I’ve been watching the film Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film, Minority Report recently and have been struck how many things from driverless cars to drones are coming true. The film using pre-cogs to predict future crime and takes action before it happens. Is there a parallel with the emergence of algorithms and Artificial Intelligence?
The soft drinks giant Coca-Cola has linked up with Merlin Entertainments by rewarding users who deposit their plastic bottles into so-called reverse vending machines with half price tickets for some of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions- such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of adventures. Their research suggests that two thirds of Britons would recycle more if they were rewarded immediately for their actions.
We are at a crossroads. On one hand austerity continues to bite very deeply. Cash strapped Northamptonshire is resigned to being split into two “unitary authorities”. Nor is Northants alone. East Sussex says it is down to the basics and Barnet and Cornwall cannot be far behind. Although nationally employment is at its highest with only 1 in 25 Britons now unemployed - the lowest for the last 25 years, wages have stagnated. Unemployment ruins lives and leads to increasing numbers of people with worrying levels of debt and further pressure on local councils to act.