LSN : News : AirFarm revolutionises agriculture with world’s first inflatable aeroponic farm

Ogilvy’s Beforeplay campaign destigmatises STI testing

Beforeplay campaign by Ogilvy for Australian government, Australia

Australia – How to normalise frequent STI testing among young people: that was the brief set for Ogilvy by the Australian government in a bid to incentivise youth to look after their sexual health.

The result is a campaign aimed at young people aged 20–34, raising awareness on STI prevention with the Make STI Testing Your Beforeplay tagline. The video displays moments of intimacy, with a voiceover reframing STI testing as the concept of Beforeplay. The national campaign will roll out online, on social media, OOH, bar coasters and on dating apps including Tinder and Grindr in Australia.

‘The campaign also aims to make STI testing feel not like an obstacle, but a normal part of looking after your health,’ says Ogilvy creative group head Shaun Branagan. ‘The work introduces new language to make it clear regular check-ups, even outside of perceived moments of risk, is a socially accepted practice, and something people do to proudly take charge of their sexual health.’

In our Unrefined Intimacy design direction, we explore the raw, confrontational and inclusive new visual narratives of sex and pleasure.

Strategic opportunity

Ogilvy’s campaign shows how businesses can advocate for public health matters without having recourse to fear-mongering. With a casual and Gen Z-coded narrative, the campaign is more relatable to the target audience

AirFarm revolutionises agriculture with world’s first inflatable aeroponic farm

AirFarm by Midbar Co., South Korea

South Korea – Winner of a CES Innovation Award 2024 in the Human Security for All category, AirFarm is a ground-breaking inflatable aeroponic farm developed in collaboration with South Korean ag-tech company Midbar and RBK Holdings. This innovative farm reshapes traditional agriculture, offering a portable solution that operates without water infrastructure. Its design allows it to convert air humidity into water in real time, reducing water requirements by an impressive 99% compared with traditional methods and by 90% compared with vertical farming competitors.

Designed for disaster-stricken areas, refugee camps and developing nations. AirFarm can contribute to global food security thanks to its lightweight and inflatable structure, which enables easy transport and quick set-up in various environments. With a focus on sustainability, this aeroponic farm uses Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technologies to achieve a 97% reduction in water usage. Its environmental benefits extend to a 20% lower carbon footprint during transport and a 95% reduction in logistics costs.

In New Urban Farms, we previously analysed how agricultural practices are undergoing a seismic shift as farmers and start-ups contend with feeding an ever-growing urban population.

Strategic opportunity

As Climate Crisis & Resource Scarcity is one of our Global Drivers 2030 shaping the next decade, it is imperative to investigate the potential of portable agricultural solutions that can be easily transported and set up, catering for diverse environments and needs

Domethics unveils smart pet bed at CES 2024

@tikatheiggy (https://www.instagram.com/tikatheiggy/)

US – At the Consumer Electronics Show 2024, Domethics showcased the Carepet smart pet bed, a breakthrough in pet technology. The Carepet is an intelligent pet bed that enables users to collect and monitor their dog’s vital data while they sleep. It tracks essential metrics such as heart rate, breathing, sleep quality and daily activity. Integrated sensors within the bed enable continuous health-monitoring, including identifying mobility issues and detecting heart conditions. By analysing respiratory patterns it can assess heart wellness.

Importantly, all this data can be shared easily with the pet’s vet for timely health intervention. Carepet, which will retail for £156.30 ($199, €183), prioritises convenience with its machine-washable and removable fabric, and caters for different pet sizes.

This innovative product offers pet owners a valuable tool for proactive pet health management. Domethics plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign for Carepet in March 2024. For more tech innovations, head to our analysis of CES 2024.

Strategic opportunity

Many consumers are choosing to lead a child-free life and instead are devoting themselves to pets. These pet parents are increasingly happy to spend big amounts of money to ensure their pets’ welfare. From food to health tech, how can you develop new products to better serve this market?

Stat: MIT suggests AI job displacements are costlier than retaining human workers

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

US – In a study published in January 2024, a team of MIT researchers challenged prevailing fears over AI job displacement, finding that, in many cases, replacing human workers with AI remains more expensive. Examining 1,000 visual inspection tasks across 800 occupations, the study discovered only 23% of workers’ wages were cost-effective to automate due to the large upfront costs of AI systems. The researchers focused on computer vision-assisted tasks, citing a bakery worker checking ingredients as an example. But they acknowledged these economics might change over time with decreasing AI deployment costs.

Despite concerns about job losses, tech leaders like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman remain optimistic, viewing it as part of technological progress. ‘I’m not afraid of that at all,’ the billionaire said at the 2023 Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference. ‘In fact, I think that's good. I think that's the way of progress, and we’ll find new and better jobs.’ MIT’s research, backed by IBM’s Watson AI Lab, suggests AI job displacement will be substantial but gradual, allowing time for policy initiatives to mitigate unemployment impacts.

The study emphasises the importance of creating meaningful regulatory frameworks to prepare for the future. ‘For policymakers, our results should reinforce the importance of preparing for AI job automation,’ MIT research scientist and co-author Neil Thompson told TechCrunch. ‘But our results also reveal that this process will take years, or even decades, to unfold and thus that there is time for policy initiatives to be put in place.’

For more insights on AI as a problem-solver rather than a machine ready to replace human workers, head to our AI Optimism Market analysis.

Strategic opportunity

Employers should initiate programmes for upskilling and reskilling employees to equip them with the necessary skills to work alongside AI as the technology’s use cases grow