Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
G7 · G20governments advised
850+keynotes
102countries
17codexes
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Alex and the team at Adobe asked Matthew to work with their global teams to re-imagine the future of the humble but ubiquitous document, and the PDF, of which there are apparently more than 80 Trillion today, with many more to come.
Adobe is the outstanding market leader in open format documents as well as collaboration and design software, and almost anyone who uses a computer knows its products. Yet re-imagining the document is possibly one of the hardest tasks there is: documents are almost as old as the human race itself, and every enterprise company on Earth has at some point tried to put its own spin on them and dominate the space.
"When you dig into the space you realise just how many different document formats and use cases have already disappeared thanks to the advance of new technologies."Matthew Griffin, United States, December 2022
Matthew pointed out that while the market for PDFs is growing almost exponentially, many document formats and use cases have already disappeared as new technologies advance. HTML 5 is replacing design documents, smart contracts are replacing traditional contracts, and immersive technologies are reinventing CAD and BIM systems as well as education and training applications.
He also set out the opportunities to re-imagine documents, from biometrics for user identification and authentication to new AI and Web 3.0 tools that could transform how documents are created, collaborated on, distributed and mined. The detailed sessions were held behind closed doors, so their specifics remain private.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Document types can vanish quickly.
The source shows HTML 5 replacing design documents and smart contracts replacing traditional contracts. Immersive technologies are also reinventing CAD and BIM systems and training tools. A leadership team should list which document types its work depends on and test each against that pattern.
Biometrics may change who can sign.
Matthew pointed to biometrics for user identification and authentication. 311 data rates biometrics as ready now, at the top technology readiness level of 9. Brainwave authentication is far earlier, with a first product expected in 2030, so it is one to watch.
Open formats keep content usable.
Adobe leads in open format documents, and the PDF base is vast and still growing. Firms are also moving analytics data into open formats so any engine can read it. Documents that can be mined and shared across systems keep their value longer.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which of our document types could a newer technology replace first?
Where would stronger identity checks make our documents safer or simpler to use?
Are our document and data formats open enough to be mined later?
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 documents mean for organisations?
It means treating documents as a changing asset, not a fixed one. Some formats and uses are already gone, while the PDF market keeps growing. Leaders should decide which document types to protect, which to retire and which to rebuild.
How do biometrics relate to the future of documents?
Matthew named biometrics as a way to identify and authenticate users of documents. 311 data lists biometrics with an action of Act now and wide use by 2023. Fingerprints, faces and voices can check who is opening or signing a file.
How do open data formats relate to this session?
Matthew set out opportunities to mine documents as well as create and distribute them. 311 tracks a shift to open table formats, where analytics data is stored so any engine can read it. The link is portability, which makes document content easier to reuse.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
311 offers a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. Sessions run 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
Technology is revolutionising how content is made and consumed.
The codex explores the technologies and trends revolutionising how content is made and consumed, which is exactly where the document and the PDF are heading.
