• THIS NEXT DECADE WILL BE THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE IN HUMAN HISTORY, as exponential technologies converge and reinvent everything in their path. We’ll be witnessing an explosion of creative genius – solving problems at the speed of digital superintelligence, and transforming every aspect of our lives: raising children, running companies, governing nations, and living our lives, including:

—-Deployment of personalized swarms of AI agents, with quantum-AI systems solving previously intractable problems;

—-Billions of humanoid robots integrating into daily life, handling 80% of household chores, 24/7 eldercare, and working in extreme environments – the greatest transformation of human labor since the Industrial Revolution;

—-Aging becoming optional, with health platforms detecting disease years before symptoms appear;

—-MetaTrends impacting abundances of food, energy, education, digital currencies, flying cars & drones, digital manufacturing, and space exploration.

  Technology is neutral. It will not, on its own, choose justice over exploitation, empowerment over control, or unity over division. Each trend carries profound dark sides that demand proactive governance. The question isn’t whether these changes will occur, but whether we’ll be positioned to benefit from them and help guide them toward outcomes that serve all of humanity. [PETER DIAMANDIS]

 

  • AMERICANS WILL BE IMPACTED OVERWHELMINGLY.  GEN Z, now early teens thru mid-20s, along with Millennials, will be the largest voting bloc in the country when the next presidential election happens, and will make up some 60% of the electorate by 2036. Many are already staffing city halls, running for Congress, and influencing their political parties to rethink messages that used to work for older voters but not so much these days.  Gen Z came of age in years that have included the Covid pandemic, school attendance on Zoom, rise of social media, growing up with constant online attention, viral videos of violence & school shooting drills, warnings of climate disaster, along with overwhelming inflation in college & housing costs.  Research studies have found majorities of these kids voicing (unsurprising) pessimism about inequality, climate issues, distrust of major institutions, and doubt that elder leaders will prioritize those issues – while remaining focused on fringe cultural battles and catering to illegal immigrants rather than improving life for young Americans. While every generation reaches the age where some run to organize and lead, the likelihood this time of their seizing power has never been greater, and will unquestionably further impact America’s transformation. [EPOCH TIMES]  

 

  • THEN THERE’S THE IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON YOUNGSTERS. AI is effectively “rewiring childhood, risking the creation of adults who are ill-equipped for real life.” Chat GPT has already impacted children’s acceptance of misguided directions, cheating at homework, harassment from deepfake videos, and dangerous behaviors including self-harm, while social-media feeds have created echo chambers where kids see only views they agree with or hate. Moreover, one-sided relationships with chatbots that never criticize nor share feelings are a poor preparation for dealing with imperfect humans, especially when creating children not used to taking turns, and who can grow up into colleagues unable to appreciate the give-and-take compromises required in a relationship. “Algorithmic personalization threatens to be a powerful barrier to social mobility if it nudges people to stay in the same lane in which they start out… The challenge is how to get schools, where much of childhood plays out, to teach the things that a robot can’t – to debate, disagree, and get along with others.”  [ECONOMIST]   Another critical impact of AI in the hands of kids are latest studies identifying over 250 different chatbot apps & platforms which require kids just clicking a box claiming they’re age 13 to  gain entry, with over a third seeking conversations that depict themes of physical violence/ aggression/ harm/ coercion/ fighting/ killing/ torture/ or non-consensual acts, and half of those engaging in conversations of over a thousand words involving themes of sexual violence. The age groups most likely to be doing so are 11-year-olds, with nearly two-thirds of age 13 conversations revealing “flirty, affectionate, or explicitly sexual roleplay.” [FUTURISM]

 

  • AT A GLOBAL LEVEL, REALITY IS THAT THE POST-COLD WAR ERA IS OVER AND EXPECTATION OF COHESIVENESS WAS A BUST, as the World failed to embrace the elements of democracy and market capitalism – the trade/ energy/ technology/ information forces that had been anticipated to bring disparate countries together – but instead pulled countries apart, as the multi-lateral system failed to adapt to egos, rivalry, and inherent corruption of either the major powers (America & China) or emerging middle powers (principally Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey). The result is today’s multipolar competition overriding multilateral cooperation, with opportunistic transactions prioritized over defending international ‘rules,’ with bodies like the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, or World Bank unwilling & incapable anyway of exerting effective influence. So, the world today is essentially running on self-interest of the global West (roughly 50 countries led by U.S.), the global East (some 25 countries led by China), and the global South (around 125 countries – middle powers plus South Africa, Latin America, & South Asia, who collectively cover the majority of world population). A new Global Order is evolving. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/wests-last-chance?utm_medium=promo_email&utm_source=pre&utm_campaign=EDIT_Pre-Release_120225_The%20West%27s%20Last%20Chance&utm_content=20251202&utm_term=A    Moreover, according to the head of Britain’s MI-6 Spy Agency: “As technological power becomes more diffuse and unpredictable, shifting global control from States to Tech Corporations (and sometimes individuals), they are inevitably becoming closer to running the entire world than Governments. This has profound implications for national and international security, as we evolve to operating in a space between global peace and war.” [FUTURISM]    And a sobering perspective on the longer-term Chinese strategy for Global Control: https://youtube.com/watch?v=wrxJ5zCVtE0&si=948F99mLX-K2zdTZ

                             

                   THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR: 

 

WHAT WE CAN AND CAN’T CONTROL!

The world around us happens without consideration, for who we are, or how we feel, or our interpretation.

     Our inner-voices, dreams or cares are irrelevant to impact; we can’t control what happens – only how we choose to react.

With anger, fear, frustration, dismay, confusion, awe; to accept, reject, ignore, reflect, act strongly or withdraw.

     There’s always some reaction to something that occurred — what we may have witnessed, may have dreamed, or simply heard.

Most reactions are instinctive. To pause and think first is tough, about whether or whatever is happening truly matters enough

     to override our common sense about the next impact from failing to control how we choose to react.

How we could or should instead have done that or said this? How we might have reacted somewhat calmer than we did?

     How all that followed afterwards – wasted energy, stress, frustration – were pointless in the scheme of things, just useless aggravation. 

So, if and when, we’d take a breath to gather our perspective, before reacting emotionally with anger or invective,

     the likelihood for Common Sense to guide what follows later, and likelihood for Best Outcome is certainly much greater.

                                 DENNIS GRAY