Connecting dots combines the ten most read articles on weareinnovation.org over the last week. It therefore articulates experts visions with readers interests into a single story.

The invasion of social messages through social media generates a global call for change that is catalyzed enough to impact our political and economics spheres. In parallel, more research and developments are shaping a global artificial intelligence model that questions the place of humans in our technological value chain. Could our global connectedness and knowledge be combined so as to deliver human value and long term valuable change on a systemic level?

Social initiatives and their impact on public policies

The word is spread online: change is coming. The many initiatives highlighted and shared on social networks showcase how connectedness and data-based knowledge can also participate to drive change towards goals that better fit human demands.

From economic indicators to global visions of citizenship, the world seen through the lenses of a shared need for change enlightens concepts and initiatives that are taking innovation debates a little further, one question at a time. Even though knowledge barriers remain in our approach to economic analysis and information sharing, including regulation, a greater sense of community is leading experts to consider challenges under varying angles, aspiring for a richer reality to explore. As a result, knowledge and experiences are connected to share life lessons that can drive the rise of effective platforms able to deliver change with concrete results. Halfway between leadership and community-based decision making, innovation strategies enable to build two way conversations to consider a greater variety of data and take into account social demands emanating from the crowd.

Read more: “We Are Innovation because we are global citizens“, WAI May 2016

In parallel, social innovation inspires distinct areas of ecosystems to include social impact in their objectives, while attracting the talents needed for systemic and intelligent change. This social inference into the business area determines another turning point involving the core engine of companies: its people.

As societies, economies and policies struggle to define models and strategies that efficiently answer challenges faced on a global basis, social innovation led in limited yet impactful initiatives showcase the talents and skills needed to drive intelligent change. By outlining the shortcomings and opportunities identified in our current business, economic and social models, experts call on organizations to be inspired by social innovation and replicate attitudes that can lead to measurable benefits for all. As key players, companies and businesses partner and initiate new programs as a way to better include social impact in their objectives. They are yet to be supported by a political willingness to drastically invest in social changes.

Read more: “How Social Knowledge Shapes New Models“, WAI November 2015

As a result, the social sphere gains traction in political and economic considerations. The need for diversity and the priority given to address social issues enables to reach out to talents and ideas so far left unexplored.

Developing social inclusiveness on political and economical areas is identified as a short term requirement to sustain growth on the long term. On top of developing diversity on gender and cultural levels, politics and economics can be drastically improved by addressing pressing social issues through systemic and intelligent change. To define such an approach, turning tables enables to look into so far unexplored areas while harnessing the power of diversity to revive sources of innovation.

Read more: “Turning The Tables“, WAI December 2015

Nevertheless, experts remind the limited impact of communications shared through social media. Although they help connect inspiring minds and programmes, there is a need to better analyse and coordinate this relentless call for change which is now supported by a growing amount of sharable data.

As communications over social networks become mainstream, experts intend to analyze their impact on politics and business driven conversations. Within citizens communities, social platforms already generate activities and businesses that highlight a generational difference in our approach to defining solutions, as well as our perception of disruptions and continuity. While globally created links open new horizons for younger generations and workers, countries are left with the need to attract the right intercultural talents for the right intercultural contexts. Technological breakthroughs question our relations with time and space, perhaps building an on-going human-made “invention literacy”. Reading and understanding this global human and technological language could help anticipate and drive a growingly horizontal business future fueled by connected data analysis.

Read more: “Society and Technology: How Horizontal Are We?”, WAI May 2016

Social intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence

In the meantime, major Internet companies have started investing in highly developed artificial intelligence systems, knowledge and skills. What is left to define is the appropriate business models and ecosystems that take into account the human threats artificial intelligence could present.

While major companies are involved in developing in depth research on neural networks and ways develop AI solutions for a variety of sector and changing business models, customers and markets increasingly realize they need to rethink models and prepare for a cross sector revolution that could leave part of humanity aside, if not in danger.

Read more: “Innovation Index: what value for intelligent machines?”, WAI May 2016

On top of developing appropriate business models, society questions the place of humans in the overall value chain that drives to AI market potentials. In particular, the use and uptake of Internet of Things and Big Data are determinant in developing current business aspirations for AI.

Although AI brings a strong appetite to market, the dependencies surrounding the delivery of adequate services and solutions seem to outweigh their business model maturity. With an on-going debate on long term value add of such services with regards to the economic changes AI may generate, and questions on human place in technology, experts and analysts provide a dynamic market overview of automation, machine learning and neural network researches, with the Internet of Things and Big Data as key enabler for future AI services.

Read more: “The Human Questions Behind AI Business Models“, WAI September 2015

AI has already delivered substantial added value to specific projects highlighted by experts. Yet questions remain on the balance between creativity and destructivity this new technology may engender on economic and social levels.

Technological advances are increasingly bringing AI closer to a market reality. Beyond technology, a shift seems to enable specialists to now foresee practical innovation and improvements enabled by AI.  Moreover, some experts start to describe another potential social change that would see entrepreneurship and new types of activities replace the jobs we leave to robots. This all has a taste of “too good to be true” and the “high scrutiny” reflected in the first part of this analysis balances this view.

Read more: “Innovation Index: Artificial Intelligence not Artificial At All“, WAI July 2015

Connected communities driving change

At the heart of social changes, Millennials share and consume information in a continuous, participative and emotionally impacting online conversation. By doing so, they stimulate the rise of new solutions to global issues.

While connectedness and sense of engagement is highlighted by business experts, society explains how we intend to develop new learning methodologies to empower younger generations. As a whole, the arrival of a technology savvy and information rich generation on labor and consumption markets seems to be an opportunity to develop new models, new approaches and new hopes to challenge world problems.

Read more: “Millennials: The Game Changing generation?” WAI August 2015

Reading our commonly shared goals and requirements enables to build a multi-dimensional definition of success. The combination of differing skills and viewpoints highlight the need for human creativity and leadership to develop ambitious solutions.

By presenting key attitudes and theories that could lead any change agent, within economics, politics or business area, to generate intelligent change, innovation experts and leaders elaborate a multi-dimensional definition of success. Through learning to take on courageous posturings, such as targeting shared prosperity or changing the world for the better, professionals outline a need to be smartly productive. They emphasize the value of inventing instead of copying, better knowing how to interact with each others. Experts encourage to choose the right skills to develop human creativity and leadership, developing smart reasoning with one leitmotiv: “Think big or go home”.

Read more: “Daily Pick: 11 definitions of success“, WAI May 2016

At the end of the day, our global innovation story seems to search for the equilibrium that would enable our smartly analyzed and connected knowledge to deliver the appropriate human, technological, economic and political framework around our need for change.  

Innovation is not just about developing breakthrough technologies. From reading experts and analysts views, it is also about taking social debates further, so individuals composing our communities and societies find a value in the technologies we develop, beyond business considerations. The place of technology is in fact questioned with regards to virtual and digital developments, highlighting a need to reinforce human creativity and diversity. The messages society and communities share on a global basis through social networks highlight the limits of political and economic systems, opening conversations and questions on how human and technological creativity could generate new models to solve the global challenges we face as one community aspiring for change.

Read more: “Connecting dots: combining skills and ideas for global change“, WAI May 2016

And you, how would you combine your social and artificial intelligence assets to drive change?

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