Darwinian disruption: How big data analytics will disrupt big business

From small law firms to Fortune 500 companies, big data is the path forward in establishing a competitive advantage while understanding our client bases through targeted analytics. It is also a clear path forward to thrive within an evolving Darwinian business environment continually affected by disruptive technologies like big data.

A useful example of this data disruption is an image from a scene within the King Kong movie remake by Peter Jackson.
The image has a Tyrannosaurus rex on one side facing off with King Kong on the other; standing between the two is a tiny Naomi Watts. If you knew nothing of the movie or the outcome, who would you think ultimately survives in this scenario? The answer, of course, is Naomi Watts.

The point of this example is to illustrate the difficulty we have in predicting future trends and analysis through emerging technologies. What may seem obvious at first glance is not always as it seems. Currently we’re experiencing a market disruption of this kind through Darwinian data disruption.

Ryan McClead, a knowledge thought leader I spoke with at Managing Partner’s ‘Knowledge Management in the Legal Profession’ conference in New York last autumn, best described this through an analysis of the human brain; I’ve built further on his analysis.

The human brain and the neural network rapidly develop and increase in complexity through our early childhood and into adulthood. This closely mirrors the development of the internet, as seen from its infancy throughout its growth across the globe. As social connections, searches and ramifications increase in complexity,
so too do the computations, algorithms and data at hand increase in exponential leaps each year. As this process continues, it will not be long until the human brain is surpassed in complexity by the internet.

To see this clearly, consider the example of Sherlock Holmes from the BBC television series Sherlock, how he views the world around him and how the visual interface we see as the viewer is presented to us in leveraging the extreme complexity and analysis made possible.

The Sherlock syndrome

In Sherlock’s visual analysis, all elements are categorised around him relative to a given goal. Essentially, big data and interpretive analytics give all of us the ability to harness Sherlock’s analytical tools, which are formed through his ability to see, cross reference and observe all. Big data allows us to see trends far more clearly and quickly than ever before.

Technologies like Google Glass are just the beginnings of the interpretive ‘eye’ that sees, remembers and records all. Though not as sophisticated as the Eye
of Mordor from the Lord of the Rings,
it is simply an example of the latest evolution in wearable technology that we’ll all be using through an interpretive big data background that is open to analysis and predictive analytics. Embedded technologies and biotechnology are leading us towards the concept of not only an online but also an evolving, relative, infinite cloud of information, interpretation of information, and the ability for total recall.

Wherever we look, there will be the ability for what we see to not only be recorded, but also interpreted and analysed. This will ultimately allow us
to integrate the multiple aspects of our daily lives with cloud-integrated interpretation, visual analysis and cross referencing tools. While this will certainly augment our day-to-day work habits and consumer advertising, the integration of work and personal lives has never been more closely entwined. Balancing the privacy ramifications of these data collection and analysis tools has never been a greater challenge in the technological Darwinian evolution.

This phenomenon is and will continue to be made possible by the advertising industry within the social and search feature aspects we use in our everyday lives. Whether a virtual advertising enhanced walk within a wearable or embedded visual interface through a shopping experience within a department store, internet-enhanced usable appliances within the kitchen and living room or virtual reality driven travel destinations, these experiences will visually provide us with feedback and integration.

While it’s a fascinating element and movement forward, the Darwinian-like evolution of big data into the next step of humanity is a very real outcome. What will our day-to-day perceptions, learning, work life, professional contacts and social life be like when the reality of Sherlock is there for us through technology via big data, biotechnology and cross referencing analytics through the cloud?

Thinking purely of the investigative aspects along these lines, we can apply Sherlock’s perceptions directly to forensics investigations, insurance claims investigations, the search and playback features in our consumer day-to-day lives, our business development and organisational strategy. They are a model and direction that big data utilisation through visual analytics can take us. Whether delivered through wearable devices or bioengineered devices, we are heading toward the economics of scarcity versus the economics of ubiquity. But, what about our privacy?

The Snowden effect

The Snowden effect and Big Brother are two elements that go hand in hand.
As Snowden illustrated through his NSA revelations, copious amounts of data are being accumulated and shared today across regions of the globe, many of which claim and wish to keep their information within their borders.

This is the Snowden effect and it affects corporate, legal and consumer industries gathering information, analysing information and forming predictive analytics based on information shared across regions, borders, clients, customers and consumers alike. As Google, Microsoft Bing, Baidu and Facebook also reveal, every time we log into their consumer systems (searching, clicking and buying whatever our day-to-day or businesses interests are), our search habits only become increasingly refined and targeted over time.

While understanding the motivations in targeted advertising by these social and search giants make them more profitable, it’s also important to understand how we can leverage the same analysis and consumer-like integration when applied to our clients. In understanding the realities of data collected about citizens across the globe by the NSA, we‘re given a shocking example of how big data analytics is here to stay and is becoming more accurate.

In fact, the thought of big data, or too much data, is fast becoming an antiquated phrase. Who doesn’t accept exponential growth in data as more and more of human activity is created, interacted with and made discoverable online? Minimising dark data (data not used, or unseen) is already the target of modern analytics and will only be refined as we look towards the future
of analytics.

Having an exponentially growing level of data, whether through evolving workflow, client shares or throughout our consumer workflow is now a given as more of our personal and professional lives and goals are integrated online. Leveraging these methods to increase profitability, offering competitive pricing though data and workflow transparency and looking ahead towards ever-increasing visual, collaborative and time-saving efficiencies
is a strategic reality that client organisations are already taking advantage of.

The Big Brother aspect of this reality – or what we as organisations need to understand moving forward – is that our realised shortage of privacy within these evolving environments is not a necessity, but can in fact be fought through future Darwinian market disruptions in privacy.

Big data privacy

As we look forward into the everyday applications of big data in our everyday lives, we are increasingly realising the privacy ramifications of big data through our Darwinian future of everything being online. In doing so, all of our movements, history and trends are tracked online, and the tools we use are better shaped and targeted towards our own personal use, preferences and online profiles. While increased search, sharing and usage is a reality benefit in this scenario, targeted advertising for these consumer organisations is the revenue-generating direct result.

What is also a direct result are the privacy ramifications and realities involved. Taking all of this into account, disrupting facial recognition and behavioural tracking is a natural phenomenon. If we can be tracked, there has to be a way to disrupt the process. If video and photographic tracking is a future way of life, there has to be a way for us to disrupt the process. Entrepreneurs take note here: both businesses and governments would benefit from these steps going forward.

As we look towards our Darwinian future, it is important to remember and understand an evolving path forward is one that embraces, drives and leads change. There is no reason why we, as business leaders, cannot help to shape the path in front of us.

Regardless of the standing of the conglomerates driving our big data and predictive analytics path forward, or of governments capitalising on these trends with goals of safety and security, it is important to remember that privacy need not be a dormant victim but can instead evolve and change over time. As organisations and individuals adapt in tandem, it is our responsibility as business leaders to push the boundaries, realise new ones and create new paths forward.

Eric Hunter is director of knowledge, innovation and technology strategies at Bradford & Barthel (www.bradfordbarthel.com) and executive director of Spherical Models (www.sphericalmodels.com).
His Managing Partner report The Sherlock Syndrome: Big Data, Predictive Analytics & the Darwinian Business Disruption, is due to publish in autumn 2014.