Trivergence

A Breakthrough Introduction to The Next Phase of the Digital Age

In Trivergence, Bob Tapscott, writer, speaker, complex system designer, and former CIO introduces an exciting new concept in explaining how the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will transform business and society. He explains the synergies between these technologies and the disruptive potential that they will offer, as well as the challenges and risks to making it happen. He offers an insightful guide through the difficult decisions that businesses and society must make to thrive in a new era where decisions will be difficult, and uncertainties abound.

You'll discover how and why AI's power is now exploding, its growth driven by smarter approaches to neural networks trained on a new hardware architecture that can derive its intelligence from ever more massive datasets. You'll also find:

• Discussions of the multiplicative and exponential power of trivergence on the core technologies discussed in the book
• Explorations of IoT's tendency to bring the physical world to life as it harnesses the capabilities of AI and the blockchain
• How trivergence morphs Big Data into something new he calls “Infinite Data”, where thinking machines consider trillions of data points to generate their own content, value, and perspectives without programmed code or human intervention

A fresh and innovative guide, rich with case stories, on how the most critical technologies of this new phase in the digital age are combining to drive business transformation, Trivergence will become a critical handbook for forward-looking leaders, and anyone interested in the intersection of cutting-edge tech and business.

Foreword vii

1 Introduction to the Era of Trivergence 1

Welcome to the Trivergence 4

A Glimpse of the Chapters Ahead 7

The Trivergence Technologies 7

Key Enablers of the Era of Trivergence 9

Applications and Implications 11

2 Artificial Intelligence 17

The Evolution of AI 19

When Will AI Surpass Human-Level Intelligence? 23

How Will AI Transform Society? 28

Artificially Intelligent Government 29

AI-Powered Transportation 31

AI-Enabled Entertainment and the Arts 33

3 Animating the Physical World 37

A Global Network for Planetary Monitoring and Conservation 39

Tackling Deforestation with the IoT 41

The IoT and Final Frontier of Ocean Exploration 43

The IoT Meets the Urban Environment 45

The Robotic Future: From Industrial Automation to Robot Swarms 49

Managing the IoT 55

4 Blockchain 61

How Blockchain Is Powering Transparent Global Supply Chains 64

Blockchain for Public Good 68

Putting Land Registries on the Blockchain 68

Estonia’s Blockchain Revolution 69

Solving Global Challenges 72

The Rise of Web3 73

Decentralization 74

User Control and Ownership 75

Censorship Resistance 76

Interoperability 78

New Economic Models 79

NFTs for Christmas 81

The Future of Blockchains 82

5 Walking on a Cloud 87

The Cloud Was Inevitable 90

The Cloud’s Big Three 95

Cloud Growth Is Explosive 98

The Cloud, the Future of Computing, and the Trivergence 100

6 Big Data to Infinite Data 105

The Explosion of New Data: The Food for AI 108

Building the Infrastructure for Infinite Data 110

Science’s Infinite Data Revolution 113

Mapping the Universe 114

The Rise of Big Genomics 116

Preparing for Infinite Data 117

Infinite Data and the Era of Self-Sovereign Identities 119

Breaking Free of Our Digital Landlords 121

7 The Trivergence in Action 125

Trivergence and the Future of Healthcare 126

Trivergence and the Future of Agriculture 132

Trivergent Food: From the Field to the Supermarket Shelf 133

Rise of the Digital Farm: Accelerating Innovation in the Global Food System 137

Trivergence and the Future of Transportation 139

Get Ready for Trivergence-Driven Disruption 143

8 Challenges of the Era of Trivergence 149

Technological Challenges 150

Data Integrity 150

The Trivergence Trilemma 153

Interoperability 159

Software Limitations and Risks 161

Social Challenges 166

Speculation and Hype 166

Privacy 169

Governance 171

Access and Inclusivity 173

9 The Executive Guide to the Era of Trivergence 177

Evaluating Organizational Readiness 178

Identify Business Objectives and Opportunities 178

Review Existing Infrastructure 179

Assess the Digital Skills and Attitudes of Your Workforce 181

Deliberating Key Considerations 182

Identify Risks and Trade- Offs 182

Assess Costs and Resource Requirements 183

Evaluate Potential Benefits 183

Weigh the Risks Against the Benefits 185

Crafting a Trivergence-Focused Business Strategy 187

Step 1: Define Phases and Milestones 187

Step 2: Allocate Resources and Establish Timelines 188

Step 3: Monitor Key Performance Indicators 189

Step 4: Implement and Evaluate 189

Step 5: Iterate, Optimize, Repeat 190

Exploring Opportunities for Collaboration 191

Attend Conferences and Events 192

Join Industry Consortia or Associations 193

Participate in Open Innovation Initiatives 194

Fostering a Culture of Innovation 195

Tune Your Change Management Strategy 196

Provide Learning and Development Opportunities 196

Re-evaluate Incentive Structures 197

Leading in the Era of Trivergence 199

10 Trivergence and Our Digital Future 201

The Perils of the Trivergence 204

The Weaponization of Trivergence 205

Jobs and Prosperity 207

What Happens to Infinite Data? 212

Trivergence and Bias 215

Undermining Our Concepts of Truth and Reality 217

The Trivergence and People 220

Trivergence and You 222

Acknowledgments 227

About the Author 229

Index 231

