Button TextButton Text
Exponential Leadership

Future Vision Program

Understand the the forces driving disruption across industries — and identify the right opportunities

Program Overview

From Singularity’s Exponential Leadership track, the “Future Vision” program provides a high-impact overview of the technological forces driving disruption across industries, emphasizing a linear-to-exponential  mindset shift, and empowering participants to navigate uncertainty by taking action to future-proof their organizations in the face of accelerating technological advancement.

Format

This program is designed for three days, is intended for an in-person audience and incorporates an intensive mix of workshops, discussion and prototyping activities. 

Themes & Topics

This program is modeled after Singularity’s flagship Executive Program. It provides an accelerated introduction to the technological forces driving disruption, and provides frameworks and tools leaders can use to prepare for the future, today. Topics covered will include artificial intelligence, digital biology, advanced manufacturing, and more. 

01

Thinking Exponentially

Shift from linear to exponential thinking to properly understand how quickly new technologies can disrupt and enable.

02

Hands-on Learning

Prototype and experiment with emerging technologies through workshops in AI bias mitigation and rocket science.

03

Strategizing for the Future

Synthesize insights from the program into actionable next steps to bring back to your organization.

04

05

Objectives & Outcomes:

During this program, participants will learn:

  • Foundational concepts of technological disruption and the forces that are converging to re-shape industries and society
  • Exponentially accelerating technologies, with an emphasis on hands-on workshops and applied industry use cases.
  • Crucial skills to analyze, predict and build strategies that lead disruption 
  • How to unlock creativity, rapidly prototype ideas, and drive breakthrough innovations

As a result of this program, participants will:

  • Shift from a linear to an exponential mindset and build an ability to analyze and predict technological change
  • Envision new possibilities enabled by exponential change 
  • Synthesize insights into actionable plans that enable them to lead exponential transformation back in their organizations
  • Become equipped with the frameworks,capabilities, and network needed to navigate increasing complexity 

Agenda

The following agenda is representative of a 3-day in-person program. All sessions included are draft and dependent on Client approval and Expert availability. Interactive elements will be added into the agenda, in partnership with the facilitator, after sessions are selected. 

Request Info
DAY 01

Introduction to Exponentials (presented by facilitator)

Thinking exponentially is core to everything we teach at Singularity, this means that we start with showing how each year the power and/or speed of technology is doubling and/or the cost is dropping by half. Getting into the mindset of thinking exponentially is a fundamental first step for projecting into the future. During this session participants will not just understand the basic definition of exponential growth, but dive into its implications, and shift from a linear way of thinking to an exponential one. 

We typically overestimate growth in the short term, and underestimate it in the long term due to the deceptive nature of exponential growth. Because computational technologies (including artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, advanced manufacturing, and more) progress exponentially, its growth and adoption can be surprising. As these technologies continue to democratize, access to use them becomes more widespread and more and more people, companies, and industries will have a role to play in how they’re leveraged.

This session will prepare you for thinking about these growth patterns, how they apply to your industry, and what role you can play in their use. 

Creating Impact in an Exponential world

The world around us is changing at an exponential pace. From climate change to water to hunger, global issues are becoming more challenging and growing faster than traditional organizations are able to manage. What does it mean to create impact in this new environment? And how can you, as one of today's most capable leaders, define your own massive transformative purpose?

Impact in the Wild: Exponential Ed Impact in the most challenging communities

The global challenge of learning is a massive mismatch of quality teachers and students. With a population explosion of promising young people in developing countries, a critical need for democratizing access to quality learning tools. Let us join the journey of a headstrong teacher who was once a learner with dyslexia and ADHD, and sets herself on a moonshot mission of learning. Being inspired by the SU mentors, peers, and lectures, an educator with a policy background suddenly jumped into the startup world and built a team in the most underdeveloped country to bridge the gap of massive mismatch by building cutting-edge learning technology products from scratch. Disrupted by a series of curve balls including the coup d'etat, she fled from her home county for personal safety, yet continues to democratize learning access to over half a million learners in a place where over ten million children are deprived of formal questions for two years in a row. 

