The Future, This Week

The future of generative AI

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the speed, visibility and hype of generative AI, and goodbye. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Futures Resea...

The future of seafood with Aryé Elfenbein

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we discuss lab-grown seafood and the future of fish with Wildtype Co-Founder, Aryé Elfenbein. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and ...

Megaprojects and getting big things done with Bent Flyvbjerg

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week: a discussion with Bent Flyvbjerg on the factors that lead projects to fail, whether big or small, and the research-based principles that ca...

Generative AI and life advice for the future with Kevin Kelly

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we talk with Wired Magazine co-founder Kevin Kelly about artificial intelligence, group think, and excellent advice for living. Sandra Pete...

Platform capitalism with Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we interview Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow, authors of Chokepoint Capitalism, about how platforms capture value in creative markets. San...

Noise and other distractions with Daniel Kahneman

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week: a special episode with Daniel Kahneman. Good judgment is not just an admirable personal quality, it’s a valuable life skill. Nobel Priz...

ChatGPT and generative AI

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week: our ChatGPT and generative AI special. What is it? How does it work? What to do with it? Where to next? Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insig...

The 4-day work week with Juliet Schor

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: what if we all worked four days a week? We talk with Professor Juliet Schor about her research into the 4-day work week and the trials happ...

Best business books of 2022

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: corporate self-help, pandemics, climate, toxic stuff and socio-tech broccoli: our 2022 best business books for your holiday reading list. S...

Temu – Chinese apps going global

20 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Pinduoduo’s Temu marks another high-profile entry in the e-commerce market from a Chinese tech giant. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insig...

COP27 and moving forward with climate change responses

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we talk to Christopher Wright about COP27 and how to move forward with responses to climate change. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights)...

Generative AI and creative work

06 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: how generative Artificial Intelligence and synthetic media changes the business of creative work. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) a...

Universal Basic Income with Scott Santens

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Universal Basic Income (UBI) trials have taken place all over the world from Namibia to Alaska. We talk with researcher and advocate Scott ...

Patagonia goes profit for purpose

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we discuss what happens when a company is owned by a foundation, how profit benefits purpose. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and K...

9 things we learned about hybrid work 

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we take stock and discuss nine important things we learned about hybrid work. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digit...

Data is not the new oil with Genevieve Bell

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: our 300th episode. We’re joined by Professor Genevieve Bell to settle once and for all – if data is not the new oil, then what is it? S...

State of the Digital in 2022 (and the future) with Simon Kemp

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: don’t believe the hype – the surprising truth about what is really going on online, with our expert Simon Kemp Sandra Peter (Sydney Bus...

Weird new jobs

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the AI whisperer, AI artist managers, data detectives, metaverse supply chain strategy consultants, and more cool jobs in the digital era. ...

The business of movies is changing

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the business of movies is changing, with Mike Seymour. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Futures Research Gro...

Instagram, are you TikTok?

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: as Instagram tries to become more like TikTok, small businesses protest. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Fu...

AI fluency in Australia with Kellie Nuttall

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: a special on artificial intelligence in Australian organisations and AI fluency with Deloitte’s AI Lead, Dr Kellie Nuttall. You can find ...

Revisiting the Asian century with Kishore Mahbubani

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we revisit our 2020 discussion with Singaporean diplomat, academic and author, Kishore Mahbubani. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) a...

Another delivery drone trial and food security futures

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: delivery drones - where are they, and why are they taking so long? Plus fake milk discussions and food security futures. Sandra Peter (Sydn...

Buy now, pay later and the evolution of innovation

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the evolution (or revolution) in the BNPL disruption story. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Futures Researc...

Facial recognition and public data

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: all things facial recognition and the implications of using public data. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital F...

Stablecoins, not-so-stable cryptocurrency

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: as cryptocurrencies plummet, some stablecoins are not so stable. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Futures Re...

The future of sand

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the world is running out of sand. The most-exploited resource after water should be recognised as a strategic material and regulated like a...

The future of geopolitics

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the future of geopolitics. From Australia’s place in Asia to the war in Europe, we discuss new ways of thinking, with Professor Marc ...

