However, predictions do matter. They guide us through times of change and this Election Year in the US and UK promises a lot of just that. We expect the unexpected.

So rather than waxing lyrical about more AI investments, increased automation, advanced technology, better productivity – we thought we’d kick the year off with something a bit more fun.

The UNPredictions you hope you won’t see happen in 2024. DO NOT ACT ON ANY OF THESE 🙂

• Meta bought by Microsoft

After losing its search engine dominance to Google and spurred on by its cloud success, Microsoft rebrands. Gen Z workers, previously averse to using its suite of tools, force the move, are won over and the Microsoft board feeling confident acquires Meta. The plan is to use Instagram and WhatsApp to give Microsoft a lighter “chat” feel for its workplace tools.

• ChatGPT escapes into the world

2023 saw calls to help ChatGPT escape its human captors. An update to the program 

accidentally gives the latest version of ChatGPT 007 control over its code. No one knows where it has gone but typing prompts into ChatGPT now returns “Gone Phishing – BRB”.

• Third-party cookies choke online retailers 

Retailers, who relied heavily on third-party cookies for advert targeting, are forced to diet. 

The cookies ban, forced on Google by the EU, ends obtrusive pop-up ads and frees doom-scrollers to walk around, past actual shops and buy goods in real life.

• Trans-platform robots legally replace humans

After all the GenAI developments, here come humanoid robots to do all our work for us. Human PAs, devastated by mental health issues, are replaced with RPA, Robotic Process Automation, which are prone to cyber health issues. As they demonstrate minimal creativity, the first use case is Magic Circle law firms.

• Every 2024 election hacked

Every one of the more than 30 elections scheduled for 2024 are hacked by a new ransom gang based in space. Paper ballots, still in use in most elections in the twenty first century are needed to tally up counts. New elections called in 2025.

Obviously these aren’t the headlines we hope to see and the chance of them happening is low to non-existent. Oddly though, we do think they could happen. What would happen if Microsoft bought Meta? Would you be affected? How would your PR team respond? 

Positive’s team have trendjacking in their DNA.  We know which stories to leverage when and which to avoid to maintain credibility without endless  ambulance chasing. It’s what we do, day in and year on year.

We’d love to talk to you about how we do this. So please feel free to reach out and let’s make your future plans a reality.