Written by JCC Member Charles Jimerson, CEO, Jimerson Birr Law Firm
At our May JCC meeting, we had the pleasure of hearing from Ian Beacraft, a leading authority on emerging technology and the future of human-machine interaction. As the Founder and Chief Futurist of Signal and Cipher, Ian advises Fortune 500 companies and global brands on how to prepare for, and thrive in, a world increasingly shaped by AI, synthetic media, and spatial computing.
Ian’s presentation challenged us to think beyond the hype and headlines. He explored how generative AI is not just automating tasks, but transforming creativity, communication, and the very structure of work. He emphasized the need for leaders to become “future literate,” and outlined strategies to evaluate new technologies without being overwhelmed by them. Ian emphasized that becoming forward thinking requires leaders to move from passive observers to active experimenters. He urged organizations to begin implementing AI into core business processes immediately, not waiting for perfect off-the-shelf solutions, in order to generate momentum, collect actionable data, and create closed-loop systems that train on proprietary information. The path to competitive advantage, he argued, lies in cleaning your data, mapping your processes, and deploying bespoke tools that leverage internal knowledge faster than your peers.
With deep insight and a dose of humor, Ian pushed us to consider not just what’s possible, but what’s responsible, in this next era of innovation.
by Charles Jimerson