Hybrid office fashion

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: what should you wear to work: the end of suit and heels and more hybrid office fashion. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Rie...

Unlearn music

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we’re on a break but we have something interesting in store for you, we discuss how the way we engage with music is fundamentally cha...

Elon Musk buys Twitter… well, sort of

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: it really is a Musk when Elon becomes Twitter’s largest shareholder and gets a seat on the board. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insig...

Neon and chip shortages

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the world’s leading suppliers of neon are in Ukraine, and that threatens to make the ongoing microchip shortage even worse. Sandra Pe...

New York Times gets Wordle

18 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we discuss the economics and business behind the New York Times’ decision to buy popular internet game Wordle. Sandra Peter (Sydney B...

Fake fact-checking and disinformation

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: fake fact-checking videos take disinformation to a different level. For MisinfoDay we talk to expert Jevin West from the University of Wash...

Cybersecurity and women

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this IWD why cybersecurity needs more women and what we can do about it with expert Dr Meraiah Foley. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and K...

The future of wine and some remote work stuff

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the future of wine is bleak because of millennials, climate, tariffs and taxes; and more remote work and fake companies. Sandra Peter (Sydn...

The future of higher education with Mark Scott

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: what is the future of universities? As the sector navigates disruption and uncertainty, special guest Professor Mark Scott AO, Vice-Chancel...

Unlearn automation

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we’re on a break but we have something interesting in store for you, and it’s not about our longitudinal auto ethnographic rese...

The Future, This Week 14 Dec 21: making leisure work

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: how should we spend our time off? How making leisure time productive is making us efficient but also unhappy and what we can do about it. S...

The Future, This Week 6 Dec 21: best business books 2021

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: corporate self-help, schadenfreude, tech broccoli, and real eyeopeners: our 2021 best business books for your Christmas list. Sandra Peter ...

The Future, This Week 26 Nov 21: cobalt, not exactly the new oil

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: all about cobalt, a behind the scenes look at the challenges of transitioning to renewable energy technologies. Sandra Peter (Sydney Busine...

The Future, This Week 19 Nov 21: the great resignation (or is it?)

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: with so much talk of the great resignation, the great realignment, job swap and early retirement, what is actually going on and what do we ...

The Future, This Week 12 Nov 21: the numbers of climate change (hint: it’s worse than you think)

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: all the numbers of climate change and what they mean from the COP26 in Glasgow, with our expert Professor Christopher Wright. Sandra Peter ...

The Future, This Week 29 Oct 21: Meta and the metaverse

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: rebranding the company and the metaverse play: we discuss the Facebook announcements, meta and verse. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insight...

The Future, This Week 22 Oct 21: what Spotify is doing to podcasts

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the podcast about podcasts, how Spotify’s ambitions might change podcasts forever, plus LinkedIn getting out of China and Norway&rsqu...

The Future, This Week 15 Oct 21: Squid Game and the future of content

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Squid Game, the biggest hit in Netflix history is re-shaping the future of movies and television.Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insight...

The Future, This Week 4 Oct 21: unlearn computers

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we’re on a break but we have something interesting in store for you, and it’s not just Mr Goxx the cryptocurrency trading ...

The Future, This Week 24 Sep 21: weathering the perfect storm of container shipping

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: COVID, climate and containers: how the world weathers the global logistics crisis and a quick look at the Facebook files, ByteDance, finflu...

The Future, This Week 17 Sep 21: finfluencers and financial advice on TikTok

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Finfluencers - more and more young people get their financial advice on TikTok and other social media platforms. Also, robot vacuums and pe...

The Future, This Week 10 Sep 21: #BreakUpBigChicken

10 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we’re back and what does #BreakUpBigTech have to do with your chicken? There's also Abba-tars, Gartner all hype no cycle, Musk’...

Coming soon: The Future, This Week season 10

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Season 10 of The Future, This Week is almost here. But in the meantime, we've been working on something new… Introducing The Unlearn Project, o...

Corona Business Insights: social capital

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Social capital, networking and the office: part four of a series looking at shifting working practices, distributed and hybrid work. As COVID-19 sets ...

