"Protect them at all costs"—have you seen this refrain pop up in your social media feed/comments? It often appears accompanying a video of someone performing a heartfelt gesture or a comment of sweetness. It's a call to shield those rare moments of pure human expression that lift us above the mundane and remind us of our potential for innocence, gratitude, and greatness.

Reflecting on the 15th anniversary of the PTTOW! conference, this sentiment resonates deeply with me. "Protect them at all costs"—this time, referring to the artists, poets, visionaries, community organizers, and conscious leaders who are the fabric of our society. PTTOW! stands out as a crucible where culture and business converge, where people shed their professional facades to engage authentically. It’s a sanctuary for making instantaneous connections, but its implications ripple far beyond.

The necessity of this protective stance becomes apparent when considering our societal backdrop—which we call a pervasive 'vision void.'

Our data uncovers a startling discomfort among Americans when it comes to the future:

→ 78% of Americans say, “It is scary to imagine how the world will look ten years from now.”

→ 74% of Americans say, “I fear what the next four years will look like In America.”

This 'vision void' isn't just an American phenomenon; we discovered with MetLife it's a global one.

In this climate of uncertainty, where the future of education, work, and stability is murky, the role of artists becomes crucial—yet, paradoxically, often overlooked. We celebrate artists when times are good, when the future feels like a playground of possibilities. But in darker times, our gaze shifts away from the horizon, and creativity gets the boot.

Benjamin Von Wong, an artist and activist, once shared with me a profound insight into the role artists play:

"Somewhere in all of this lies an opportunity to come together and create movements. There is a potential world in which we can rally around a near future that we all want and celebrate all the progress and milestones that we’re doing… there's an opportunity for collective movement in the form of storytellers: the Renaissance of artists and stories that we need to see."

At PTTOW!, the presence of luminaries and visionaries like Janelle Monáe, IN-Q, aja monet, Andra Day, Oz Pearlman, DJ Mick, Alex Boye, Honey Duvall, Reed Hoffman, Vishaan Chakrabarti, Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, Katie Couric, Diana Nyad and and others, exemplified the visceral power of engaging with art and leadership—not merely thinking our way into the future, but feeling our way into it.

Above: Andra Day, performing Rise Up

Concurrently, I am participating in the 'Deep Authentics, ' a future scenario led by Jane McGonigal/Urgent Optimists. This scenario explores an open future where AI/LLMs have no bounds and all of humanity is an open learning model. This future scenario reminded me of the existential risks looming over artists. The discussion around AI and its potential to disrupt the copyright laws of artists poses a grave threat (e.g., watch Playlist and consider the impacts that Spotify had on artists). While some artists are proactively experimenting, such as FKA Twigs experiment with digital cloning, the overarching narrative circles back to my foundational plea: "protect them at all costs." If AI usurps the emotional core of our artistic experiences, the fallback could be a society scrambling to preserve human-only art forms, an era of human-only galleries, human-verified playlists, and human platforms scrambling their art to ensure synthetic influence doesn’t overtake their minds and perceptions.

Moreover, this narrative isn't relegated to artists alone. In business, as we navigate layoffs and economic tightening, the heart and gut are as vital as the mind in crafting paths forward. The most distinctive businesses of 2035 are being conceived and reinforced today—not just through logical strategies but through the emotional and communal journeying of their creators.

This isn’t just a romantic notion. In a world starved for vision, artists are not just our mirrors but our beacons.

Artists help us process the present and propel us into the future, weaving the emotional threads that guide us through uncertainty. They deserve not just our applause but our steadfast support and protection. As we safeguard the artists among us, we protect the essence of our humanity and the future it can forge.

Above: Reed Hastings talking about chasing ideas and inspiration with Katie Couric.

As business leaders, three things to think about :

• Harness Artistic Insight: In times of uncertainty, integrating artistic insights into strategic planning fosters innovation and helps navigate complex futures.

• Invest in Authentic Connections: Prioritize genuine engagement by supporting and collaborating with artists and community leaders to create content that resonates emotionally and brings new narratives to the forefront.

• Ethical Innovation in Technology: Address the challenges of AI and technological advances by focusing on ethical practices that protect intellectual property and maintain brand authenticity.

Thank you for PTTOW! for this reminder.