Dr. Annette Doms, CEO & Director of Future Business at ICAA, discusses the intersection of blockchain, XR, and AI in transforming education, startups, and industries. She emphasises the need for immersive, hands-on experiences and the balance between innovation and regulation in the tech ecosystem in the latest episode of the Dinis Guarda Podcast. The podcast is powered by Businessabc.net, Citiesabc.com, Wisdomia.ai, and Sportsabc.org.
Dr. Annette Doms is a Tech Evangelist, entrepreneur, Future Business Expert, In-Company Trainer, Web3 Expert, academic, and Public Speaker, digital transformation strategist. She is the CEO and Director of Future Business at ICAA Strategists GmbH, a consulting firm that helps businesses transform using technologies like Web3, AI, and Blockchain.
During the interview with Dinis Guarda, Dr. Annette Doms discusses the significant gap between the rapid development of new technologies:
“With blockchain, it’s still too complicated. So, a user experience is the key. Also in the metaverse. If things are getting easier, mass adoption is closer than we think. Education is the key. So, in schools or education in general, it’s really not moving very fast. It’s the same as centuries ago.
The new generation is not close to it. They are maybe more interested in these topics than their teachers. Boys have been playing Fortnite for decades, and they are used to using social media and technology. They adapt technology immediately, but the education system is a little bit behind. This is a real gap, but it must be open to change.
Institutions and organisations have to work with experts and, first of all, to enable an easy user experience and access. Also, the infrastructure must work. Many people still have this fear of technology, and you cannot read it in the press. The problem is the press.”
Germany’s startups: Regulation vs innovation
Dr. Annette is also the Vice President of Education and Research at VENTURE AI GERMANY. She authored ‘30 Minuten Web3: KI, Metaverse und Blockchain’, which explores Web3 as the next iteration of the internet, focusing on decentralisation, trust, and transparency.
Dr. Annette discusses the balance between regulation and innovation, particularly in the context of startups in Germany:
“There are many startups in Germany and many tech companies coming to Germany, especially in the south, to Munich, where I live.
People in Germany spend more or invest more money in the lottery than in startups. This is really the reality. In comparison to the US, it’s like this.
There’s too much bureaucracy. There’s too much administration still. It’s risk management, and this may be different in the UK. I don’t know.
The openness to invest in unfamiliar future topics is a little bit smaller than maybe in other countries.
In terms of regulation, yes, we have regulation, and it’s good to have regulation, but it’s also dangerous to over-regulate. We need something in the middle, so that we do not avoid innovation. Over-regulation is the bad side or the side effect of investing in innovation.”
XR & blockchain: Transforming education
Dr. Annette emphasises the need for a shift from traditional educational systems to more immersive, personalised, and adaptable learning environments:
“XR and blockchain aren’t just new tools. They are really enablers of a new educational paradigm. We support schools that integrate XR technologies into the school system. It’s not easy for them, and mostly they do it in their free time and on Friday afternoons, and it’s all volunteer work.
With XR, learning becomes embodied. The students are not learning about Rome with text; they walk through the streets. They don’t study molecules; they manipulate them in 3D spaces.
This kind of experimental learning, spatial learning, creates a deeper understanding. Retention it’s different between knowing something and feeling it. People who have already tried out the Apple Pro, for example, find it more tangible. Hands-on experience is very important.
Spatial computing, spatial learning, and maybe with better glasses or less heavy or more practical glasses, will hopefully accelerate the mass adoption.
Blockchain addresses credibility and ownership of learning. When educational records are decentralised, students can own their achievements personally in their wallets.
This opens up global lifelong learning ecosystems where knowledge can be verified, shared, and even monetised in some way.
The next generation needs creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. We are not just updating the classroom. We are building a living, adaptive global learning network.
Education becomes personal through AI, blockchain, spatial learning, and participatory and persistent learning throughout life.”
Experiential learning and AI integration
“You cannot talk about NFTs without implementing a wallet or having a wallet. This is key. You cannot talk about the metaverse if you have never been inside the metaverse, and the same with AI. Once you try it out and once you have this hands-on experience, your life will change.”
People were really animated to download a metamask wallet and to create a token, or maybe to buy a token, or to sell a token. Art can visualise all these topics.
We built enterprise metaverses for huge companies so that the employees could really feel what it is to work immersively.
We have this iPhone in our hands. We are looking at the iPhone the whole day, but spatial computing, science fiction, comes true. We can walk around with designer glasses and through augmented reality. We are on the internet rather than just observing it.
First, you show the tools, and people are impressed because most of the people only know about ChatGPT.
This is our task for society to really educate and to show these tools so they can work with them and realise the efficiency, Digital first and then physical production. This is the future, hopefully.”
Shikha Negi is a Content Writer at ztudium with expertise in writing and proofreading content. Having created more than 500 articles encompassing a diverse range of educational topics, from breaking news to in-depth analysis and long-form content, Shikha has a deep understanding of emerging trends in business, technology (including AI, blockchain, and the metaverse), and societal shifts, As the author at Sarvgyan News, Shikha has demonstrated expertise in crafting engaging and informative content tailored for various audiences, including students, educators, and professionals.
