ALL THE SCREENS A STAGE: THE HYPERLUDIC UNFOLDING

You probably noticed another exponential shift in AI development last week, Continuing evidence of AI being the fourth hyperludic. A particularly fascinating aspect is how hyperludics trigger further explosive adoption once people experience their playful potential—when they realise that wonder and apprehension can happily coexist - it is after all the genuine original meaning of the word ‘awesome’.

"You can only laugh at that of which you are not afraid"

Just as the the last and current hyperludic; the printing press allowed the distribution of Shakespeare's works to ‘all the world’, so now we're witnessing AI's true creative capabilities beginning to capture the imagination of the wider general public. It’s this heady admix of fear and fascination that further propel adaption and adoption at an ever more unprecedented pace - just as it was the hive of activity of the curious drawn to the original print workshops that drove the growth of print almost as much as the technology itself.

A Legacy of Two Dimensions

For many centuries, the third hyperludic of print has reigned supreme as the ultimate amplifier of ideas. It has standardised how we read, write, and distribute knowledge. From Gutenberg’s Bible to newspapers and glossy magazines, it transformed communication into tidy, uniform blocks of black text on white pages. Even to this day our computers mostly mimic that same format: old-school Word docs, rigid web pages, an an internet still predominantly based on type.

And so, the printing press’ legacy lived on—until now.

Rise of the Fourth Hyperludic

AI is upending the older regime in much the same way the printing press once completely demolished the power and utility of scribal manuscripts. We’re right now in the midst of finally leaving behind a nearly six-hundred-year-old legacy of linear, static communication for something far wilder and more dynamic.

Almost all AI models with increasingly just an intuitive and simple prompts can spin any text into bespoke iterative images, it can produce tailored integrated audio accompaniments, or simulate entire 3D designs across an increasingly bedazzling array of styles and do so totally on the fly. In purely media terms we are witnessing nothing short than a creative “big bang” unheard of since the Renaissance - itself a result of the Printing Press.

Where the printing press gave us mass production, AI is giving us mass metamorphosis. Take the explosion of generative models like this weeks GPT-4 advanced graphic capabilities or new Gemini mode or XAI folding in X - all hailed as being new variants on “true multimodality.” They no longer spit out reams of text: they can simultaneously generate images, parse diagrams, create soundscapes, or translate instantly across languages. The result?

An entirely new dimension of communication, where ideas no longer sit still on a page but spin and weave across all of media at will.

“All the Screens a Stage”

This shift is bigger than just fancy features. Think about how society reoriented itself around the printing press:

• Standardised Literacy: Gutenberg turned reading into a widespread skill, eventually empowering newspapers and novels—and controlling who got heard.

• Gatekeepers: Editors, publishers, and academics became the gatekeepers, deciding what got printed and what stayed silent.

AI is now deconstructing that legacy at the atomic level. Instead of static, black-and-white pages, we have interactive interfaces, streaming text-to-image creation, real-time language translation, and digital “puppetry” that collapses the old media lines.

The phenomenon of anyone conjuring 3D models or producing entire documentary-style videos from a single prompt rewrites entire creative power structures.

Muscular Multimodality and the Decline of Scarcity

We praised the printing press for giving words “wings”—making them fly far. Now AI can make them dance, sing, and morph. The old gatekeepers will find themselves being side-stepped at lightning speed.

That’s going to increasingly become the new normal and yes, many of those born inside the Gutenberg Parenthesis will lament the fading smell of ink on paper or chunter on and on about the flood of AI-generated slop. And it is true we will be losing what the poet beautifully described as “the solemn black-on-white hush.”

But sadly that hush never came with a guarantee of permanence—it was a legacy of the printing press. And another trait of the hyperludics is that they inevitably subsume and succeed over the previous dominator. The original disruptor is in turn doomed to be the first casualty of the next.

AI is simply the next hyperludic accelerant, and it is inheriting all of print’s empire and swallowing it whole.

The friction is very real. Journalists rightly worry about deepfakes; educators worry about AI-ghostwritten papers. Copyright, which once hinged on controlling text, is at war with AI’s wild capacity to remix anything and everything. The old world is being left reeling in its wake.

The Ever Shifting Shape of Things to Come

With the very latest twist of xAI merging with X we see the rise of new “hyperludic nerve centres”- what were once printing houses or publishers now become generative models that can fuel constant present-tense multimodal conversation: paving the way for new forms of media platforms that shape-shift in real time, with ideas flowing and growing - creating, for good or ill - a vast, spontaneous, perpetual, global late night bull session.

