Digital Singularity: A Case for Humanity

The Southern California CIO community came together virtually for their monthly Town Hall to discuss the importance of digital innovation and to learn how to readjust incremental thinking from upgraders to innovators. It wasn’t the typical way this group usually sees each other in an Evanta setting. This month, the Southern California community, with the help of Jim Rinaldi, Chief IT Advisor at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, brought in Kevin Parikh to share his findings on digital singularity.

Kevin Parikh has over 25 years of industry experience as an accomplished lawyer and a business leader, having served in multiple leadership roles. He specializes in assisting clients with digital strategy development, strategic planning and negotiation of strategic partnerships. Parikh is the Chairman and CEO of Avasant, as well as the author of Digital Singularity: A Case for Humanity. 

Innovation Reborn

In his best-selling book Digital Singularity: A Case for Humanity, Parikh applies unique insights to the emerging technologies that are creating new business and social imperatives for those operating in an increasingly global economy. He explores the requirements of our new digital ecosystem, and the future of successful businesses within it, to help companies and executives adapt, thrive, and target the right audiences. 

According to Parikh, when all individuals have the same access, boundaryless communities supporting them, a powerful virtual bullhorn giving them an opportunity to interact directly with global figures, and compete for work with corporate entities of any size, we’ll experience a new way of working, communicating, and living together.

Parikh asserts that Covid-19 has spurred rapid adoption of digital innovation. Organizations across the world are adapting and adjusting in order for their business to succeed in the new normal. Despite the great loss the pandemic has brought to people and the economy, now is the time to innovate. 

Digital Singularity

Digital singularity is the point where technological omnipresence and human experience converge. The pandemic has created a few organizations that are excelling in the digital space, such as Amazon, Netflix, Zoom and Microsoft. Now is the time to innovate in this digital world. 

There are four pillars of digital singularity:

1. Hyper-Convergence: the concept of bringing two or more independent technologies to create something with a whole new purpose.
2. Digital Moments: a transaction within a transaction. Digital moments can happen anywhere, in the background and simultaneously with other activities. An example of this is getting a live warning from your smartphone of foods that may impact your dietary restrictions at the grocery store.
3. Digital Twins: a real-time, virtual model of your physical self that is transacting and acting on your behalf through automation. Most people now have a digital assistant with an Alexa or Google Home.
4. Augmented Reality: multi-sensory and real-time data that is designed to enhance analog experiences. 

How will business rules change by 2030?

Using these pillars, Parikh explains how business rules will transform in the future. For digital singularity to be achieved, there will be barrier-free entry where any individual can have access to the global economy. There will be democratized egalitarianism where individual voices are magnified, and social movements are born via digital social platforms. 

There will also be a sharing economy where skills, resources and capabilities can be shared to develop new products, services and solutions. Lastly, companies need to prepare for changes in government regulations that will impact their digital business models. 

For all of that to happen, Parikh explains that we will transform the way we work. There will be more investment in 5G and next generation digital technologies. Digital and global supply chains are supercharged by omni channel platforms, digital workplaces are the new normal, and there will be more non-traditional work methods that drive new standards for employee’s health and culture. 

Transforming Post Covid-19

In closing, Parikh summarized his findings with this perspective for CIOs:

• We must change our mindset from being upgraders to innovators
• We need to maintain human connection to ensure organizational health
• Our existing partnerships must be transformed to align with our organizational goals

by CIOs, for CIOs

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