It is being referred to as the third revolution in warfare – the development of artificial intelligence – after gunpowder and nuclear weapons. Think back to the Terminator movies – You know the way that science fiction has a habit of becoming science fact? That concept is now being warned about, by people vastly more intelligent than you and me. (Apologies to HG Wells)
Scarily, it cannot be far off now that a terrorist organisation or freedom fighter (depending on your leaning) flies a bomb laden drone into an unsuspecting target, controlling the weapon with a mobile smartphone in a luxury apartment on the other side of the world, while being cheered on by bikini clad infidels. Such is the pace of change in the age in which we fight for our crust of bread, cup of water and watt of power.
What seems like just the other day, but what in fact was almost two years back, I suggested that the coming and existing technology storm would make a big difference to business values.
It is laid out so very well in The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies
This also presents a great challenge to small business. That’s you and me. The big guys have the funds to enable them to retrench thousands of workers, and resort to smart machines for their labour. We apparently don’t.
For a long time the imperatives of BEE have seen the smaller guys training up competent and outwardly loyal workers to be skilled in their jobs, only to have those workers poached by industry, along with the hard earned BEE points.
As the camera of politics pans across to the other side of the stage, we see big business talking to organised labour, and apparently coming up with workable solutions, for now, for surviving the coming economic storm in an environment of government lead ineptitude.
Left unattended in the wings is disorganised labour and small business – the ugly, shy and nerdy, with nobody to talk to at this dance for existence and survival.
Which brings me to an interesting question… What if the great unemployed were more interested in the dignity of having some sort of employment? What if the weight of the unemployed reached such a mass as to make things change, that this vast body realised that the unions do nothing for them, and do not even have their interests at heart? Why would they? The unemployed don’t finance the lifestyle of the average trade union leader! What if the great unemployed mass was to suddenly understand that the unions HAVE to ensure that they remain unemployed, so as to not dilute the bargaining power of the employed?
And (oh the horror of it all) what if the mass of unemployed were to suddenly understand that the labour laws are there to keep them unemployed and unemployable, in the interests of the luxury goods market, otherwise known as the communist ideals inspired; organised labour?
So, what if disorganised labour and unruly small business business was to have its own indaba…
{ed – wake up. You’re having that dream again}
Anyway, as I was saying…
If you want your business to grow in value, you can find ways of embracing ever more affordable smart technology. If you don’t, your competitor will. And before you reach for that tired old argument about 3d printing not having your material available for what you do in your industry, take a look at this runaway locomotive; 3d printing in glass:
Look, I’m no brain surgeon, rocket scientist or even concrete mixer, but I can see that if we have the ability, only a few years into this technology, to print with glass, then there is a lot more to come, and whatever your medium is, whatever your application, whatever your product – there is an opportunity here for your business.
Unless you want to hang around and wait for your competitor to make it a threat.
You do know that the competitor is still at high school, don’t you? You do know that he is on the internet via his smart phone, plotting your demise, right now?
Robot wars are coming.