Micro-Insight Stories for Quantumrun Consulting
TITLE: Retail Big Brother
INDUSTRY: Retail > RetailTech
CATEGORY: Technological
YEAR RANGE: 2022 to 2025
MICRO-INSIGHT
[London, 2025]
“I’ve got to say, you move fast.”
The security guard points to the screens. Bailey looks at the footage of herself from an hour earlier, strutting out of a clothing store in blonde highlights and a black jacket. In the next screen over, she is leaving the washroom in a black wig, golden frames, and a sweater. Tears start to blur her vision as the security guard fast forwards to her leaving the other stores she stole from.
“It was a dare! I won’t do it again. Please don’t send me to jail!”
“I’ve got to say, you move fast.”
The security guard points to the screens. Bailey looks at the footage of herself from an hour earlier, strutting out of a clothing store in blonde highlights and a black jacket. In the next screen over, she is leaving the washroom in a black wig, golden frames, and a sweater. Tears start to blur her vision as the security guard fast forwards to her leaving the other stores she stole from.
“It was a dare! I won’t do it again. Please don’t send me to jail!”
“Look, these cameras are going to recognize you from now on. Your face and ID is in our database and will be shared with our network of shopping malls across the country. That means that you’ll get a bag check whenever you visit any of our malls for the next five years.”
“What does that mean? Can I still come here with my friends?”
“I will talk to the store owners and see if they wish to press charges.”
“What does that mean? Can I still come here with my friends?”
“I will talk to the store owners and see if they wish to press charges.”
RECOMMENDATION
[Scenario forecasted to occur between 2022 to 2025]
The automation of various roles such as security will reduce the need for human monitoring. In particular, investment into AI-powered facial tracking camera systems will allow for the automated detection of criminals across retail properties. The AI system will also manage physical guards to arrest the suspects, reducing rates of retail crime and increasing convictions. These systems will decide when to deploy human security assets from monitoring tasks to on-the-floor security interventions.
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TITLE: Logistics Eye-trackers
INDUSTRY: Energy > Construction
CATEGORY: Technology
YEAR RANGE: [2022 -2026]
MICRO-INSIGHT
[Kingston, 2025]
The sun is rising, turning the sky into a cocktail of orange and pink. Johnathan yawns and smiles sheepishly at the action camera he set up his truck’s dashboard. It records everything in 360.
“It’s a sweet view, isn’t it?”
Even though he gets tired as hell on these trips, he likes to show his kids the beautiful countryside.
“I’ve been driving 15 hours straight and it can be rough, but sights like these-ah”
Johnathan yawns again. He blinks, eyelids heavy. Slowly, he starts to nod off.
BEEP! BEEP!
The truck driver jumps in his seat.
"Jeez, that thing saved my butt!"
“It’s a sweet view, isn’t it?”
Even though he gets tired as hell on these trips, he likes to show his kids the beautiful countryside.
“I’ve been driving 15 hours straight and it can be rough, but sights like these-ah”
Johnathan yawns again. He blinks, eyelids heavy. Slowly, he starts to nod off.
BEEP! BEEP!
The truck driver jumps in his seat.
"Jeez, that thing saved my butt!"
RECOMMENDATION
[Scenario forecasted to occur between 2022 to 2026]
New eye-tracking technology will enable employers to better monitor the safety of employees tasked with driving vehicles for construction or logistics activities. These eye trackers will sense when a driver is distracted and alert the driver regain alertness. This technology will assist employees and employers in minimizing costs of accidents.
New eye-tracking technology will enable employers to better monitor the safety of employees tasked with driving vehicles for construction or logistics activities. These eye trackers will sense when a driver is distracted and alert the driver regain alertness. This technology will assist employees and employers in minimizing costs of accidents.
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TITLE: Telesurgeon
INDUSTRY: Health > MedTech
CATEGORY: Technological
YEAR RANGE: [2025 -2030]
MICRO-INSIGHT
[Santiago, 2028]
“You will be the one operating on me?” Alexandra looks at the suspiciously young doctor wheeling her down the hall.
“You will be the one operating on me?” Alexandra looks at the suspiciously young doctor wheeling her down the hall.
“Oh, it won’t be me!” the doctor says with a smile. “We will have Dr. Serapho from Canada doing the operation. He has a long history of successful procedures.”
“What do you mean?”
“There aren’t enough specialist doctors here in Chile, and the waiting list for the brain surgery you need is too long. Fortunately, our state has hired Dr. Serapho to operate on you through robotic arms.”
“This is safe?”
