From Prophecy to Reality: How "Future Shock" and “Third Wave” Predicted the Emergence of ChatGPT and AI
The recent excitement surrounding CHATGPT reminds me of two books I read: “Future Shock” and “The Third Wave”. Both works, written by Alvin Toffler, were intellectually stimulating, and provided thought-provoking visions of the future. Although they were published a long time ago, in 1970 and 1980 respectively, long before the advent of AI, many of Toffler’s predictions are still applicable today. They provide valuable perspectives on the impact of technology and societal change on individuals and organizations. One of Toffler’s predictions that has come to fruition is the accelerating pace of change. He wrote about how technology and societal changes would happen at an ever-increasing rate, which holds true today as we continue to witness the rapid development of AI, the internet, and other technological innovations such as robotics and mechatronics. In “The Third Wave”, Toffler identified three waves of societal change, with the third ...