The Consume at Once Year in Review

Simplifying a complex world being disrupted by technology

As we close the inaugural year of Consume at Once, I reflect with pride on our journey. Our mission has been to simplify a complex world being disrupted by technology, touching everything from media and attention spans to markets and geopolitics. If you found the content thought-provoking, then we have achieved our goal.

Year in Review

This year, CAO published 57 articles, primarily focused on the following three topics:

1. Technological Innovation and Its Societal Impact: This includes discussions on advancements in AI, nanotechnology, and their broader implications for society and everyday life.
2. Media and Entertainment in the Digital Age: The blog explores how new media, including streaming services and AI in journalism, are reshaping entertainment and content consumption.
3. Sports and Technology Intersection: There is a significant focus on how technology, especially AI, is influencing the sports industry, from injury prevention to the use of AI in sports officiating.

Five Most Viewed Articles

1. Don't Let the Facts Get In the Way of a Pessimistic Story: We comprehensively reassess America's current state, countering pervasive pessimism with data-driven realities across various sectors, including the economy, innovation, global influence, military strength, healthcare, equality, education, crime, energy independence, and climate change, to illustrate that the U.S. is not just surviving, but thriving.
2. A Nation of Joiners 2.0: We are seeing the decline of communal spaces and social interactions in America, due to changes in family dynamics, technology, and social structures. There is potential to explore digital communities and new social theories to redefine community and connection in modern society.
3. From Hermione Granger to Tony Stark: Making "Smart" the New "Cool": Modern media's preference for quick, easily digestible content is contributing to a rise in anti-intellectualism, evidenced by the decline in public appreciation for deep intellectual thought and the shift towards superficial entertainment and short-form information consumption.
4. Why is (Streaming) TV So Much More Popular than Movies?: Hollywood has evolved from the auteur-driven successes of the '90s to the present focus on big-budget franchises, paralleling a shift towards original, data-driven television content that caters to changing viewer habits and the rise of the Attention Economy.
5. Eternal Nothings: Seinfeld and Content’s “Forever” Future: The legacy of the TV show "Seinfeld" continues through modern adaptations like the parody Twitter account "Modern Seinfeld" and the AI-generated show "Nothing, Forever," reflecting a shift in entertainment towards interactive and infinite streaming content enabled by technological advancements.

Looking Ahead

As we bid farewell to 2023, the pace of technological innvation continues to accelerate. I expect three areas to dominate the conversation in 2024.

1. The Role of Technology in Geopolitics: The global landscape is increasingly shaped by technology, influencing geopolitics both positively and negatively. A new kind of war is unfolding—one centered around algorithms and information. Entities ranging from nation states to corporations and terrorist organizations are utilizing AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics as strategic tools. In 2024, our focus will be on dissecting this digital arms race, examining its impact on international relations and global security, and understanding how it is transforming the nature of conflict in the modern era. We will also investigate the pivotal role of major powers, particularly the United States, in navigating and shaping this technological landscape.
2. Implications of AI: Artificial Intelligence remains a cornerstone of transformation across various sectors. This year, we aim to dissect the dual aspects of AI: its potential to drive progress and enhance the human condition, and the critical ethical issues it raises. We'll delve into debates surrounding job displacement, privacy, and the governance of AI, balancing the promise of innovation with the need for responsible stewardship.
3. Revolutionary Technologies Beyond AI: 2024 is poised to be a landmark year for fields like biotechnology and quantum computing. We'll spotlight revolutionary developments in biotech, from gene editing and personalized medicine to synthetic biology, assessing their potential to transform healthcare, agriculture, and our interaction with the natural world. The exploration will extend to quantum computing, where we'll evaluate its implications and the challenges it poses. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of these fields, balancing the excitement of innovation with a realistic assessment of the challenges and ethical considerations involved.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for embarking on this journey with CAO. As we step into the new year, I wish you all happiness, health, and a 2024 filled with groundbreaking innovations and insightful discussions. Happy New Year!

Thank you for reading. If you like what you just read, please subscribe for more content. Consume at Once is about how to simplify a complex world being disrupted by technology. Any opinions or forecasts contained herein reflect the personal and subjective judgments and assumptions of the author only.