Dentsu's Dave Meeker on the Mind-Blowing (And Possibly Scary) Future Ahead

There39s always the chance that we could quotinadvertently design ourselves into dystopian hellquot Meeker says quotBut I39m mostly excited about the newness the change aheadquotHe39s been in the Internet space since the 3990s He was an English major in college but when job prospects turned out to be lessthanideal he and some pals created a dialup Internet Service Provider ISPWhile there have been many notable changes since that time Meeker says what we do on the Internet has pretty much been the same when compared with what39s to come quotWe are now looking at fundamental change how data is stored how web servers work serverless websitesquot he explains quotThere will be apps that heal themselves or diagnose problems or write their own code or optimize the experience based on AI We39re looking at artwork that39s created by machines people putting headsets on and getting married to people they don39t know in real life but as avatarsquotMeeker has conversations with executives every day quotand half the conversation is them staring through the camera looking like 39What are we talking about39quot he says That39s because for many of us quotthe principal underlying concepts are so foreign they39re hard to graspquot One such concept is decentralization In turn that39s key to really understanding concepts like the metaverse blockchain and cryptocurrencyquotI39m excited because it gives us new tools in the toolbox but where I temper that is I just don39t know because we39re not there yetquot he says with a laugh quotIs it realistic to say to a client and I don39t care what business they39re in the next time you explore a joint venture or create a new business do we look at a DAO blockchainbased organization with decentralized decision making That has a very unknown potential It could be amazing or the worst idea everquotMeeker gives a couple of simple explanations In a decentralized structure people in the customer service rankandfile might be the decisionmakers concerning how they answer the phones Or bitcoin investors in a company with a fleet of autonomous vehicles might vote on what mechanic will come and take care of a car if it gets damaged And the car will alert the repair shop automatically when it gets damaged in an accidentThere are new innovations likely to occur that could be fun Meeker notes Imagine a day when you want to cook a certain dish and call up an avatar of the chef Jamie Oliver which sits across the countertop in your kitchen and offers advice based on what you39re doing like quotWait That39s going to be way too much red pepperquotInteracting with an avatar in a real location like a kitchen is a form of spatial computing The Oliver avatar may not sound like an example of a metaverse which is generally thought of as closedoff isolated virtual reality realms But it isquotWhen I use the term spatial computing I think of it being more pragmatic less shiny objects and more functionalquot Meeker saysAs time goes by he expects that a lot of the new innovations will become quothidden in plain sightquot For example the way we can program lights to turn off when people leave a roomOne change might involve customer service reps CSRs Imagine a time when artificial intelligence makes it possible for a human CSR to create a digital persona that would be viewed by customers protecting the real CSR39s privacy Based on available information and the behavior cues from a consumer the CSR may perceive what particular words or tone would calm down an irate customer or what would make them laughGiven the early versions of digital humans in existence today they may seem really creepy quotAnd they arequot Meeker admits quotBut we39ll get past that Quantum computing is not going to be a problem in seven yearsquotHis views about the future possibilities have certainly changed with time When he coconceived that ISP in the 3990s he was really excited about how the web would democratize information no matter where people lived or their economic status That view has certainly altered and provided him with that healthy dose of skepticismquotWhen we go to talk to a client about Web3 I39m never going to stand up and talk about how much money they can make with NFTs and say 39Look at the hype and look at the buzz39 Because we39ve got a war going on We39ve got real human problems like people who don39t have access to clean waterquot Meeker says A key question is quotCan we use our technology to help solve those things to create more empathy in human beingsquotHere39s a slightly different way to look at it quotHow do we create things with clients that attract consumers and are really good for people that offer real value and make life more interesting and better rather than just making a buckquot Meeker asks quotIt39s our responsibility as leaders in advertising marketing and communications to use all these new tools at our disposal be a little bit skeptical and focus on what they can be not what they appear to bequotThat may seem like a lofty statement but quotthe keys to part of the future have been handed to our industry right nowquot he concludesClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Dentsu's Dave Meeker on the Mind-Blowing (And Possibly Scary) Future Ahead

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Janet Stilson

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Dentsu's Dave Meeker on the Mind-Blowing (And Possibly Scary) Future Ahead

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