Reflections on the Future: BBC 2018 Conference in San Antonio, Texas
Last year, I was blessed to attend my first international conference hosted by the International Institute for Business Analysis (IIBA). I wrote about this amazing experience in my BBC 2017: Lifetime Memories from IIBA's Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida post.
Part of that post was being apparently the first Steemian to write about this awesome organization, as I searched and could find no other reference to it.
One year later, while some of our fellow Steemians are having an international conference at Steemfest 3 in Poland, I was privileged to attend BBC 2018 in San Antonio, Texas.
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://www.buildingbusinesscapability.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/FB_BBC2017_Orlando.jpg)
Again, an incredible experience! I would like to share with you some highlights of this past week.
International Audience in a World-Class Venue
As mentioned last year, while I have attended "international conferences" in the past, this one truly lives up to that description.
Stats for 2018:
- Over 1,100 attendees, representing
- 45 of the United States.
- 8 of the provinces of Canada.
- 28 countries of the world.
- 3 Keynotes
- 6 Spotlights
- 127 sessions
And what can we say about the venues chosen by the IIBA? Last year was in the Universal Studios Resort in Orlando, Florida. This year was also very impressive:
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cache.marriott.com/marriottassets/marriott/SATJW/satjw-view-0131-hor-feat.jpg?interpolation=progressive-bilinear&downsize=1180px:*)
Next year's international conference will be held at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 11-15, 2019.
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://curiocollection3.hilton.com/resources/media/qq/FLLDHQQ/en_US/img/shared/full_page_image_gallery/main/QQ_poolreflection_1020x500_FitToBoxSmallDimension_Center.jpg)
Note: While members of IIBA, as I am, receive a discount, anyone can attend!
Future of Business
As was the case last year, a common theme was the major transformation now underway across the globe in redefining business as we know it.
And not a small little "speed bump" either, but a transformation of the magnitude of the shift between the Agricultural Age and the Industrial Age. According to presenters, that transformation took around 150 - 200 years to complete.
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://www.evolllution.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ages.jpg)
The current transformation is from the Industrial Age to the "Knowledge Age." It is well underway and will happen much more quickly.
The disruptive nature of this transformation is hard to overstate. Contrasting with the Industrial Age, some common examples given of Knowledge Age organizations were Uber. Which owns no vehicles. And Airbnb. Which owns no hotels. These large organizations are effectively global networks brought together by technology only recently possible.
[Note: Our great fellow Steemian, @crypto-talk, the creator of Partiko (follow @partiko), works at Airbnb.]
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://www.buildingbusinesscapability.com/images/uploads/bbc18_1200x630.jpg)
Fundamentally, the arguments made were we are in the early stages of major disruptions to our way of life, as "household" names of the Industrial Age steadily disappear, as "dinosaurs" far too slow to adapt to the rate of change needed to avoid becoming "extinct."
Much was made of the innovation required to "stay alive." Foundational concepts were presented in many sessions related to the restructuring needed to give your organization a "fighting chance" of not only surviving, but thriving in this new Age.
Future with AI, Blockchain, and "Bots"
As an essential part of what the future will look like, much discussion took place on AI (Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Intelligence), blockchains and distributed ledgers, and of course robotics or "bots."
Given the historical transformations briefly touched on above, whatever the future holds, it is comparatively speaking, complicated!
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://www.mdpi.com/JOItmC/JOItmC-04-00021/article_deploy/html/images/JOItmC-04-00021-g003.png)
As discussed in my post from last year, the whole concept of "augmented" intelligence was new to me, but it is already here. In relatively primitive form, compared to what is already being tested for deployment in the near future.
Effectively, more and more of our work will be "augmented" by input from automated sources feeding us content "mined" from SMEs (subject matter experts) ...
Blockchain? Yep, it was definitely and prominently featured! Seems great care was taken, aside from the ubiquitous Bitcoin, to mention any specific ones, but I am certain two of them were Stellar (XLM) given its ties to IBM and VeChain (VET) given its proposed means of insuring the receipt by buyers of genuine vs. counterfeit product from sellers ...
A lot of work is clearly going into how to harness the power of blockchains and distributed ledgers in this new world we are entering. As an investor, I will take it as an overall positive that it is being discussed at all in a venue like this world-class organization. This means, in whatever form it takes, it is here to stay.
That, in and of itself, is a remarkable transformation, given what has been publicly stated about the future of blockchain technology in the very recent past.
What about the future of robotics? Filled with benevolent little creations that "live life" alongside us? Continually devoted to our overall well-being 24/7/365?
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/12/13/21/20/alien-1905155__480.png)
Or something more sinister? Perhaps far more …
Who knows what the future holds? Who can “see” into the future and tell us what is coming? I don’t profess to be wise enough to know. We have all certainly been exposed, though, in our various corners of this world, to those of our fellow man attempting to do it.
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/10/28/00/42/machine-1776925__480.jpg)
For me, I view this part of our history much as I do the past. These creations are, in and of themselves, neither “good” or “bad.” They are what “we the people” chose of our own free wills to make of them.