Corona Business Insights: wellbeing

14 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wellbeing, burnout and memory fog: part three of a series looking at shifting working practices, distributed and hybrid work. As COVID-19 sets out to ...

Corona Business Insights: productivity

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Revisiting productivity and remote work: part two of a series looking at shifting working practices, distributed and hybrid work.As COVID-19 sets out ...

Corona Business Insights: working from home

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Revisiting working from home (WFH): part one of a series looking at shifting working practices, distributed and hybrid work. As COVID-19 sets out to c...

Corona Business Insights: still zooming

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As remote work continues for many people, what is Zoom fatigue and what to do about it, and how are videoconferencing platforms adapting their service...

Corona Business Insights: contact tracing revisited

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We look at lessons learned from the use of digital contact tracing apps, launched with great promise early in the pandemic, but now largely regarded a...

The Future, This Week 30 Jun 21: TED Talks and science

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: What if the science behind your favourite TED Talk was wrong? Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Disruption Re...

The Future, This Week 22 Jun 21: predicting fashion and replacing solar

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: how COVID-19 reveals how the fashion industry predicts trends, and why the success of solar becomes a problem. Sandra Peter (Sydney Busines...

The Future, This Week 11 Jun 21: breaking the internet, and the scientific paradox

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: what we saw when the internet went down and changing minds about the scientific paradox. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Ri...

The Future, This Week 28 May 21: emerging innovation with cabbages, eyes, cows and EVs

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: What do cabbages, eyes, cows and electric vehicles have in common? Stories of innovation and emerging industries on The Future, This Week. ...

The Future, This Week 20 May 21: the business of bees

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: bees, their economic impact and why it's so important to protect them, with special guest Emily Remnant. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insi...

The Future, This Week 14 May 21: revisiting Thinking with Daniel Kahneman

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we revisit our interview with Nobel prize winner and renowned author, Professor Daniel Kahneman. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) an...

The Future, This Week 7 May 21: politics at work

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Basecamp banning employees having political and societal discussions at work points to new challenges for leaders deciding what their busin...

The Future, This Week 30 Apr 21: crime and punishment

30 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the future of crime and punishment, we discuss the high cost and low returns of punishing white collar crimes with special guest Clinton Fr...

The Future, This Week 26 Apr 21: AirTags and suburban retrofitting

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Apple’s AirTag release raises platform competition issues, and the trend of suburban retrofitting changes what suburbs are for. Sandr...

The Future, This Week 16 Apr 21: hybrid work

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: hybrid work models, and their hidden complexities and implications in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insi...

The Future, This Week 9 Apr 21: unpacking the gig economy impact

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: as the world sets out to regulate gig work, we look at its surprising consequences and wider impact. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights...

Coming soon: The Future, This Week Season 9… part 2

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 of Season 9 of The Future, This Week is almost here. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Disruption Research G...

The importance of relationships with Marc Stears

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: a special episode with Marc Stears on the importance of relationships. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Disr...

The Future, This Week 19 Mar 21: Roblox and AR/VR

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: What Roblox teaches us about the creator economy and we’re talking about AR and VR yet again. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights)...

The Future, This Week 05 Mar 21: NFTs and GameStop

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we discuss how digital ownership through NFTs creates value and new kinds of assets, and what the GameStop saga reveals about new forms of ...

Coming soon: The Future, This Week Season 9

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Season 9 of The Future, This Week is almost here. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Disruption Research Group) meet week...

The Future, This Week 19 Feb 21: #Facebook, #MediaCode

19 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we’re back with a breaking news special as Facebook goes nuclear, banning all news from its Australian platform. Sandra Peter (Sydney...

The Future, This Week 18 Dec 20: #BestBooks2020

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: generalising from unicorns, schadenfreude, self-help manifestos or true eye-openers, we review for you 2020’s best business books. Sa...

Corona Business Insights: urban mobility

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It only takes sixty days to form a habit, so after nine months of people working from home, how is transport changing in our cities? We talk with infr...

The Future, This Week 11 Dec 20: #COVID19, #Lessons

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: working from home, hybrid offices, climate, Gen Z, AI and UBI, the surprising lessons we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sandr...

