David L Shrier

A clear-eyed guide to the metaverse and how this powerful technology--along with advances in spatial computing, VR, and AR--will impact our economy, our lives, and our world. The metaverse. That term elicits a wide range of ideas and opinions. For many, it represents the next evolutionary phase of the internet--a fully immersive, digital universe where people can interact, work, and play in virtual environments. For others, it's yet another overhyped technology. So, what is it, exactly? And what will its impact be? While speculation and predictions about the metaverse are varied, one thing is clear: it is impacting the world of business and people's lives, and it will continue to do so in the future. The global metaverse market is predicted be worth about $800 trillion by 2030, with over 2 billion users participating in some form of immersive experience. There's a reason why Apple is investing heavily in spatial computing, and why platforms like Roblox are thriving. The metaverse, along with the technologies that underpin it, is still evolving, but it will eventually offer more ways for people to experience the world and each other. In Welcome to the Metaverse, David Shrier, a world-leading futurist and the author of Welcome to AI, offers an entertaining look at the potential uses and impacts of the technology on business and life.

A fascinating guide to the rapidly advancing world of artificial intelligence and how this powerful technology will impact our lives, our careers, and our world. Artificial intelligence is driving workforce disruption on a scale not seen since the Industrial Revolution. In schools and universities AI technology has forced a reevaluation of the way students are taught and assessed. Meanwhile, ChatGPT has become a cultural phenomenon, reaching a hundred million users and attracting a reputed $1 trillion investor interest in its parent company, OpenAI. The race to dominate the generative AI market is accelerating at breakneck speed, inspiring breathless headlines and immense public interest. Welcome to AI provides a rare view into a frontier area of computer science that will change everything about how you live and work. Read this book and better understand how to succeed in the AI-enabled future.

How the global financial services sector has been transformed by artificial intelligence, data science, and blockchain. Artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, and other new technologies have upended the global financial services sector, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and corporate innovators. Venture capitalists have helped to fund this disruption, pouring nearly $500 billion into fintech over the last five years. This book offers global perspectives on technology-fueled transformations in financial services, with contributions from a wide-ranging group of academics, industry professionals, former government officials, and current government advisors. They examine not only the struggles of rich countries to bring the old analog world into the new digital one but also the opportunities for developing countries to "leapfrog" directly into digital. The book offers accessible explanations of blockchain and distributed ledger technology and explores big data analytics. It considers, among other things, open banking, platform-based strategies for banks, and digital financial services. Case studies imagine possible future fintech-government interaction, emphasizing that legal and regulatory frameworks can help to create trust in financial processes. The contributors offer novel takes and unexpected insights that will be of interest to fintech experts and nonexperts alike. ContributorsAjay Bhalla, Michelle Chivunga, John D'Agostino, Mark Flood, Amias Moore Gerety, Oliver R. Goodenough, Thomas Hardjono, Sharmila Kassam, Boris Khentov, Alexander Lipton, Lev Menand, Pinar Ozcan, Alex Pentland, Matthew Reed, David L. Shrier, Markos Zachariadis