The Democratization of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence and its embodied cousin, Robotics, are worming their way into everything we do, think, and want. As the world came to a halt for 18 months of COVID, the march towards a world dominated by AI and Robotics has only accelerated: Tech giants have doubled profits, consumers and workers rely more on tech, and the influence of AI on economic resilience, geopolitics and human equity has intensified. There is no going back. No matter if your interest is commercial or humanitarian (or both), understanding these technologies, their drivers, and their future trajectories will be key. Those that understand the technology can benefit from it and lead to its responsible use; those that don’t understand it, will be dragged along helplessly.

This session will cover the following topics:

  • What is AI and how it works its way into everything: Examples and trends
  • The hidden drivers of AI (Computing power, Data, Learning algorithms, Cloud)
  • The past and future waves of AI (Rational, Analytical, Cognitive, Creative, Embodied, Aware)
  • How to responsibly innovate in AI (data assets, identifying opportunities, effective pilots, ethics

Headlines from the Future workshop (presented by facilitator)

The activity aims to strengthen learners’ future forecasting muscles by making predictions about the future. Participants work in groups to determine whether an event is likely to happen in 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, or beyond, share their reasoning, and receive feedback from experts and other participants. This will empower the audience to recognize the potential impacts of horizon technologies that will impact their world. 

During this session, participants will:

  • Understand how technologies are converging and disrupting in various fields
  • Use the 6Ds to analyze and predict the trajectories of the technologies they’re interested in
  • Learners will feel comfortable projecting technology trends into the future.
  • Learners will use evidence to support their projection

END OF DAY ONE
DAY 02

Blockchain and the Future of Decentralized Societies

This session will cover the 101 of what blockchains are and how they enable decentralization. We will look at how decentralization enables us to restructure societies, particularly those in developing economies. We’ll touch on the impact on money, identity, refugees, government and much more. Participants will walk away understanding the bigger picture of why this technology matters for the world and for creating impact.

Decoding the Metaverse

As the internet and world wide web has continued to mature over the past fifteen years, the development of online virtual environments has also taken shape. Now, we've reached a moment of hype and attention focused on a concept referred to as the "metaverse." At its core, the ‘metaverse’ represents a radical shift in the way we spend time online, and soon we will come to navigate an internet of game-like virtual environments where we'll work, play, shop, and connect with friends. These environments will become an increasingly relevant aspect of our personal and professional lives. But what exactly does the word 'metaverse' even mean? Most mainstream coverage quickly blows by their definition of the term and many discussions operate from different interpretations of what is coming. Grounded in his decade of work researching, using, and building online virtual environments Aaron Frank will introduce important context for navigating the questions surrounding this 'new tech obsession'. This presentation weaves together introductory topics ranging from augmented and virtual reality, game engines, virtual worlds, crypto-economic infrastructure, and virtual economies.

Future of Mobility; Who Takes the Wheel?

The mobility industry is in full disruption with loads of new technologies filling the headlines. Self-driving vehicles, electrification, drones, hyperloops, sustainable aviation fuels, electric scooters: the entire hype cycle can be filled with new predicted breakthroughs. The car has evolved from a mechanical device into a “data producing embedded software platform”, and the internet is quickly linking the supply and demand to effectively fulfill our transport needs. 

Just like every industry that is confronted with disruption, the changes come faster than most traditional players can prepare for, with an outcome that is harder to predict than ever. Yet, with all unpredictability that comes along with disruption there are some fixed rules that one can prepare for when combining the potential of technology development with the predictable needs of people. The expected rapid change in technology towards cheaper, safer, greener, and far better vehicles and services will redefine a lot of traditional dogmas in mobility. Carlo van de Weijer will distinguish sense from nonsense on the mobility developments and picture how we travel and remain connected in the future.

AI Workshop: Building Inclusive Automated Decision-Making Systems

In this hands-on workshop participants will learn how algorithmic bias emerges from the design of automated decision-making systems. They will train and design their own algorithms in a manner that is comparable to the implementation of technologies across industries. Once designed, the algorithms will run and be deployed on the participants so that they experience the effects of inclusion and exclusion first-hand. The primary learning outcome is to increase the understanding of algorithmic bias and how even with the best intentions, cultural prejudices and assumptions are programmed into data-driven technologies. 

