Nostradamus on Big Data: 5 predictions

It’s almost 450 years since Nostradamus wrote his best-seller, ‘Les Propheties, and gave everyone sleepless nights ever since.

What predictions would he make today about Big Data in the 2015-2020 era?

Prediction#1: The oppression

“The hapless consumer will be troubled by an ocean of data and information sewage from powerful enterprises big and small. Banks, retailers, telcos, hotel, and media companies will unceasingly throw coupons, catalogs, emails, notifications, text messages, and phone calls at the consumer who will then shut his eyes and ears to all this noise”

Prediction#2: The silent rebellion

“The murmurs will begin. And the hapless consumer will rebel silently, but surely. She will quietly opt out of all CRM and loyalty programs by raising the ‘do not disturb’ flag’. Banks will have no one to send offers to. The retailer will pile up their hoard of coupons. Telcos and media companies will struggle to sell their constantly re-launched, but look-like bundles. Hotels will have only have discounts to flaunt. And the silent rebellion foretells bigger dangers ahead”

Prediction#3: The big wars

” The great armies of the old data-controlling empires-Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon-will engage in fearsome wars, and the battle will soon be joined by those from newer kingdoms like Ali Baba and Uber. The marauding armies will trample both the helpless consumer, as well as the defenseless banks, retailers, telcos, hotels and media companies who had long abdicated their consumer relationships, and hence gave up any right to use this data”

Prediction#4: The explosion and the revolution

“From the despairing screams of consumers will emerge a new Big Data order. The ruling kings will fall from their pedestals, and the masses will reclaim their personal data. Far greater value will be asked for in return for the privilege to peek into this data.”

Prediction#5: The great liberation

“The poor masses will now hold the keys to their mini treasure chest of data. The organizing empires of Apple, Google, FB, and others will hold thousands of such chests in trust, but without a blank cheque written in their favor. Banks will offer to transparently organize consumers’ financial lives better; retailers will make shopping easier and more pleasurable; hotels will make travel a delight; telcos and media firms will enable content consumption a lot more fun. And they will do this by dipping into the treasure chest selectively and responsibly.”