The debate around our future is louder than ever, and often more polarized. On one side, we hear alarm. Warnings of AI-driven collapse, misinformation crises and climate tipping points. On the other, utopian promises. Technology ending scarcity, reducing work effort and delivering abundance.
From Pope Francis to “Bro-ligarchy king” Elon Musk, global voices have taken up the conversation. But listen closely to the average consumer, and a different picture emerges. Most people aren’t clinging to extremes; they’re navigating the grey space in-between.
At Game Changer London 2025, I set out to explore this “messy middle”. I wasn’t there to speculate on the dominance of machines or the fall of human ingenuity. I came to focus on something more grounded and urgent. What do people need from technology to build better futures – not in theory, but in practice?
The following four human trends capture where brands must deploy foresight, to impact real behaviors, real decisions and real lives. They are all drawn from our work at Foresight Factory, where we don’t just interpret change – we help clients lead through it.
1. Building Resilience
The world feels increasingly unstable: geopolitics, climate, inflation, AI disruption. Consumers are no longer passively absorbing this instability – they’re preparing for it.
We’re tracking growing behaviors that center around personal preparedness:
- Restricting spending
- Stocking up on essentials
- Staying physically and mentally fit
- Keeping spare tech and emergency kits
Far from paranoia, this is a strategic response to systemic volatility. In markets where state support is patchy, brands have an opportunity – and arguably, a responsibility – to step in.
Take Meyer Burger’s balcony solar panels, for example. Designed for renters, they offer access to renewable energy that was once only for homeowners. It’s a compelling example of how tech can support individual control, resilience and environmental accountability.
What brands can do:
- Design products that support autonomy, not dependency
- Offer services that build everyday security
- Empower consumers to plan, not just react
This trend isn’t about fear; it’s about future confidence.
2. Maximizing Value
Over the next 10 years, we anticipate gradual growth of affluence and empowerment, but with persistent inequality. AI, green energy generation and storage will help to keep prices competitive and increase wealth, with the greatest benefits felt by those in low- and middle-income countries. Inequalities between nations diminish, but those relating to age, gender and other factors persist.
For consumers, this will mean a recalibration of the value equation towards a more a holistic assessment of “worth it”, now encompassing:
- Competitive pricing
- Durability and function
- Sustainability and service
Technology is amplifying this behavior. Consumers are using price comparison tools, loyalty apps, promo bots and even AI to identify savings, optimize spending, and switch providers. In China, Pinduoduo’s group-buying model empowers shoppers to unlock discounts through collective buying. This is smart, social value creation and it’s scalable.
What brands can do:
- Build flexible access models including rentals, subscriptions, memberships
- Use tech to enhance transparency and cost efficiency
- Justify your premium or risk becoming irrelevant
This isn’t frugality; it’s financial empowerment.
3. Movable Morality
Changes in population makeup and distribution, combined with household composition, are all reshaping expectations around tradition. Societies, families and individuals are no longer conforming to historical norms and instead questioning centralized authority in favor of personal judgments about what is right.
Sometimes this means justified rebellion. On TikTok, trends like “barrowing” (Gen Z’s slang for petty theft) are more than just criminal behavior. They’re often framed as acts of protest against systemic inequality, a form of social rebellion where traditional morals are being rewritten. Where theft is becoming a growing status symbol, young users are now sharing their shoplifting hauls and tips online. The hashtag #barrowing alone has racked up over 7 million views, with videos flaunting stolen items like beauty products, hair accessories and other small goods. It’s a difficult but important signal. When people feel the system is rigged against them, they start to redefine right and wrong on their own terms.
Our Dynamic Signal Models show growing sentiment and prove that you can be a good citizen without obeying every rule. This puts pressure on brands to move beyond neutrality.
What brands can do:
- Take principled positions that go beyond marketing
- Back your values with real policies, partnerships and behaviors
- Accept that staying silent can erode trust faster than speaking out
In an age of movable morality, trust is built through transparency and lived conviction.
4. Human Encounters
As technology becomes more sophisticated, the human desire for connection deepens. Consumers want emotional intelligence, not just algorithmic precision. They expect digital experiences that feel personal, thoughtful and human, even when powered by machines.
Brands are under pressure to provide the human touch at scale, even as they increasingly rely on technology to automate engagement and service across stores, sites, apps and smart speakers. Online, for example, consumers are interacting with conversational tools such as AI-powered chatbots that emulate human interactions with growing success. But many consumers remain wary of too much automation and digital interaction and still view real human service as the better option.
Taiwan’s “Hear My Last Wish” service is a moving example of technology used with compassion. It allows organ donors to record their final wishes in their own voice, words that are then played when consent is given. This deeply human moment becomes even more powerful with the quiet strength of respectful digital support.
What brands can do:
- Use data to deliver empathy at scale
- Blend automation with human warmth in every interaction
- Rethink CX to value recognition over resolution
The future of loyalty lies in connection, not convenience alone.
The biggest opportunity ahead isn’t choosing sides between technology and humanity. It’s choosing to design meaningful connections between the two.
So, here’s the challenge:
- Serve people preparing for instability
- Help them maximize limited time, money and energy
- Lead with principle, not just positioning
- Never underestimate the power of real, human moments
If your brand isn’t shaping this future, you’re reacting to someone else’s. At Foresight Factory, we help organizations build bespoke future-ready strategies through real-time foresight and commercially grounded application.
To read more about these and other trends, our Collision platform enables constant monitoring of emerging consumer signals. Our Dynamic Signal Models decode the volatility reshaping your category and reveal when, where, and how to act. And our Opportunity Sizing service translates foresight into commercial impact, identifying the most relevant and lucrative paths for growth.
Understanding what’s next is only the beginning. Leading through it, that’s where future-ready brands are made. Why not talk to us to shape your next move?
