Welcome to another exciting edition of *Next Future Today* and the reboot of the podcast, fresh for 2025!
I'm your host, Dan Keldsen, Chief Innovation Officer at Infocap AI Corp, and I'm thrilled to share insights from our recent episode featuring Craig Le Clair, VP of Research at Forrester Research.
If you're interested in what the impact of automation (including many flavors of AI) is going to be on your own career or your business, Craig's insights are just what you've been looking for.
For a quick glimpse - we cover...
1. Introduction
* Host introduction: Dan Keldsen, Chief Innovation Officer at Infocap and host of Next Future Today
* Guest introduction: Craig Le Clair, VP Principal Analyst at Forrester Research
2. Overview of the Episode Topic
* Reboot of Next Future Today
* Focus on human-centric automation
* Craig Le Clair’s book: Random Acts of Automation
3. Discussion on Automation
* Impact of automation on different worker classes
* Types of automation: physical and digital
* Examples: robots for physical tasks, various forms of digital process automation
4. Perspectives on Work and Automation
* Different career paths and impacts on jobs from automation
* Four classes of workers affected by automation: digital elites, middle workers, human touch workers, and work-life pioneers
5. Concept of Pragmatic Futurism
* Dan’s approach to being a pragmatic futurist
* Importance of adapting to future trends
6. Craig’s Keynote and Career
* Craig's presentation at UiPath
* His professional background and approach to technology analysis
7. Insights from Craig’s Book
* Books written by Craig: Random Acts of Automation, Invisible Robots in the Quiet of the Night
* Themes of the latest book
* Timelessness and relevance of the insights provided
8. Defining Worker Classes
* Digital Elites
* Middle Workers
* Human Touch Workers
* Work-Life Pioneers
9. Critical Thinking and Skills Development
* Importance of workers developing critical thinking
* Skills for adapting to automation
10. Discussion on Change Management
* Inefficacy of traditional change management
* Need for embedding change management into the workforce
11. The Role of Grit and Constructive Ambition
* Encouraging workers to have grit and constructive ambition
* Recommendations for workers navigating automation
12. Conclusion and Contact Information
* Final thoughts from Craig
⏰ Timecodes ⏰
00:00 Automation's Impact on Workforce
03:06 "Pragmatic Futurism and Humor"
06:58 "Tech's Fast Pace & Worker Adaptation"
09:40 Navigating Complexity in Workflow
14:37 Future Job Trends and Adaptations
17:14 Consulting and Change Management Critique
20:10 Critical Thinking in Automation Era
23:04 Prioritize People, Not Profits
26:44 AI and Gig Economy Shift
30:14 UiPath Interest Leads to Farming Insights
34:01 Underground Job's Unique Camaraderie
35:30 "Pragmatic Futurism: Act Now"
38:32 "Anticipating 'Random Acts of Automation'"