Long-term Strategies for Uncertain Realities
Navigating the volatility of AI with trend analysis cards and strategic foresight workshops
Resource
Structured resources set a strong foundation for innovation and design in an era of AI uncertainty.
AI is evolving faster than our collective ability to fully understand its impacts; taking a broad but critical look at emerging trends is essential for any design strategy.
Designing responsible technology often starts with a clear framing of the problem to be addressed. But when it’s the enabling technology itself that is in flux, as we have seen with the rapid and encompassing disruption of AI, standard strategy approaches fail to provide the solid foundation we need to create positive impact.
We took a broad perspective through STEEP trend categories (Societal, Technological, Economic, Environmental, and Political) to gain insights on how AI may disrupt and reshape our industries — and what it means for teams navigating it.
Over 25 trend cards cover the full STEEP landscape, and when paired with strategic foresight workshops, help teams see past the entrenched mindsets and practices that may hold them back. Highlights from the deck include:
Social Trends: ‘The Authenticity Crisis’ and ‘AI Skills Gaps.’
Technology Trends: ‘The Rise of Agents’ and ‘Programmable Biology.’
Economic Trends: ‘Infrastructure Advantage’ and ‘AI Risk Premium’
Environmental Trends: ‘Water Footprint’ and ‘Grid Bottleneck.’
For each trend, substantiating signals provide confidence in the trends identified and offer a way to track them over time. But trends and signals are only part of the picture; equally important are the implications they may have on design.
Take the social trend of The Authenticity Crisis: a 71% drop in consumer trust in online content over the last 6 months (Mimecast) signals that human perception is no longer a reliable filter for what we see, hear, and share online. One implication for design strategy is to introduce Verification by Friction, where UX creates intentional moments of pause, prompting users to look more critically at the content they encounter online.
Download the trend cards below.
Our designers and strategists are ready to plan, customize, and facilitate workshops that put these cards to work for teams building AI strategies. Contact info@artefactgroup.com to discuss your team’s needs, organizational goals, and how trend and foresight activities can bring structure to the challenges and opportunities of AI.
“Participants left with a stronger understanding of AI and other forces that are reshaping their industry and the incremental steps necessary to guide fast-moving teams.”
Download your copy of the trend cards and reach out to learn how Artefact can help you navigate the AI disruption affecting your business today.
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