world, is at a critical juncture. The challenges of increased levels of chronic disease, pressures of an ageing population and inequitable access to health services require a shift in the way we design our healthcare system. 

 

Balancing the future vision of business with today's decisions

Determining how a business continues to transform, grow and innovate is becoming increasingly overwhelming for leaders. Underpinning this is a pressing need for capability uplift to ensure businesses are future-focused and primed for the unknowable future.

 

How design is embracing the AI challenge

While AI has the potential to enhance efficiency and expand creative boundaries, the challenge lies in striking the delicate balance between automation and empathy.

"The ultimate challenge is how might AI augment the way that we garner insight? Because that synthesis piece is really fascinating to me. How smart is an AI to be able to derive the same kind of insight and result as a human?"

 

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Diversity makes us better designers

As part of a special event held in partnership with Brisbane Art Design (BAD) and the Museum of Brisbane, TechDiversity's Luli Adeyemo chatted to Liquid’s Fiona Armstrong about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and why it makes us better designers.

“Inclusive design is just good design,” Fiona told us. “That’s what we’re talking about today. It’s real stuff that makes a real difference." 

 

The vision for a connected student experience in higher education

When we talk about “student experience”, it runs the risk of sounding like a singular, monolithic thing. It's the student experience. It's the student journey. The reality is that there are as many student experiences as there are students. How do we lean into that nuance to create the conditions for all students to thrive?

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How robotics and AI can boost local manufacturing

A chat with Associate Professor Cori Stewart, founder and CEO of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub, about Australia’s manufacturing future, how robotics and AI can make a difference, and what it takes to make collaborations successful.

 

The promise and challenge of blockchain

Could blockchain be the key to unlocking the collaboration needed across businesses, industries and countries to solve the complex global problems we face?

 

How co-design can support ageing with dignity

As our population ages, how will an already-overstressed health system cope? What are the implications for the care economy? What role can “Age Tech” play in addressing some of the challenges we are no doubt going to face?

 

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Creating a secure and equitable energy future

Two days before the 2022 federal election, our Future Led panel tackled energy security. The conversation covered the macro and the micro; from the transition of our economy to the individual behaviour changes needed to create a secure and equitable energy future.

 

'It matters how co-design practice and purpose is done'

When considering complex problems, it's common to look at what technology or digital opportunities might bring to the table as part of the solution. For Dr Cathy Robinson, she’s also interested in the inverse—how human knowledge shapes technology and digital opportunities to form a more holistic solution. 

 

What role can design play in our fight against cybercrime?

Overcoming the cybersecurity challenge sounds like a difficult task. Even understanding the cybersecurity challenge might prompt blank stares from many. So how much of the problem can be solved by design, and should technology be doing more?

 

The end of democracy? Maybe it's just evolving

While this sounds like one of those topics you’re supposed to avoid talking about, the point of Future Led is to challenge us to consider big ideas and their real-world impacts. Is democracy, like capitalism, facing an existential threat? Maybe, but that could mean we have an opportunity to build something different, something that works for more people.

 

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Disrupting climate change needs more than the tech

It’s easy to feel pessimistic when climate experts tell us we could be just 10 years away from more serious and frequent fires, droughts, floods and cyclones - but this Future Led panel was optimistic. Our speakers could see the confluence of technology, investment, and consumer demand happening that could result in action. 

 

Super-intelligent AI – social saviour or world threat?

Our panel of AI experts and ethical thinkers told us we’re still a little while away from super-intelligence, but we should still be ready for the “dramatic” pace of change. 

 

Debating the capitalism crisis

We certainly dived into the deep end with this series kick-off! Capitalism has brought prosperity and growth, but it has come at a huge cost.