Leadership sessions forWorkdayMBP PartnersPwC Middle EastABP GroupRichmond EventsFirst Abu Dhabi Bank
Featured inBloombergThe Wall Street JournalThe Telegraph
ITWeb and sponsor Samsung invited Matthew to present on the Future of Innovation at the annual ITWeb Enterprise Mobility Summit, held at the Summer Palace on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The summit had been organised in response to customer demand, and with only 30 percent of the African continent connected, it was clear that in many cases Africa will skip intermediary computing technologies and move straight to mobile and cloud.
Matthew titled his keynote "The Future of InnovAItion" and set out to challenge the audience's view of innovation as a process and of the role technology plays in it. He opened with a three minute music video from Amper, a creative AI that had just made its first album, "I am AI". The audience, who did not know the song had been composed by an AI, gave the artist 7.5 out of 10.
"While none of them yet seem to be capable of primary innovation I'm certain that will come in time. Soon we might see a new Gold Standard of innovation emerge."Matthew Griffin, Johannesburg, September 2017
He then took the room through innovations that had recently moved from science fiction to science fact, including alien lifeforms, biological teleporters, deflector shields, storing data on photons and tractor beams. From there he turned to creative machines, whose algorithmic creativity is helping companies innovate, iterate and evolve products thousands of times faster and cheaper than before. None yet seem capable of primary innovation, but he expects that to come in time.
He covered generative design, where AIs run thousands of simulations a second and combine the results with real time sensor data from working prototypes, so products effectively co-design themselves. He then showed self-evolving robots designed by AI and 3D printed, and how 4D printing could one day let an AI design a robot that walks out of the printer, something already proven at MIT.
He closed by pointing out that the Airbus A380 he was about to fly home on is itself a product of generative design. The future is nearer than people think.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Machines now join the design team.
Algorithmic creativity helps firms innovate, iterate and evolve products thousands of times faster and cheaper than before. Creative Machines is rated Prepare, with wide use expected by 2028. Leaders should plan where this fits in their own product work.
Simulation replaces much of the prototype.
Generative design runs thousands of simulations a second and blends them with live sensor data from working prototypes. This matches the Synthetic Innovation trend, where products are designed in software before anything is built. Teams that still rely on slow build and test cycles will fall behind.
Printed products may start to move.
The keynote pointed to 4D printing, where an AI designed robot could one day walk out of the printer, already shown at MIT. 4D Printing is rated Watch, with a first product expected in 2028 and wide use by 2038. The cost of waiting is low, but the cost of not knowing is high.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which of our design steps could simulation replace first?
Who owns the decision to trust a machine designed part?
What would we do if a rival iterated products thousands of times faster?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
It suggests that design, testing and iteration are becoming work that machines share with people. Organisations should review where their product cycles are slow, and test creative tools in a small, safe area first.
How does Creative Machines relate to this keynote?
It is the core theme. The keynote showed algorithmic creativity helping companies evolve products far faster, and 311 rates Creative Machines as Prepare, with wide use expected by 2028. Firms should build skills and rules for it now.
How does 4D Printing relate to this keynote?
Matthew showed that 4D printing could one day let a designed robot walk out of the printer, which MIT has already proven. 311 rates it Watch, at readiness level 6, with a first product expected in 2028. Monitor it, and do not commit large budgets yet.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
311 offers a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. It is delivered in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Creative machines could become the dominant creative force.
The Future of Innovation and Creativity asks what happens when creative machines, not humans, become the dominant creative force in the world, the shift this session first traced through Amper and generative design.