They can be and are magnificent works that inspire us all. They can also be dedicated to ends which serve no useful purpose whatsoever.
While technology continues to advance, what can we say of human nature? How is that going? Will the “good guys” win out over the “bad guys?”
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/ https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/08/05/09/28/hand-1571852__480.jpg)
For now, I am content and inspired by the potential of what is coming. In my belief, the creative spark which uniquely sets man apart is the essential common element to all that is unfolding before us.
With you, we’ll all find out together how that “plays out” …
Closing
Any one of the topics above could become several posts. For now, I simply wanted to present to you, dear reader, some of the highlights of this extraordinary conference.
I am thankful for the opportunity I have been given to attend this conference the last two years. They have been unforgettable experiences which will always be with me. They are likely to be the last of my career, given my plans to retire from at least this level of working in the near future …
We live in a remarkable time in human history. I’d love to hear any feedback you may be inspired to provide!
Until "next time," all the best to you for a better tomorrow, as we all work together to build our Steem Community! 👍 😊
Respectfully, fellow Steemian @ roleerob
Posted using SteemPeak and “immutably enshrined in the blockchain” on Monday, 12 November 2018!
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Interested to read more of my business posts? Great! Here you go:
- BBC 2017: Lifetime Memories from IIBA's Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida
- Business Review: Great Creator of GIF Images - @skyleap!
- Business Review: Great Maker of Backlit LED Pictures
- Essential Foundation for Good Business
It is truly incredible to witness how technology becomes so disruptive that new industries and even economies are created from the wake if its change! I still feel that the world has yet to grasp the full extent to which life will change in the coming years and decades. It may not be in this generation but soon these developments will be integrated to every facet of humanity or whatever it will be called in the future as we make less decisions and leave them to AI.
We live in an amazing time in human history @newageinv!
And the changes are coming far more quickly than most realize. At this conference, it was stressed that every day we let go by without taking steps to address the many challenges we are facing is a problem ...
That said, I work for a cooperative, which in essence is a government-sanctioned monopoly. So ... My company thinks they are somewhat insulated from this reality. Time will tell, although for me it doesn't matter ...
How is your firm handling these disruptive changes @newageinv? Do you feel you are on top of it?
Before leaving, I want to commend you on your engagement. You are doing an excellent job. I hope you are reaping the benefits of your efforts @newageinv. You deserve it! 👍
P.S. Still here in Texas, so my own engagement is comparatively limited ...
Posted using Partiko Android
Howdy sir roleerob! wow that sounds like an amazing and inspirational conference. I assume that you are very excited about the improvements coming to us through all the new technology and AI innovations?
Hello @janton! Attending this conference, both last year and this, were in the top five conferences I had the privilege of attending over a long career.
Excited? Fascinated by the possibilities, but sober-minded about a lot of it. While technology is advancing, human nature isn't ... 😉
We'll see how it "plays out" ...
Posted using Partiko Android
howdy today sir roleerob! Have you read any of Elon Musks articles about why he fears the AI advancement?
I haven't but I wondered if you had because your take on it would be interesting since you just had that conference.
No sir @janton, I haven't. Not personally an Elon Musk fan ... 😉
Posted using Partiko Android
oh ok sir roleerob then you wouldn't be that interested in his opinion probably but what do you think, do you think there is a danger like in the Terminator films of AI taking over someday when the computers become self aware or whatever?
No @janton ...
... I personally have no fear of that. At their core, these systems are all just very powerful computers. And the "magic" of computers is the incredible of amount of processing power they have to handle information very, very fast. So, effectively they are very powerful servants doing what we cannot or at least don't need to any more ...
But, at the end of it all, they are doing exactly as they were programmed. The science fiction version, where they are capable of independent thought or, more precisely, creative thought I believe is the unique domain of man. Uniquely made in our Creator's image ...
What they can do is already here. Read about China with digital cameras everywhere and facial recognition systems (again, just incredible processing power to take an image and run it against billions of others until a statistically "close enough" (or is it?) match is made. Then is what you are "caught" doing in compliance with or violation of their "social code?" You get rewarded or punished accordingly, e.g. you think you are going somewhere on a train, but find you can't since you've been a sufficiently "bad boy" you've lost your train ride privileges ...
Or driverless cars are already here. Okay, they've already killed a few people, but like the old saying goes "you can't make an omelet, without breaking a few eggs" ...
These are real examples and being built and put into practice right now ...
There are very good uses of these systems, as well, so not intending to paint a totally dark picture of the future. It all comes back to our basic human nature problem and how that is going to "play out" in the future with our "new, improved" machines ...
Howdy today sir roleerob! Ok that makes sense and makes me feel better unless they use the technology like China is doing, I've heard about those programs they're putting into place over there..very scary stuff but then we know that technology will be used in the End Times in such ways.
Do you have any information about how soon the self driving cars will be available on a mass scale? I haven't heard anything about that since that man was killed last year, I think he car was directed into a construction barrier or something?
At any rate, thanks so much for the information and your opinion. I take it your job is going well?
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