By 
By Richard Branson, Founder at Virgin Group,
With 2024 well and truly underway, I thought this question (prompted by Mohammed Yunus Vhora) would be nice to address in my first newsletter of the year. As Mohammed eloquently put it: “technology and innovation has been created by man to make things faster, better, cheaper, or within reach… Whilst all the outcomes are being realised, it feels that we are not necessarily happier, more free, content, or improving ourselves. It sometimes feels like [technology] is having an adverse impact on our lives…”
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In a world that is digitising and innovating at a rapid pace, Mohammed makes an important point. The focus of technology and innovation should always be about bettering society, bringing people together, and making our lives more seamless. However, I agree that this is not always the case. From a personal perspective, I think the key is to set boundaries. Focus on healthy habits, set limits on how much time you spend on social media, take regular breaks from technology, and get outdoors as much as you can. Embrace technology that frees up your time, instead of wasting it. Find technology that makes you feel more connected to people, instead of more alone.
From a business or entrepreneurial perspective, it’s similarly important to use technology effectively, and not just for the sake of it. Ask yourself, will this make my life easier and will it elevate the customer experience? Or, will it overcomplicate processes and cause friction and frustration? Will it drive the business forward, or should we be focusing our attention elsewhere? Will it solve a problem, or will it create more problems? It’s important to stop and think about the technology you want to implement, and what you want to achieve from it. As with anything in life, simplicity is key. Indeed, I was reminded of how technology can make things more difficult than need be at a hotel recently. It was a beautiful room, but it was very tech savvy and it took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to turn the lights off! At breakfast the next day, I was slightly relieved to realise my team members had the same experience, so I didn’t feel quite so old.
When it comes to AI, this is especially important. Generative AI presents businesses with so many opportunities, but companies need to better understand how to make the best use of this evolving technology. This was the topic of discussion at a 100% Human at Work Gathering in Sydney, when Dr Sean Gallagher took to the stage. As Director of the Centre for the New Workforce at Swinburne University of Technology, Sean’s research currently focuses on hybrid work and generative AI, so it was fascinating to read his thoughts on how we can adopt AI in the workplace and use it to realise our human potential. ChatGPT is a very helpful tool to have in your back pocket, but it shouldn’t replace human discussions and debates. In fact, I was talking with a few colleagues recently about how we should lean on AI for the more mundane tasks in our lives, so we have more time to be creative, connected, and spontaneous.
Thank you to Mohammed for prompting this reflection. In such a fast-paced and ever advancing world, we mustn’t forget to slow down, to question things and to reflect on what we want to achieve and what makes us happy. Let’s focus on the technology and the AI that drives scientific discoveries, advances wellbeing, and brings us closer together – and let’s avoid the technology that takes us into rabbit holes and alienates us. Not a bad New Year’s resolution to take on-board.
