FEED: Can you start by telling us what you do, and what led you to where you are now? AMELIA KALLMAN: As a futurist, it’s my job to know about the latest up-and-coming technologies and their potential impact on the future of business, as well as the future of our lives. I’ve been an independent futurist for seven years now. I started in the tech industry over a decade ago; I mainly joined this space because, like anyone else, I needed a job! I talked my way into an assistant marketing role at a creative technology agency. It was there I found that I had a real curiosity for being on the cutting edge of technology, and enthusiasm for what’s new and what’s next. It’s really exciting to me to keep being challenged. I worked my way up and became their global head of innovation, opening up innovation labs in London, Dubai and Scotland for some of the biggest consultancies in the world. Then, in 2017 I went independent. Part of the reason for that was I felt lots of people are so technical when explaining things, making it really hard to understand what they’re saying. There are also people who are constantly trying to market and sell you things. As an independent futurist, I can be completely honest and transparent about my assessments of technologies. Essentially, I work with clients to help them navigate, anticipate and strategise for the coming changes and challenges. I believe I have a talent for making the complex accessible. FEED: What have you learnt during your time as a futurist? I’m often seen speaking on these technologies, hosting workshops and writing reports and articles – that kind of thing. Behind the scenes, I’m constantly researching, reading, listening, asking questions and sifting through the massive amounts of hype and hyperbole, to identify patterns and themes and the emerging opportunities as well as the potential risks. I have learnt a lot about myself. I love that my job is always new – it’s never finished and there is always something to learn. There are always different opinions and viewpoints to explore. I also spend a
lot of time speaking at events, sharing my research and insights. I grew up on a stage, but back then I always had a character and a script, now it’s just me and that is quite terrifying even now. Nevertheless, I love being in a job where I’m always taking risks – it keeps it exciting. FEED: You have been named as one of the ‘top 25 women in the metaverse’. How do you define the metaverse, and what is its impact? Quite simply, our 2D internet is becoming 3D – more spatial, immersive, persistent and social. There are two common definitions of metaverse: the first says there’s only one metaverse and it features interoperability, the ability to go between different sites as easily as we go between websites today. By this definition, the metaverse does not exist yet, and won’t for quite a long time. However, a second and more common use of the word has entered our vernacular: that is to talk about the 3D, immersive and social gaming worlds that exist today. These are places Gen Z and Gen Alpha are already going to for entertainment and social experiences.
TAKE CENTRE STAGE Kallman uses her creative background in theatre to make complex, technological concepts accessible to all
feedmagazine.tv
Powered by FlippingBook