Welcome to Backstory, a weekly newsletter turning global technology shifts into a three-minute read. This week, we’re thinking about COP28. – Mary Ames, Director of Strategy

THE BIG TAKE

Vital Takeaways from COP28

COP28 is proving to be rather different than previous editions. While the gathering focused on climate change and global efforts to keep warming within target guidelines, this COP had a special impact for those that live outside of the West. There were several fascinating developments for the UAE, such as using hydrogen as a clean energy, but much of the momentum felt oriented towards a future further away. Given its position as the nexus point of emerging markets, the UAE is integral to the aspirations of the emerging world, and the attention paid to these markets has been a theme of the conference. This is all the more critical since the emerging world will disproportionately experience the effects of climate change in the future. 

Technology for the future. A lasting theme of COP28 will be the role of technology in addressing climate change. Artificial intelligence has a particularly important place in this conversation. As more and more people move to cities, AI-enhanced data points are vital for city engineers and authorities to analyze and adjust resources to ensure cities can cope with our changing climate. That’s one specific example of AI in practice. According to a report by The National, AI can already mitigate carbon emissions, support adaptation, and enhance climate modeling. 

The legacy of COP28. As one of the world’s most connected countries, the UAE has a special role to play in combating climate change. Emerging market countries continue to develop into economic and cultural powerhouses of their own. Their rise dovetails with their connections to the UAE. Everyone from a Thai climate futurist to a Kenyan coder has a place in Dubai. It is the portal to the next human century. As such, COP28 has a special message for the youth of the UAE and beyond. The power to build a better future is in your hands. The tools are there. Now it’s time to put them to use.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“A failure is like fertilizer; it stinks to be sure, but it makes things grow faster in the future.”

– Denis Waitley, writer

CHART OF THE WEEK

This week, we are thinking about music genres. Spotify and streaming platforms have changed how we listen to music forever. Just look at the popularity of certain genres in this fascinating chart from The Pudding.

OUR VIEWS THIS WEEK

The future of digital culture: Writing in The National in 2020, Xische’s director of strategy, Mary Ames, addressed the question of digital culture. We’ve all experienced the power of technology, from Zoom calls to the ability to stream millions of hours of content during the crisis. We’ve also read about the myriad privacy issues surrounding platforms like Zoom. The challenge is striking the right balance between innovative technology and data privacy, and the perfect time is now.

WFH forever? During the Covid pandemic, the technology world warmly embraced remote work. From Google to Facebook, the major tech giants encouraged their staff to stay home permanently. What if countries adopted a similar mindset? In this piece from the Xische archive, we considered how Gulf nations can borrow a page from Silicon Valley’s handbook and shift to more remote work. Thinking outside the box in these subtle ways is key to finding opportunities in the future marketplace.

SPOTTED ELSEWHERE

The power of napping. Penguins love to take naps. Lots of them. According to a new study, penguins fall asleep thousands of times daily but only stay asleep for a few seconds each time. The birds have evolved to sleep in this unusual way due to the constant distractions around them. The new research is part of a larger push in the scientific community to better understand how and why animals sleep. Napping seems to be a vital trick many species deploy daily. 

Deep learning discoveries. Google has released fascinating new data from its deep learning program. Using the power of artificial intelligence, Google’s deep learning tools have discovered 2.2 million new crystals, which the company says is equivalent to nearly 800 years’ worth of knowledge. The speed and efficiency of discovering new materials is another profound demonstration of AI’s power to accelerate human knowledge in positive new directions.

QUICK HITS

• The new economics of audiobooks. 

• How electricity is changing, country by country. 

• The ESG craze is fading. 

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