Joe Barkai

Joe Barkai is a recognized industry analyst, strategy adviser, blogger, and published author. His focus is on researching, forecasting, and the strategic application of technology to drive innovation and competitiveness.

With more than 30 years of experience helping organizations across diverse industries chart their product and market strategies, Joe offers a unique perspective and ability to “connect the dots” to forecast future technology and business trends and articulate the business value of emerging technologies. His current research topics include the industrial Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, autonomous cars, and mobility of the future.

Joe is a sought-after consultant and speaker. He appeared on CNN Japan and was quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, CIO Magazine, and multiple industry publications.

SPEAKING:

Joe is passionate about helping business leaders understand the implications, challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies and business models. In a keynote package tailored for each audience, he combines broad technology knowledge and business insight to offer a glimpse into how we will work and live in the future.

KEYNOTES:

*** FUTURE PERFECT? HOW INTELLIGENT MACHINES ARE SHAPING BUSINESS AND SOCIETY Artificial intelligence is powering a breakneck transition from the Information Age to the Age of Intelligent Machines and a paradigm shift in most aspects of business, society, and everyday life.

Autonomous cars, personalized precision medicine, chatbots and cobots, lights-out factories, and other intelligent machines will alter the way enterprises operate and promise to improve the quality of life of many individuals. But these intelligent machines also track our every move, expose and create biases, challenge the makeup of the workforce, and, some fear, will one day get a will of their own and go rogue.

In this keynote Joe offers a perspective about the promise and perils of AI and machine learning technologies in business and everyday life. He will describe how intelligent robots are transforming many enterprises, manufacturing plants, and transportation. From there, he will discuss threats, both real and perceived, posed by autonomous AI systems, and the societal and ethical implications of a future dominated by AI.

*** THE OUTCOME ECONOMY: HOW THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS IS TRANSFORMING EVERY BUSINESS

There’s no escape from the onslaught of relentless calls to leverage the Internet of Things to energize enterprise connectivity and embark on a digital transformation journey. And business consultants and software vendors alike offer rosy depictions of the digitally-connected enterprise of tomorrow.

But as technology forecaster Paul Saffo astutely observed, one should not mistake a clear view for a short distance. Many product organizations are still quite leery about their ability to reap the promised fruits of the digital transformation. In his keynote, Joe discusses both business and technical motivations for product organizations to exploit enterprise connectivity enabled by the Internet of Things. Using the Outcome Economy as a business model, the presentation will highlight concepts, use cases, and what this inevitable transformation means for product designers.

*** DRIVING INTO A CONNECTED FUTURE: THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

Advanced safety features, ubiquitous connectivity and autonomous cars offer an exciting vison of crash-free, clean and smoothly-flowing traffic.

New transportation options such as ride-hailing and ride-sharing challenge current business models and personal habits and offer new thinking about car ownership and transportation.

At the same time, new technologies and business models raise technical, ethical and societal concerns about “killer cars,” loss of privacy, and whether “New Mobility” will kill “Old Mobility.” This keynote helps the audience understand what’s possible, what’s practical, and the forces that shape the future of mobility.

*** THE CONNECTED ENTERPRISE AS A CURE FOR THE INNOVATOR’S MYOPIA

You may not be aware that your product organization suffers from severe myopia. Once your product is sold or installed in the field, you lose sight of its performance, how users are interacting with it, and how well it meets your customer expectations and your business portfolio market targets.

In all likelihood, your organization’s myopia had set on much earlier, during the collection and formulation of market and functional requirements, and persists throughout design, engineering, manufacturing and fulfilment activities. And the typical fragmentation of internal process and the lack of a holistic multidisciplinary approach to product-related decisions are unable to remedy the situation.

Attending this keynote, you will learn how the Internet of Things and the digitalization of the product value chain can help your organization overcome much of its myopia. IoT-driven digital thread can radically redefine how well you understand your products and customers, and how you can use this insight to accelerate the innovation and development of new products and services.

*** ARE INTELLIGENT ROBOTS AFTER OUR JOBS? THE FUTURE OF WORKFORCE

Rapid progress in artificial intelligence and robot technologies conjure up futuristic image of a jobless future. Some studies predict that nearly half of all jobs in the US are at risk of being fully automated over the next decade or two.

Is the end inevitable? Are humanoid robots are out there threatening the livelihood of millions of people?

Joe will help you understand the robotic revolution that promises to cause the biggest transformation in the world’s workforce since the industrial revolution. He will discuss the technology and its potential impact on society and, in particular, on the future of workforce and the job market.