BOB TAPSCOTT’s extensive background as a CIO, a speaker and as a consultant in successfully developing and implementing disruptive strategies from concept through systems design and implementation includes the training, organizational restructuring, and workflow redesign required to deliver, measure and improve overall corporate performance and customer satisfaction. His strong analysis, communication, mathematical, and leadership skills and out of the box thinking have ensured his success as an agent of change for his pedigreed clients. Bob’s background in developing and deploying complex systems from nuclear power reactor maintenance to Wall Street derivatives, to flying commercial aircraft by computer has emphasized the prudent mitigation of risk.

The intersection of today’s emerging technologies are generating more questions than answers. But one of the most foundational is one we rarely consider: How are we to navigate a new world where Moore’s Law no longer acts as a speed limit on the development of technologies with surprising capabilities?

In Trivergence, we discover how AI, blockchain, and the Internet of Things are ushering in a new digital age. Through it celebrated writer, speaker, and IT strategist Bob Tapscott delivers a comprehensive and accessible guide to the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The book explains how to navigate the difficult decisions that business and society must make to thrive in a new era where uncertainties outnumber certainties by a thousand to one.

You’ll discover how and why AI’s power is exploding—driven by smarter and bigger approaches to neural networks—and how that increase is itself being multiplied by new hardware architectures made possible by blockchain mining and cloud-based parallel processors. You’ll also find out how the convergence of these factors brings together thinking machines that can learn, generate ideas and create value from trillions of data points on their own.

Trivergence also examines how the Internet of Things is bringing the physical world to life by integrating blockchain technology to create billions of smart devices capable of conducting transactions and behaving like economic units.

Perfect for executives, directors, managers, and other business leaders interested in the future of technology and how it will shape our organizations and our world, Trivergence is a must-read for anyone seeking fresh, new insights into the groundbreaking new technologies combining into exciting new possibilities.

Praise for TRIVERGENCE

“Drawing from my experience as an IBM Fellow and creator of AI and Blockchain technologies, I see Trivergence by Bob Tapscott as a critical, reflective journey into the synergies of AI, blockchain, and IoT. This book brilliantly charts the course of these technologies, offering a unique perspective on their potential to reshape our world. An indispensable read for leaders and thinkers in the digital age.”
—Jerry Cuomo, IBM Fellow and Industry voice on AI and Blockchain

“This book should become the CIO’s handbook for success in leveraging change for the global digital ecosystem.”
—Dave Brajkovich, Chief Technology Officer, Polaris Transportation Group

“In Trivergence, Tapscott brilliantly articulates the synergistic relationship among these exponential technologies, highlighting their collective potential to revolutionize business and society. Coupled with a nuanced understanding of the challenges and risks involved, he provides an essential roadmap for navigating this new era of technological advancement. A thought provoking read and a clarion call for innovators to harness these technologies responsibly and creatively for a better future.”
—Carlos Moreira, CEO WISeKey

“In Trivergence, Bob Tapscott has introduced a fresh new idea. The combination of AI, blockchain and the IoT will be a powerful innovation trifactor that will be key in driving success for the next period in business history. Smart CIOs and leaders everywhere should feast on this book.”
—Debbie Gamble, Chief Innovation and New Ventures Officer, Interac Corp

“Following Don and Alex Tapscott’s seminal Blockchain Revolution, and Alex’s timely 2023 book Web3, now Bob Tapscott joins in, elucidating the big picture with Trivergence, offering new ideas and immediate implications for every company or government organization. A must-read!”
—Florent Thévenin, Founder & CEO, Blockchain North

“Love the name Trivergence. I’d watch the movie! The book is a great explanation of three intersecting and critical transformational technologies: AI – IoT – Blockchain. I believe a must-read handbook for executives amidst their digital transformation.”
—Ibrahim J Gedeon, Chief Technology Officer, Telus

“Trivergence will be enormously helpful for business leaders as well as those of us in government working to apply new technologies for innovation and efficiency. A great read!”
—Liz Tanner, Secretary of Commerce, The State of Rhode Island "In Trivergence, Bob Tapscott explains how the convergence of technology will drive innovation and success for the next period in business history. Tapscott has put the human (and the reader) in the center of all of these continuously ground breaking technologies. At the end of the day, it's people working together leveraging this ecosystem of tech, that can create better outcomes for our planet and for us."
―Susan Doniz, Chief Information and Data Analytics Officer, The Boeing Company

"Trivergence! Why didn't someone else think of this? This profound new concept, may well find its place in business hall of fame with terms like The Singularity, Cloud Computing, Mass Collaboration, Outsourcing, Wikinomics, and Big Data."
―Hunter Muller, CEO of HMG Strategy and host of the Global Innovation Summit