Trends & Signals
Technology & Society
Explore the latest insights, thought leadership, and research from FCAT®
Lydia Chilton on AI Creativity: What’s the Big Idea?
March 10, 2022
Can the design process be enhanced or improved by the power of AI? After a recent Artificial Intelligence Club event, Columbia University’s Lydia Chilton sat down with FCAT’s Sarah Hoffman to discuss the potential of AI as a creative tool. Chilton is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department and is an early pioneer in deconstructing complex problems so that crowds and computers can solve them together. Her current research is focused on computation and how AI can help people with design, innovation, and creative problem solving.
Life and Work Through the Anthropological Lens: A Q&A with Gillian Tett of the Financial Times
February 3, 2022
FCAT recently hosted a presentation by Gillian Tett, Chair of the Editorial board and Editor-at-Large, US, of the Financial Times. Her recent book, “Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life”, has just been published. Following her presentation, FCAT’s John Dalton caught up with Gillian to ask a few additional questions on how anthropology can be used effectively in navigating business and social trends.
Social Connection from Any?where
December 14, 2021
We need to talk about social… How many people did you talk to today? (Extent of social activity) Did it make you feel better or worse, closer or more dista
How AI Can Foster Inclusion
December 9, 2021
We've spent a lot of time discussing the unintended bias that can easily creep into AI algorithms. But the same technology, properly designed and trained, can also be used to confront biases. A new generation of automated tools seeks to proactively promote inclusion in:
Video Games and the Rise of NFTs as a Digital Asset Class
October 26, 2021
Blockchain-based video games promise to accelerate the adoption of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and greatly expand the digital asset ecosystem. By making in-game items NFTs that are embedded in the blockchain, players can take ownership of the digital assets they accumulate while gaming and then sell or trade them for real-world value. Such functionality could restructure the economics of the $175 billion gaming industry and turn legions of gamers into digital asset investors.
Will VR Lead the Way to Better Business Relationships?
October 5, 2021
FCAT teams have been experimenting with Virtual Reality since 2014. Prompted by Zoom fatigue after 1.5 years of working remotely, several teams within Fidelity are exploring VR as a better way to work together. Some use the VR loaner program provided by FCAT, while others buy their own headsets and develop customized applications. Fidelity’s Meetings & Events Team has been actively using VR since last year. We met recently with Kristen Parr, Director - Meeting & Events, and Mike Speckmann, Team Leader - High Touch Services, to learn more.
The Future of Work
July 29, 2021
The Future of Work was brought into sharp focus during the Covid-19 pandemic, as workers worldwide found themselves suddenly in the greatest work-from-home experiment in modern times. This crisis has shifted values, behaviours, and attitudes across all areas of work and life, in particular about where, when, and how we work.
The Cost of Manipulating AI
June 23, 2021
We’ve all received email messages with misspellings, designed to outsmart AI-driven spam filters. Perhaps you’ve also heard about how a two-inch piece of tape tricked Tesla cars into speeding up 50 miles per hour.1 What these and hundreds of other anecdotes demonstrate is that it’s relatively easy to manipulate AI systems. Indeed, efforts to "fool" AI have already impacted our industry, where we find numerous examples of people trying to manipulate:
Designing Automated Systems That Humans Will Trust
May 17, 2021
Automation is moving up the value chain, taking on more “human” tasks like financial planning, factory floor management, and home health care. In response, companies need to reevaluate how to build trust in automated systems, considering both their reliability and the human-machine relationship.
How Exclusion Affects Consumers Across the Financial Lifecycle
April 6, 2021
Part One of a series about Inclusive Financial ServicesFinancial exclusion is a reality for millions of Americans who don’t have access to useful and affordable financial products and services delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. The FDIC noted that the surge in joblessness caused by COVID exacerbated financial exclusion – there’s a direct correlation, for example, between being unemployed and being unbanked. But financial exclusion is about more than just being unbanked. It cuts across people’s entire financial lives, with millions facing barriers when they: