Goa: Day 1 of Goafest ended on a high and desi note, and day 2 started sunny and warm – outside as well as inside Hyatt. To kick-start day 2, we had 3 prolific speakers who tossed sunny ideas, spoke of a world of robots and humans, epitomised inspiration and spoke, in their own ways, of a Better Tomorrow.
HOW MAY I HELP YOU HUMAN?
It was humans and robots and all things Artificial (Intelligence) in the first session of the day by Dean Donaldson, Transformational Strategist and Jonathan Tavss, Digital Futurist, Kaleidoko. The duo were overwhelmed the crowd with ideas and new technology and the need for a future for personalisation. Jonathan and Dean both spoke about how the future for India was exciting and ever growing. They also said the one thing that seems to be the underlying idea of all the sessions so far at Goafest – The future is in the people. Technology will come around to meet the needs of people.
We need a rebirth in media, and the two super engaging speakers elaborated on that by saying that rebirth is equal to ‘block chain + predictive + AI’. From 2g to 6g, we have indeed come a long way, because it’s all about universal connectivity. “There are 8.3 billion connected devices, more than the number of people on the planet. This means there will be 500 billion devices by 2030; which is an average of 60 devices per person.” Dean added to the mind boggling stats by saying, “Brands jump in every time there is new technology. But hyper-connectivity is equal to oversaturation. We have so much choice, we spend half our time scrolling through content, instead of actually consuming it. It’s overwhelming! This is where targeting plays its part.”
Jonathan then went on to talk about block chain for brands and how, in his words, “Generation alpha is never going to use cash; and they are all going to have an imaginary best friend named Alexa.” The discussion then went on to robots taking over the world, and becoming the second biggest purchase for us by 2030 after a home.
There is a massive industry shift. The future is about connections between digital and biological. There’s change in the offing like we have never seen before. And AI is going to take over. Research says that humans are more likely to chat on text, than with humans. “It’s about true personal recommendations. We need to take all data from the multiple touchpoints and throw it in a giant data lake. This is when we can get true personalisation”, Jonathan added.
“Personal assistants will start predicting my life.” That’s the true essence of AI.
By 2025, we might have a little chip and intel inside our minds. So what else is the future? It’s Genomedia! “Brands will start targeting based on genes. Geno-targeted advertising is going to become a reality,” the duo added. Before they ended their session and paved way for the next speaker, they said that the future is all about customisation and personalisation. Humans and machines will come closer or might even merge.
INTERNET OF THINGS
From AI, the session moved to the next hot topic – Internet of Things or IoT. Cameron Worth, Founder SharpEnd minced no words and spoke about a world where data comes first. He spoke about how his team works on bringing brands and IoT together. “Today, the role of brands is shifting. Brands must respond to the shift in landscape and platforms. New platforms need new specialists”. Web 3.0 – plug context into conversations with IoT. Brands are adopting tech innovation at scale already. Consumers are connected; you should be too.
HEAL THE WORLD
Next came the effervescent Sparsh Shah aka Purhythm, the 14-year-old singing prodigy who began the session by singing the National Anthem. Sparsh has been learning Hindustani classical music for the last seven-and-a-half years and American vocal music for the last three years. The multi-talented artist performs at community events and has appeared on local radio stations and television shows and much more. Born with over 40 fractures in his body because of a rare disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, he epitomises resilience. “Music is my great escape.”
Every bit of his session was met with applause. He was inspiring, encouraging and radiating warm. “There are two very important principles with which I live my life. One is self-responsibility. I truly believe that every issue can be solved. If you believe something won’t happen to you, it won’t happen to you. If you want something really, you will make it happen. Purpose of life is a life of purpose. Isn’t it? We have to be responsible for ourselves and ask one question, how can we help others walk their journey? The second point is social responsibility. Advertising plays a huge role in society. Growing up and living in the age of information, we should all know that we spend at least 12 hours on media. What we receive from these media platforms is crucial. In this fast paced world of advertisements, people really do believe what they see. With great power comes great responsibility. We have to be the role models. We can change society’s attitude. Be the voice of specially abled people. We need to build campaigns to make society accessible.”
As he ended his session to thundering applause and a standing ovation, he spoke about inclusive advertisements. We do believe that there is no better satisfaction than giving back to those who are in need. As the first half of day 1 ended with robots, people and connections, the one big takeaway was: Be real, be righteous, be relevant. Peace out.
