I found a very refreshing Article today describing Japan’s vision for the fifth iteration of society. Our hunter-gatherer days represent the first iteration, with agriculture coming in as number two and the industrial and information revolutions rounding out the next two. I’ve written about the Tipping Points in human history – and this vision of a future society is aligned with my point of view on the next tipping point. With each tip, we have experienced Unintended Consequences. Big visions such as these would be wise to ensure a balancing of the Opposing forces of Innovation.

Assuming that Japan has accounted for the destructive side of the Innovation Path, this vision is refreshing on a number of levels:

1. A country has a strategic vision for the future of society
2. A country has put Purpose at the center of their universe
3. I did not see the efficiency word
4. Using developments in technology to improve well-being and civilization matters

Society 5.0 proposes a different paradigm in developing and utilizing technology to address society’s problems. Unlike some of the lip-service paid to purpose-oriented efforts today, Society 5.0 has concrete goals and a direction to achieve those goals. Some of those goals include solving problems like increasing demand for energy and food, regional inequality, and an aging society. These problems are not unique to Japan – so other nations should take note. The major advancements at the heart of their efforts are Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Robots, self-driving cars, and data.

The initiative and technologies will not be used just for corporate advantages but to benefit society as a whole – could this be the profit-to-purpose shift in motion? Regulations will play an important part in ensuring data privacy and corporate usage of data collected. I applaud this vision and hope it becomes a blueprint for others to follow. This video describes Society 5.0.