“Yes, Dr. Serapho has successfully operated on many patients at this hospital before. Our hospital has 5G internet speeds so everything will be happening safely and in real-time.”
They stop at the door and enter into the surgical suite. Alexandra looks at the robotic arms and then suddenly it clicks.
“Oh! I think this is what my mother was talking about when she finished her surgery. I thought she was hallucinating.”
RECOMMENDATION
[Scenario forecasted to occur between 2025 to 2030]
A local deficit of qualified surgeons no longer needs to endanger local populations. Thanks to emerging 5G internet speeds and the emerging application of robotic surgical arms that can be controlled remotely, safe operations can happen in real-time. In this future, specialist surgeons can be hired on a freelance basis, as needed, to operate on patients anywhere in the world.
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TITLE: The Fun Workplace
INDUSTRY: Finance > FinTech
CATEGORY: Environment
YEAR RANGE: 2020 to 2025
MICRO-INSIGHT
[New York, 2024]
[New York, 2024]
Janice’s phone rings and she picks up the video call from her boyfriend.
“Hi, hun! Are you still at work?”
“Yeah,” said Janice, “You should come by! We’re having a sushi night.”
Janice flips her phone around to show him her company’s in-house restaurant, one of several. Her co-workers wave at him.
“Can we go check out the game room? I heard your company has one of the best!”
“Hi, hun! Are you still at work?”
“Yeah,” said Janice, “You should come by! We’re having a sushi night.”
Janice flips her phone around to show him her company’s in-house restaurant, one of several. Her co-workers wave at him.
“Can we go check out the game room? I heard your company has one of the best!”
“Yeah, I just have a conference meeting in half an hour, and then I can join you.”
“Alright, let me know. You have the best workplace ever!”
Janice waves goodbye and then turns her attention back to the California rolls. She’s had a productive day.
RECOMMENDATION
[Scenario forecasted to occur between 2020 to 2025]
There are entire businesses dedicated to fostering workplace culture and providing culture services to companies. Increasingly, employers are finding that mixing work with social elements drives increased worker engagement, teamwork, employee retention, and applicant attraction. Specialized workers with sought-after skills will expect more benefits and prefer work environments that offer a greater sense of community and fun.
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TITLE: Enter The Mirrorworld
INDUSTRY: Tech > Entertainment
CATEGORY: Technological
YEAR RANGE: [2030 -2035]
MICRO-INSIGHT
[Baltimore, 2033]
Jason ran towards the park and jumped on to the swings. He pushed himself back and forth, swinging higher and higher until he hit the AR burger hanging a few feet above.
Shelly smiled, watching her son from the bench with her sister Wenda. She was always Jason’s favorite aunt. Jason doesn’t know, but she actually designed a lot of the AR activation stunts he loved to play with around this area.
“I can’t believe you made that!” Shelly said. “I thought you were going into digital art, but this is just amazing.”
Wenda shrugged.
“I knew I had to get in early. When I was leaving university, AR was still new but I knew it was going to be huge.”
Jason was running back, pointing at the AR burger that turned into an arrow, pointing to a diner nearby.
“Let’s go collect my prize!”
Shelly smiled, watching her son from the bench with her sister Wenda. She was always Jason’s favorite aunt. Jason doesn’t know, but she actually designed a lot of the AR activation stunts he loved to play with around this area.
“I can’t believe you made that!” Shelly said. “I thought you were going into digital art, but this is just amazing.”
Wenda shrugged.
“I knew I had to get in early. When I was leaving university, AR was still new but I knew it was going to be huge.”
Jason was running back, pointing at the AR burger that turned into an arrow, pointing to a diner nearby.
“Let’s go collect my prize!”
RECOMMENDATION
[Scenario forecasted to occur between 2030 to 2035]
Once AR becomes normalized, it will spawn whole new digital industries, professionals, and company requirements. For consumer-facing companies, having a presence in the AR world will be just as necessary as having a website is today. Companies will need to hire in-house or work with an agency to connect with customers. For now, only tiny patches of the mirrorworld are visible through AR headsets. Piece by piece, these virtual fragments are being stitched together to form a shared, persistent place that will parallel the real world.
Once AR becomes normalized, it will spawn whole new digital industries, professionals, and company requirements. For consumer-facing companies, having a presence in the AR world will be just as necessary as having a website is today. Companies will need to hire in-house or work with an agency to connect with customers. For now, only tiny patches of the mirrorworld are visible through AR headsets. Piece by piece, these virtual fragments are being stitched together to form a shared, persistent place that will parallel the real world.