“Entropy With a Steering Wheel”

There is a playful way to see it: AI is “chaos we can surf.” Sure, it can feel frenetic—but we also get to harness all that new found entropy, guiding it toward new forms of expression, collaboration, and business innovation. It’s the difference between a meltdown and a renaissance, between letting the waves wipe you out or learning to ride them.

If the printing press democratised access to the written word, AI is democratising the production of everything: images, music, code, business strategies, interactive 3D worlds. The magic emerges when humans stop viewing it as a threat and start collaborating with it, using it as an amplifying force to break creative blocks, prototype at scale, or unify far-flung teams.

In this hyperludic unfolding, the winners aren’t necessarily the biggest incumbents but the most playful adapters—those who see AI’s “multimodal muscle” as an invitation to experiment, rather than a machine to fear.

From Pages to Perpetual Possibilities

We must brace ourselves to soon deliver the elegy of the page as the final destination for ideas. The printing press bestrode our world for nearly six centuries. AI is its worthy successor ushering in a new era of infinite possibilities

This hyperludic unfolding isn't merely a technological shift but a fundamental reimagining of how we humans express, share, and build upon ideas. That old black-and-white hush is rapidly giving way to a symphony of colour, sound, shape, and new forms of storytelling—a creative new renaissance that democratises production while challenging almost all our frameworks that were founded on its predeccesor .

Those who thrive won't be those who resist this transformation, but those who learn to collaborate with it—surfing the chaos rather than being wiped out by it.

The hyperludic stage is set, and we all have an invite to perform.

AI: The Four Futures for Small Businesses

AI: The Four Futures For Small Business

We know a good business strategy essentially boils down to correctly identifying one or two critical issues before concentrating appropriate degrees of resources and actions on them.

Unfortunately, when it comes to forming good strategy for AI there currently exists no reliably proven map, guide-line or precedent to help you identify what those critical issues are and which resources or actions you need to concentrate on them.

The whole field is simply too young and too rapidly evolving to get any kind of realistic, usable fix on what the future may hold.

However, what we can do is extrapolate the four most probable scenarios for AI’s future thus giving you scope to prepare.

Giving at least some consideration to each will go some way to preventing the inertia or panic of future shock if and when that scenario occurs.

Ultimately the one you concentrate on may come down to your own personal perception of the most likely future but what I will stress is the one thing you and your business absolutely should not be doing is nothing.   

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1) Plateaued Development: The Long, Flat Road

In this scenario AI slows down after reaching certain levels of capability. Innovations become incremental, transformative breakthroughs happen but are rare.

Implications

Positives

• Cost: AI becomes more affordable as it commoditises allowing your business to adopt to technologies without significant investment.

• Competitive Parity: Since breakthroughs are rare, you can compete on a more level playing field with larger firms by leveraging widely available AI tools.

• Focus on Integration: The emphasis shifts to effectively integrating and optimising existing AI technologies within current business processes rather than constantly upgrading to new systems.

Negatives

• The Apprentice Trap: Your business increasingly outsources to AI to minor repetitive, unfulfilling tasks and functions, unfortunately these are types of work usually carried out by junior members of staff which acts as pathway to becoming experienced and senior employees.

Immediate Strategic Actions

• Invest in training employees to maximise use of current AI tools.

• Adopt ‘4C’s Training’ as a tool to ensure skill loss does not inhibit or stifle future growth.

• Focus on customer service and personalised experiences, use AI to streamline operations rather than drive innovation.

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2) Linear Development: The Rolling Hills

Here AI capabilities continue to improve at a steady, predictable rate, leading to consistent but incremental enhancements in technology.

Implications

• Incremental Upgrades: Plan and budget for gradual AI improvements, avoiding the disruptions of sudden, massive changes.

• Steady ROI: Investments in AI yield reliable returns, enabling you to enhance efficiency and productivity over time.

• Incremental Competitive Edge: Staying updated with AI advancements provides a steady competitive edge without the risk of falling behind quickly.

Negatives

• “If you are not disrupting your business somebody else is”. Competition becomes fierce as general AI becomes capable of increasingly diverse skills and abilities some or many of which may have been your own unique selling points.

Immediate Strategic Actions

• Establish a roadmap for regular AI upgrades and training.

