David Sable
Dear Loyal Readers…You already know the obvious. AI will grow. Autonomous cars will improve. Robots will learn to fold laundry (maybe). Crypto will continue to confound us. And China….?
But you don’t need me for that. You have headlines and hype machines at work…fueled by self-serving analysts…and yet, for all the advances in tech, people are still worried about affordability. All the tech in the world hasn’t helped the price of eggs go down…or made rent any easier to pay. That’s the murk we need to explore…because innovation that doesn’t touch people’s lives just frustrates them more.
So let me go somewhere else…into the deepest murk. The places where humanity is pushing back, where culture is asserting itself, and where leadership, creativity, empathy…yes, even joy…are refusing to be optimized away.
These are not predictions for specific technology or better states applied technology . These are predictions about people…us (you and me), who will influence everything.
Most people don’t wake up wondering about autonomous cars driving or how many safety parameters a new model has. They wonder whether AI is coming for their jobs… and whether they’ll still be needed.
That’s the Luddite Dilemma…a term you will be hearing more about. It’s not a fear of machines, tech, or AI, but a fear of being replaced. Our challenge? Evolve that fear into something future-facing…something productive, and…something hopeful.
Are you ready? Let’s go…
1. The Human Brand Will Matter More Than Ever.
The algorithm delivers reach. But only humans deliver resonance. In a world where ChatGPT and its cousins generate endless content, audiences will hunger for voice, perspective, vulnerability, and…intentional imperfection.
Proof point: Watch the rise of creator CEOs…unpolished internal memos that go viral…brands dropping AI disclaimers as a badge of pride…..because AI is….why go on about it? Who cares that Coke used it to create another flat Holiday commercial? Many of us use it every day. It is everywhere.
2. Trust Will Become a Growth Metric.
Not ESG. Not DEI. Just T. Trust. Simple. Measurable. Valuable. Audiences will reward brands that act in ways that feel true…and punish those that hide behind performance. Not authentic…a word my Loyal Readers know I revile….but real. Trust is built on real.
Proof point: Investor pressure on social platforms…decline in fake follower campaigns…growth of direct-to-community platforms.
3. Physical Space Will Reassert Its Power.
The office isn’t dead. It’s just waiting to be wanted. Smart companies will stop forcing returns…and start designing reasons to show up. Expect a renaissance of space as experience.
Proof point:New builds that feel like cafés…museums…theaters. Hybrid models that earn commutes, not mandate them. Hot desking? Please….. I can go to Starbucks.
4. Ethics Will Shift from Silo to Strategy.
We can’t bolt on “ethics” after we build the machine. We have to bake it in. The companies that integrate ethical frameworks into product dev, hiring, and AI training will lead.
Proof point: Surge in Chief Ethics Officers…investor panels demanding tech bias audits and model transparency. This isn’t woke. It’s real.
5. The DaVinci Factor.
AI can copy. AI can remix. But only a human could be a DaVinci (see my IMAGINE). The creative outliers…the unpredictable, the wonderfully different, the messy, and the weird…will become disproportionately valuable.
Proof point: Campaigns that embrace really never-before-seen…art that defies algorithmic taste…brands willing to break format. The messy and weird….
6. Quiet Will Become a Competitive Advantage.
In a noisy world…silence signals strength. Listening becomes leadership. Focus becomes strategy.
Proof point: Growth of slow content…demand for asynchronous teams…meetings replaced with meaning.
7. Soft Power Will Drive Hard Outcomes.
Empathy. Curiosity. Presence. The stuff we used to dismiss as “nice to have” will show up on the balance sheet.
Proof point: Executive coaching budgets are rising…boards are hiring based on EQ. Gen Z refuses to work for robots in suits and BTW is backing off of Social Media while showing up in Malls
8. The Big Question Will Be: What Is Enough?
Enough content. Enough optimization. Enough data. Enough growth. The leaders who pause to ask this…and answer with clarity…will create organizations that last.
Proof point: Shift from scale-at-all-costs to sustainable models…subscription fatigue…minimalism in UX and brand design. The backlash against the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle campaign…not just the hate, but the defense of it …was a signal. Erika Kirk’s thoughtful pushback against conspiracy and division reminded us that enough doesn’t mean less…it means human. The conversation will only grow.
And with the World Cup ahead, a moment when the world actually pauses together…the question is: what will we use that spotlight for? What will we decide matters when we’re watching, not coding?
So yes…AI will rise. Autonomous everything will continue. But the real story of 2026? The fight for what makes us human. The courage to aspire to DaVinci…The wisdom to listen…The bravery to say…this is enough.
Call it the age of the evolved Luddites…
The original Luddites didn’t fear machines…they feared being replaced. Their mistake wasn’t resisting technology…it was removing themselves from the future it created. They smashed the tools…and lost their voice. And now? Their name is used as an insult.
Let’s not let that be us. We don’t win by saying no to progress. We win by saying yes to humanity, yes to design with purpose, and yes to a future we help shape…for all of us.
And as Yuval Noah Harari reminds us…”Technology is never deterministic. We can use the same technology to create very different kinds of societies.”
So, I ask you…What kind of society will we imagine in 2026? Will we waste the opportunity of the World Cup? Can we all become DaVinci’s?
You know where I stand on all of this….Keep me honest…in 6 months, let’s revisit.
What’s your view?
#CloudyCrystalBall #Imagine #PeopleFirst #HumanityByDesign #EvolvedLuddites
