May 26, 2020
Dr. David Bray on COVID-19 as the great disruption accelerator
For generations, futurists have tried to prepare the world for disruptions of unimaginable scale, from demographic shifts to global climate crises. However, in a matter of months, COVID-19 has made many of these fears real, ushering in an era of disruption without warning. However, as Dr. David Bray, Director of the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center, discussed on the Business Learning Institute’s Future Proof podcast, today’s challenging moment also presents immense opportunity for transformation and the introduction of changes society has long needed.
For example, COVID-19 has accelerated remote work. Most companies have been forced to scale up their virtual work and information technology infrastructure. According to Dr. Bray, a wider adoption of virtual work has been on the horizon for many years, but the pandemic has shown organizations how well they can do business virtually. That said, a more virtual work environment will also be more vulnerable to technological disruptions of the future like AI and the Internet of Things, which have now been deprioritized by some organizations scrambling to address the pandemic.
Listen to the podcast to hear more of Dr. Bray’s ideas regarding COVID-19 and societal transformation.