Data-Driven Future Thinking - How to Distinguish Real Change From Noise
15:10 - 15:30, 21st of May (Thursday) 2026 / Inspire
When was the last time you heard that a fast-growing startup is the "new Uber," or that a current trend is the new reality? How many times has it turned out that the world has forgotten about it after a few months?
I think everyone has at least once heard an opinion about "the new Uber" or "the new Spotify", which has aged very badly over time. Where do these opinions come from? There are at least a few reasons – from over-enthusiasm, through FOMO, to forecasts based on the assumption that the world will always look the same.
And as we all know, the world has changed at a rapid pace recently. So to say that the world will stay the same is a very risky take. Risky, yet... convenient, because a lack of change and "business as usual" are the target mental map in many organizations. It just so happens that 2026 isn't a year of stability, and unfortunately, "business as usual" doesn't work in uncertain times.
Having that in mind, how can we become resilient to the coming changes? How can we predict what will actually matter? How can we prepare an organization for real change without reacting to noisy, fleeting trends that last only a few weeks?
In this talk, we will try to find out why AI and data are not enough to distinguish a real change from noise and what missing piece can help us with that.