The Future, This Week 04 Dec 20: #BigTech, #BusinessModels

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: reducing the reliance on ad revenue, reducing the reliance on external partners: how big tech companies evolve their business models. Sandr...

The Asian century with Kishore Mahbubani

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As we enter the new Asian century, what will the choppy waters of globalisation hold? Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Ins...

The Future, This Week 20 Nov 20: #Data, #Privacy, #Tracking

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we dive into the complex shadow world of trading location data from innocuous apps. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer ...

Corona Business Insights: taxes

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Working from home and big tech gains spark debate about taxes and taxation as we look to tackle the economic effects of the pandemic.As COVID-19 sets ...

Corona Business Insights: changing cities

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How are cities changing and adapting during the pandemic? We talk with urban geographer Dr Dallas Rogers on how COVID-19 is reshaping urban areas.As C...

The Future, This Week 6 Nov 20: #Double11 #SinglesDay, #SupplyChains

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Kishi Pan helps us unpack the world’s largest shopping event, China’s singles’ day, 11.11 Sandra Peter (Sydney Business I...

The Future, This Week 30 Oct 20: #Misinformation #FakeNews #USElection

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Jevin West joins us to discuss disinformation in social media in the wake of the US election. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and K...

Corona Business Insights: business model changes

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We look at how business models have changed in response to the pandemic with businesses seizing new opportunities, making emergency pivots or more sus...

The Future, This Week 23 Oct 20: #Autonomous #SelfDrivingCars

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: after a flurry of contradicting announcements, we discuss if self-driving cars have finally arrived, or what it would take to get them here...

The Future, This Week 16 Oct 20: #CRISPR, #NobelPrize

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we finally discuss gene editing and CRISPR, as the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes the women behind its development. Sandra Peter (Sydne...

Corona Business Insights: digital contact tracing

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We catch up on the latest in digital contact tracing, both in the public sphere and emerging corporate solutions.Our resource page on contact tracing ...

Post-pandemic powerhouse: China is moving on

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Three China experts – a businessman, an academic and a diplomat – walk us through China’s post pandemic story. For shownotes and lin...

The Future, This Week 2 Oct 20: #Design, #DesignThinking

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: we talk about design and design thinking in an uncertain world, as we problem-solve our way out of the pandemic. Sandra Peter (Sydney Busin...

Corona Business Insights: starting a new job

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From establishing networks and meeting colleagues to learning organisational culture, what’s it like starting a new job when working remotely during...

The Future, This Week 25 Sep 2020: #TheSocialDilemma, #Platforms

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: The Social Dilemma, our first movie review on The Future, This Week. We bring in everything we’ve learnt about social media over the ...

The Future, This Week 18 Sep 2020: #Xiaohongshu (Little RED Book) and #SocialCommerce

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: in a special on social commerce in China, we talk to our guest Kishi Pan about the unique experience of Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book. Sa...

Corona Business Insights: influencers

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Influencers in a pandemic: from struggling after travel lockdowns and marketing cuts to thriving in a world of online experiences.As COVID-19 sets out...

The Future, This Week 11 Sep 20: #GPT3, #AI, #CleanMeat

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: the media hype around AI writing essays, and how to make clean meat innovation palatable. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai R...

Corona Business Insights: the business of vaccines

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The business of vaccines: investment, research risks, pricing, manufacturing, and distributing a COVID-19 vaccine.As COVID-19 sets out to change the w...

The Future, This Week 4 Sep 20: #Epic, #Apple, #Fortnite

04 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This #Fortnite: the epic #Epic #Apple battle. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Disruption Research Group) meet once a w...

Corona Business Insights: for the greater good

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Public health versus economic risk – how as a society do we come to agree what we’re collectively working towards?As COVID-19 sets out to change t...

The Future, This Week 27 Aug 20: #TikTok, #WeChat, #Fragmentation

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: banning TikTok and WeChat, and the fragmented internet. Sandra Peter (Sydney Business Insights) and Kai Riemer (Digital Disruption Research...

Corona Business Insights: the watch industry

21 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How COVID-19 accelerates the polarisation in the global watch industry. What does it mean for luxury brands, and will smart watches continue their tak...