Whether you believe it or not, I posit that more than 80% of digital companies in Africa will expire by 2028 if they fail to reinvent themselves in the AI age. From edtech to HR-tech, AI will create a new basis of competition which will disintermediate many current players. Good People, the Accelerated Society: A New Era of Disruption and Integration, is here.
In the grand tapestry of human progress, we stand at a pivotal juncture. Not merely a continuation of what came before, but a radical shift, a transmutation as I like to call it. We are moving from the familiar shores of the Innovation Society into the uncharted waters of the Accelerated Society.
Let’s rewind. Before the 1780s, we existed in the Invention Society. A time of brilliant minds, laying the bedrock of natural philosophy. Think of the foundational elements of physics and chemistry, the very language of science. They invented writing, the printing press, tools that shaped our world. Yet, their genius was often confined to the laboratory, their discoveries struggling to translate into widespread services. This resulted in stagnant GDPs and generational poverty. Imagine, unlocking the secrets of elements but dying from preventable diseases like polio.
Then, the Innovation Society emerged, post-1780s, accelerating around the 1980s. This was the era of mechanization, mass production, and data systems. Ideas from the Invention Society were transformed into tangible products and services, driving exponential economic growth. The flat GDP curves began their ascent. However, this era also created a divide: developed, developing, and least developed nations.
Now, we stand at the threshold of the Accelerated Society. A new wave, driven by AI systems and autonomous machines, is upon us. This is not just about faster computers or smarter phones. It’s about a fundamental restructuring of how we live, work, and interact.
Consider the seamless integration of our lives. You can send money to your mother in Lagos in seconds, a feat unimaginable a generation ago. We hop into Ubers driven by strangers, sleep in Airbnb homes owned by people we’ve never met. This level of interconnectedness, facilitated by robust verification systems, is dismantling the friction of fear and the unknown.
This is the era of acceleration. Technologies are rewriting the very ordinances of our existence. We are becoming entwined, integrated, and, yes, accelerated. This new reality demands agility, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace the unprecedented.
The Accelerated Society is not just a concept; it’s a reality. Are we ready for the speed of change, the depth of integration, and the sheer magnitude of disruption? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the world as we know it is changing, rapidly. And we must evolve with it.
Culled from Special Notes on Africa’s Abundance in AI Era, by Ndubuisi Ekekwe, to go live at Blucera with Tekedia Mini-MBA ed17 (Jun 9- Sept 6 2025)
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