Participants will learn to identify different kinds of algorithmic biases; pinpoint where biases enter their designs; and assess an automated decision making system on its risk for perpetuating biases. Because participants build the algorithms themselves, they will also learn how automated decision-making algorithms and Machine Learning systems are designed, implemented, and used. 

END OF DAY TWO
DAY 03

Prototyping with a Rocket Scientist

Even the best rocket engine designs need to stand up to testing. It’s ok to start from a known configuration, but the lessons of early testing cannot be overstated as learning the subtle variations between design and reality will determine success or catastrophic failure. 

Learn about the process of building things that go boom through a hands-on competition of flying contraptions. You will go through the cycle of Experimentation, Building Knowledge and Applying Experience. Will this lead your team to success?  You can take this framework back to your teams and demonstrate the process of building experience by testing forward iterations. 

The Art of Bridging

“How can Singapore/Kazakhstan/Rwanda/Brazil/Dubai become more like Silicon Valley?” “How can the Government be more like a start-up?”. Karen has been asked these questions repeatedly over the years. Silicon Valley’s innovation is admired globally, but how do we apply it in all its good, bad and ugly? 

Since joining SU’s faculty in 2017, Karen has lectured on smart cities, using technology to combat inequality and disrupting government from the inside. 

This talk is by far her most personal, addressing the challenges of bridging the Silicon Valley tech and start-up system with places and organizations that are built on very different operating principles. Each of you is an expert on the dynamics of your home ecosystem, and you will have much to add to this discussion. 

The Hopeful Future of the Space Manufacturing Economy

We live in an exciting era of human history. We are witnessing the birth of a new economy fueled by advancements in space technology. Space is no longer just a playground for governments and large corporations; it is now open for business to entrepreneurs and startups who are willing to take risks and push the boundaries of what is possible. In this talk, we will explore the current state of the new economy in space and the exciting opportunities. We will look at how the private sector is driving innovation in space exploration and how the entrepreneurial spirit is transforming the way we think about the possibilities of space. We will examine the different industries emerging in the space economy, such as space tourism, asteroid mining, and satellite constellations. We will also discuss the challenges and obstacles entrepreneurs and startups face in the new economy in space, including regulatory frameworks, financial barriers, and technological limitations. Despite the challenges, the future of the new economy in space is bright and full of promise.

What's Next: Planning Your Future Steps in Your Exponential Journey

You’ve drunk from the firehose. You’ve seen the future. You’re about to return to your work and your home. What’s next?

After exposure to the trends and technologies that will help shape our future world, it's time to weave together the threads of the program into actionable steps you can take when you return home. In this interactive workshop, you'll synthesize the core ideas you've received, develop a new perspective on the process of developing and prioritizing options for future actions, and shape these insights into strategies you can implement in your industry, your organization, and your personal life.

END OF DAY THREE
DAY 03
END OF DAY FOUR
DAY 03
END OF DAY FIVE
DAY 03

Introduction to Exponentials

(presented by facilitator)

Thinking exponentially is core to everything we teach at Singularity, this means that we start with showing how each year the power and/or speed of technology is doubling and/or the cost is dropping by half. Getting into the mindset of thinking exponentially is a fundamental first step for projecting into the future. During this session participants will not just understand the basic definition of exponential growth, but dive into its implications, and shift from a linear way of thinking to an exponential one.

We typically overestimate growth in the short term, and underestimate it in the long term due to the deceptive nature of exponential growth. Because computational technologies (including artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, advanced manufacturing, and more) progress exponentially, its growth and adoption can be surprising. As these technologies continue to democratize, access to use them becomes more widespread and more and more people, companies, and industries will have a role to play in how they’re leveraged.This session will prepare you for thinking about these growth patterns, how they apply to your industry, and what role you can play in their use.

Creating Impact in an Exponential world

The world around us is changing at an exponential pace. From climate change to water to hunger, global issues are becoming more challenging and growing faster than traditional organizations are able to manage. What does it mean to create impact in this new environment? And how can you, as one of today's most capable leaders, define your own massive transformative purpose?

END OF DAY SIX
DAY 03
END OF DAY SEVEN