Exponential predictions for 2018, laser-powered Internet and hacker-infested toys — This Week’s 10 Reads from a Chief Innovation Officer

Dustin Haisler
e.Republic Government Market Insights
6 min readDec 31, 2017

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I read over 100 articles this week so you don’t have to — Here are the top 10 you should read over the weekend and why they matter for the public sector. Let’s dive in to this week’s —

The Articles —

Out of over 100 articles, here are the top 10 that stood out this week:

🔮 18 Exponential Changes We Can Expect in the Year Ahead http://bit.ly/2lrsK6u

🔎 Digital Disruptors of the World Unite: Interpreting the Fourth Industrial Revolution http://on.wsj.com/2Cs3TZK

🌡 De Blasio Administration Announces Tech Competition to Accelerate Local Climate Action http://on.nyc.gov/2Dr72G4

🚨 Using drones to build the ambulance fleet of the future http://tcrn.ch/2kSwr4K

👾 McKinsey Quarterly 2017 Number 4 — Artificial intelligence takes shape — http://bit.ly/2Cv09Ve

🗄 What can machine learning do? Workforce implications of machine learning http://bit.ly/2Cnpum5

🚙 Riders in Waymo’s self-driving cars will now be insured http://bit.ly/2ElyIxr

💡 Exploring a new approach to connectivity http://bit.ly/2zUqR6s

🤖 The robots are coming and Sweden is fine http://nyti.ms/2C1PYWY

🚂 A cute toy just brought a hacker into your home. http://nyti.ms/2zTImny

The Bottom Line —

Just in case you don’t have time to read each article, here are the key takeaways and why each one matters for government:

🔮 18 Exponential Changes We Can Expect in the Year Ahead http://bit.ly/2lrsK6u

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: As you’ve read in many of my articles, preparing for an uncertain future across multiple domains is an important function that government agencies need to embrace and embed into the way they operate. This article provides a great look at 18 areas that will have exponential changes as we head into 2018.

🔎 Digital Disruptors of the World Unite: Interpreting the Fourth Industrial Revolution http://on.wsj.com/2Cs3TZK

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: There are individual, organizational and societal changes unfolding before us each day and as many economists have described, the beginning of a fourth industrial revolution. Along with other technological revolutions, there will be massive changes to labor and productivity — but it’s important for government to understand that it’s going to have more of an impact on it. From the regulatory landscape to physical infrastructure building, this fourth industrial revolution will require government to become more agile in order to keep up.

🌡 De Blasio Administration Announces Tech Competition to Accelerate Local Climate Action http://on.nyc.gov/2Dr72G4

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: Mayor De Blasio and his technology team are a shining example that cities are capable of doing more than just existing. Under NYCx, the City of New York is tackling hyperlocal problems such as connectivity, as well as moonshot challenges to push the envelope for government innovation. This reinforces a point I’ve long held, that sustainable innovation starts and is incubated at the local level, then it roles up to higher levels of government. Keep up the great work NYC!

🚨 Using drones to build the ambulance fleet of the future http://tcrn.ch/2kSwr4K

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: Last week you read about ambulance ubers, now we’ve moved to an ambulance that can fly. We’ve seen drone package concepts, but Zipline is using drones in Africa to deliver vital medical supplies — and it’s not just a concept, it’s live. This example provides validation of the lifesaving impact that drones can have and we will begin to see more of these use-cases role out to cities across the United States. For government, drones will provide opportunities to augment emergency workers (a video for what that looks like is below), but it will also lead to a host of new regulatory and orchestration challenges that will need to be addressed.

👾 McKinsey Quarterly 2017 Number 4 — Artificial intelligence takes shape — http://bit.ly/2Cv09Ve

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: McKinsey puts out great quarterly publications that cover a wide variety of topics — and this month’s really hit home with a focus on artificial intelligence. As your agency looks to integrate and implement elements of AI into your operations in 2018, it’s good to have an industry perspective of where things are today and where they are going.

🗄 What can machine learning do? Workforce implications of machine learning http://bit.ly/2Cnpum5

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: Machine learning and artificial intelligence are the most common buzzwords you see at the top of every tech article on the web — but most lack the meat to explain their wild predictions on how AI will do XYZ. That’s why I love this research, posted in an academic journal, that provides an in-depth look at machine learning and the science behind how it will impact our workforce.

🚙 Riders in Waymo’s self-driving cars will now be insured http://bit.ly/2ElyIxr

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: There are numerous regulatory challenges that are uncertain involving self-driving technology, and one of the biggest challenges today is around liability — who’s at fault and who pays when no one is driving. This is why Waymo’s decision to provide passenger insurance in their self-driving vehicles is a great starting point for working out the liability issue. Government agencies will need to continue to work together with the self-driving vehicle industry on a host of other technical and regulatory issues, but this is a promising start.

💡 Exploring a new approach to connectivity http://bit.ly/2zUqR6s

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: Broadband and connectivity are a major focus area for many government agencies, especially those that must serve rural areas that have limited access. For the longest time, we believed providing high-speed Internet at homes required physical infrastructure (i.e. fiber) in order to accomplish, but it’s exciting to see that many new technologied (including lasers) are offering a future where laying fiber is no longer a requirement. This movement is just beginning as there are numerous agencies across the United States that are testing other connectivity technologies, such as 5G and small cell towers, to bridge the divide.

🤖 The robots are coming and Sweden is fine http://nyti.ms/2C1PYWY

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: This article provides a fascinating look at how Sweden is not only welcoming automation, and employees aren’t fearful of it. This is because at the national level, Swedish minister for employment and integration, Ylva Johansson, phrased it best, “The jobs disappear, and then we train people for new jobs. We won’t protect jobs. But we will protect workers.” Lesson for government agencies here is that we need to make our own workers more comfortable with new technology and automation by ensuring they still have in the future — and making that path clear enough to continue to build the level of trust that Swedish employees have for their government agencies.

🚂 A cute toy just brought a hacker into your home. http://nyti.ms/2zTImny

🏛 Why it Matters for Government: The Internet of Things (IoT) is often discussed in government conferences as what will usher in a future of connected lights, streets and buildings — but unfortunately, many government agencies may not realize that IoT is already here, brought to you by your connected employees and citizens. Although you can segment IoT from enterprise to consumer use-cases, the lines between those are blurring as consumer IoT devices can create massive disruptions and government is not immune (remember the nanny cameras that took down the Internet last year). For government agencies, it’s time to get proactive with IoT, both in the regulatory landscape and your own agencies strategy for internet-enabled devices.

Thanks for reading, wishing you a Happy New Year! Also for those that requested it, you can now subscribe to receive this via e-mail automatically each week. 🎉

If you like what you 👀 see, your 👏 claps, 🗣 comments and ✉️ shares are much appreciated. 🙏

If you missed last week’s list, you can still read about the rise of government chatbots, Uber ambulances and cryptojacking.

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Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer of e.Republic | Government Technology | Governing | Former Government CIO/ACM | Professor | Author | TEDx