Ideas and products once meant to live only in science fiction are becoming part of our reality, says Jim Carroll

Dubai-UAE: 12 February, 2018 –   An era of instant knowledge obsolescence and exponential job creation are around the corner, according to Jim Carroll. The acclaimed futurist, trends and innovation expert was speaking at the ‘Fast Forward to the Future’ session at the ongoing sixth World Government Summit (WGS 2018) in Dubai today.

Carroll, whose clientele includes Disney, NASA, and Johnson & Johnson, highlighted that new learning is occurring so rapidly that half of the knowledge that is acquired during our first year of college will be either obsolete or revised by the time of graduation.

Carroll said: “The future belongs to those who are fast. It is your ability to embrace these fast-paced trends that will determine your success. Seven out of 10 children between five and six years old today will work in a job that doesn’t exist right now. That’s why this event is so critical. It provides an incredible opportunity to ingest knowledge and speak to thinkers and innovators from around the world, which is absolutely critical to our future success.”

He added: “We live in an era of acceleration. What we once considered to be ideas and products meant to live only in science fiction or in the distant future are becoming an integral part of our reality. We live in a time where we can expect companies that do not yet exist, to build products that seem inconceivable, using materials never before imagined.”

Carrol concluded by envisioning a not-so-distant future where trends will merge, where the speed of change will accelerate, science will develop at an exponential rate, every industry will become a software industry and Moore’s law will define innovation velocity.

Jim Carrol is globally recognized for his unique insight into trends. He has researched key innovation success factors for dozens of industries, associations, professions, companies and individuals. Over the last 25 years, more than two million people have shared his insight with his events on stage. He has authored books including The Future Belongs To Those Who Are Fast, and Ready, Set, Done: How to Innovate When Faster is the New Fast. His latest book, Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast: Stories from the Stage on Innovation, Disruption and the Accelerating Future will be published in Q2 2018.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the World Government Summit 2018 is running from February 11 to 13 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The landmark event convenes more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, as well as top-tier representatives of 16 international organizations.

Hosting more than 130 speakers across 120 interactive sessions, WGS 2018 features six distinct forums that examine the challenges of vital sectors for the future with a view to finding the best resolutions for the greater global good. Furthermore, over 20 specialized global reports spanning key sectors and topics of the summit will be launched throughout the duration of the event.