“A Springboard to the Future”

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Make STEAM Work For You

(Royalty-free image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.) How do you make the future your own? Especially with technology radically transforming the workplace? That's exactly what bestselling authors Cathy Hackl and John Buzzell cover in their new book, "The Augmented Workforce: How AI, AR and 5G Will Impact Every Dollar You Make". And their goal: to provide a guide for those of us that don't consider ourselves tech-savvy. If you don't care about "how many pixels" or "why does it work", but want to know "How can I make this work for me?", you're the reader they have in mind. "We wanted this to be helpful, encouraging and (a springboard to the future for nontechnical readers)," says John. And indeed, "The Augmented Workforce" is both a great read, and a great resource. A layperson's guide Putting the technology into plain English, John and Cathy take their readers through six "pillars" that will change the future. They explore: the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), 5G, the cloud and blockchain. Chapters cover uses (sometimes unexpected!) of these technologies in a wide range of work situations. Education, marketing, healthcare and defense are just a few of the fields John and Cathy explore. John, with whom I spoke in this episode, is an award-winning technology leader, whose areas of expertise include AR/VR, mobile apps, websites and much more. Currently, he works with Epic Games, creators of both the Unreal game engine and the world's largest video game, Fortnite. John also serves as President of the VR/AR Association's Atlanta Chapter. Meanwhile, Cathy is a leading tech futurist and globally recognized business leader. Both she and John are very much in demand as speakers, in the area of innovation. And they'd both like to have you follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn! You'll find their links here. John offered a look at "The Augmented Workforce", explored some of the reasons "nontechnical" readers might want to learn more about AI, AR and VR, and shared some of his favorite resources. On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover: The genesis of "The Augmented Workforce" (hint: robots are involved!; How the current breakneck-pace changes in technology may show up in the workplace of the future; One ingenious XR application which allows for effective training in a venerable New York system; How makers and educators (especially those who consider themselves "nontechnical") can use digital media to share knowledge and information; Some of the ways makers, educators and small-business entrepreneurs can put AI, AR and VR to work for them; A look inside some of the industries covered in "The Augmented Workforce" and how these emerging technologies facilitate them; Resources to get started, from the ground up, working with AI or AR; What a robot had to say, in review of "The Augmented Workforce: How AI, AR and 5G Will Impact Every Dollar You Make"; Why this robot's role as "book reviewer" doesn't necessarily mean workers in creative fields will become obsolete!