Making the future
James Burke asks whether we can use big data and predictive analytics at the social level to take the guesswork out of prediction and make the future what we all want it to be. If so, this would give us the tools to handle what looks like being the greatest change to the way we live since we left the caves.
| Talk Title | Making the future |
| Speakers | John Burke |
| Conference | Strata Data Conference |
| Conf Tag | Making Data Work |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Date | April 30-May 2, 2019 |
| URL | Talk Page |
| Slides | |
| Video | Talk Video |
Technology changes so fast these days that we spend much of our time just keeping up. Prediction, difficult enough at any time, is made even more complex when big data and predictive analytics immensely increase the number of options we need to consider. Is this because when we make decisions about the future, we tend to do so with one eye on the rearview mirror? To what extent is all prediction constrained by the contemporary paradigm in which we find ourselves and our businesses? Is there any way to break free from these constraints? Is there a pattern to the process of change that could be used to second-guess events ahead of time? James Burke asks whether we can use big data and predictive analytics at the social level to take the guesswork out of prediction and make the future what we all want it to be. If so, this would give us the tools to handle what looks like being the greatest change to the way we live since we left the caves. A change that, some say, is due to happen within the next 50 years. A change that will alter everything.