• Optimise AI for process improvements, such as automating routine tasks, enhancing data analysis, and improving decision-making processes.

• Establish a moat, or better still an asteroid field around your business to retains its uniqueness and prevent  easy competitive replication.

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3) Exponential Development: The steep Mountains

In this scenario AI grows rapidly, with frequent, transformative breakthroughs which continuously redefine the tech and business landscape.

Implications

• Rapid Adaptation Required: Small businesses must be agile and ready to adopt new technologies quickly to stay competitive.

• Increased Productivity: Exponential AI growth can significantly enhance productivity and innovation, offering small businesses opportunities to scale efficiently.

• Risk of Obsolescence: Businesses that fail to keep pace with AI advancements risk falling behind rapidly.

Immediate Strategic Actions

• Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation among employees.

• Constant Iterative development of products and services rather than waterfall launches becomes most viable form of doing business.

• Invest in scalable AI solutions and maintain flexibility in business models to adapt to rapid technological changes.

• Collaborate hard wide and often with AI vendors and consultants to remain at the forefront of technological developments.

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4) AGI Development: The Orbital Lift-Off

Artificial General Intelligence means AI achieves human-like intelligence and can perform any human intellectual task.

Implications

• Science Fictions Become Facts: Be wary of anyone who offers anything concrete or definitive on what to expect at this point beyond expecting the unexpected. This scenario is what we would call an Out Of Context problem in that we have absolutely nothing beyond conjecture and speculation to go on to assess its impact.

• Transformational Impact: AGI revolutionises every aspect of your business operations, from decision-making to customer interactions & strategic planning itself.

• New Business Models: AGI render traditional business models obsolete, necessitating complete rethink of value propositions & competitive strategies.

• Ethical and Regulatory Challenges: The deployment of AGI would bring significant ethical, legal, and regulatory considerations, especially for small businesses without dedicated compliance resources.

Strategic Actions

• Engage in continuous iterative strategic foresight to anticipate prepare for AGI’s impact on you your business your sector, your industry and even the whole world.

• Develop ethical guidelines and frameworks for the future use of AGI within the business.

• Explore wide multiple and enduring partnerships across sectors, organisations and industry groups to navigate regulatory and ethical landscape of AGI.

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Exponential Thinking is a Bug Out Bag for your brain

In case you weren’t aware a Bug-Out Bag is a portable kit that normally contains the items one would require to survive for 72 hours when evacuating from a disaster.

There primary purpose is to allow individuals to have all the necessary supplies to "bug out" or quickly leave in the event of an emergency, ensuring they have access to basic necessities like water, food, clothing, first aid supplies, communication devices, and other survival gear.

Bug-Out Bags are a key part of emergency preparedness planning for many people, aiming to provide peace of mind and increase the chances of survival during unforeseen circumstances or disasters.

Just as a physical Bug-Out Bag contains essential tools and supplies for survival in a crisis, exponential thinking equips individuals and organisations with the cognitive tools and frameworks needed to navigate and thrive amidst rapid technological advancements and societal changes.

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Exponential Thinking As an Intellectual Bug-Out Bag

Just as a Bug-Out Bag prepares you for physical survival in emergencies, exponential thinking prepares your mind to anticipate and adapt to rapid changes. It helps you foresee potential disruptions and opportunities, allowing for swift and informed decision-making.

In uncertain times, exponential thinking provides the resilience needed to face challenges head-on. It's akin to having a well-packed Bug-Out Bag that offers comfort and security, knowing you have the necessary tools to survive and thrive, no matter the circumstances.

Just as a Bug-Out Bag contains a variety of tools for different scenarios, exponential thinking fosters cognitive flexibility, enabling individuals and organisations to pivot quickly in response to new information or changing environments.

Knowing what to pack in a Bug-Out Bag requires understanding what's essential for survival. Similarly, exponential thinking helps in strategically allocating resources (time, money, effort) to where they can have the most significant impact, especially in fast-moving sectors.

Just as having a Bug-Out Bag ready empowers individuals to take immediate action in a crisis, exponential thinking empowers individuals and businesses to proactively embrace change, rather than reacting defensively or being paralyzed by fear of the unknown.

Exponential thinking is an intellectual Bug-Out Bag, not just for survival in a rapidly changing world but for seizing opportunities and innovating in the face of adversity. It's about being ready, adaptable, and equipped to navigate the future, no matter how unpredictable it may be.