Invited by Jay and Chantel of Castleton Technology Plc, the UK's largest technology provider to the social housing sector, to keynote its annual European Summit in Milton Keynes.
Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
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The host's verdict
Excellent, engaging and thought provoking keynote.
Chantel Kaur, Castleton
Jay and Chantel invited Matthew to present on the "Future of Communities" as keynote at Castleton's annual European Summit, held at the MK Dons stadium in Milton Keynes. Founded in 1997, Castleton Technology Plc is the UK's largest technology provider to the social housing sector, supplying over six hundred of the UK's two thousand housing associations.
Everyone lives in a community, and how communities are maintained, managed and kept safe shapes how people judge them. As AI, automation and Robotic Process Automation become more capable, Matthew argued that many of the effects will be felt first in social housing. He pointed to Chancellor Philip Hammond's plan to accelerate the move to self-driving cars, and his warning that over a million people need to prepare for a difficult transition, alongside threats to fulfilment, logistics and cashier jobs.
"Tomorrow's community will be very different from today's, but getting there takes vision, planning and investment."Matthew Griffin, Milton Keynes, May 2018
Automation aside, most of the keynote focused on the positive impact of new technology on communities and the companies that manage them. He discussed self-driving cars and their effect on parking, community relations and social inclusion, and electric vehicles that will push local grids to their limits in the short term while cutting air and noise pollution, improving health and boosting house prices. He covered local renewable microgrids, blockchain based energy trading and mesh broadband, and urban, vertical and fish farming that bring food production closer to home.
He then showed how AR and VR can underpin intelligence led, predictive management platforms, along with autonomous, low visibility policing and networks of community sensors and creative AIs that will shape urban planning. His closing theme was that tomorrow's communities will be very different, and getting there takes vision, planning and investment.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Automation arrives in housing first.
Matthew argued that many effects of AI, automation and Robotic Process Automation will be felt first in social housing. The same pressure is on jobs in fulfilment, logistics and cashier work. 311 data places Job Automation at wide use by 2027, with an action level of Act now.
Mobility and energy change the street.
Self-driving cars change parking, community relations and social inclusion. Electric vehicles will push local grids to their limits in the short term, then cut air and noise pollution and help health and house prices. 311 data puts Autonomous Vehicles at wide use around 2032 and Autonomous Energy Grids around 2035.
Vision, planning and investment come together.
Local microgrids, mesh broadband and predictive management platforms need joined-up decisions, not separate projects. Matthew's closing point was that getting to a very different community takes vision, planning and investment. Mesh Networks are already at TRL 9 in 311 data, so connectivity is a practical place to begin.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which of our services will automation change first, and who owns that plan?
How would electric vehicles and local grids affect our estates in the short term?
Which investments in connectivity and energy should we commit to before we are forced to?
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.
What does the Future of Communities session mean for organisations?
It means organisations that manage communities should plan for automation, new mobility and local energy together. Matthew said social housing will feel many of the effects of AI and automation first. The task is to set vision, planning and investment before the changes arrive.
How does Autonomous Vehicles relate to this session?
Matthew discussed self-driving cars and their effect on parking, community relations and social inclusion. 311 data describes Autonomous Vehicles as robotaxis scaling from pilots to paid city services, with wide use around 2032. The action level is Explore.
How does Autonomous Energy Grids relate to this session?
Matthew covered electric vehicles straining local grids, plus local renewable microgrids and blockchain based energy trading. 311 data describes Autonomous Energy Grids as grids that use AI to balance solar panels, batteries and EVs, with wide use around 2035. The action level is Explore.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
Through a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. Sessions are 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
Hundreds of megatrends and microtrends are shaping your world.
The 311 Institute Annual Trends Codex collects the hundreds of megatrends and microtrends shaping the world in one codex, including those Matthew showed will reshape local communities and the organisations that serve them.
