Welcome to this week’s edition of Simon Sees!
This week was inspired by our latest Future With Friends episode – “The Future of Immigration” with Anton van der Walt. Set in 2042, we follow a migrant family navigating the challenges they face, the strengths they bring, and the emotional resilience that creates real belonging – not through assimilation, but through time, empathy, and mutual understanding. Watch or listen here.
We start with Mindplex Magazine, which highlights how AI’s reliance on English can quietly erode linguistic diversity and marginalise non-English cultures. Immigration isn’t just about crossing borders – it’s about which voices and languages endure. Then, a Phys.org report challenges simplistic narratives about migration and crime, showing how economic pressures, systemic inequality, and integration barriers often drive outcomes. And finally, Harvard Business Review shows the power of cognitive diversity: teams that mix thinking styles solve complex problems up to 60% faster than homogenous groups. Diverse perspectives don’t just make solutions better – they make them quicker.
In a future shaped by movement – of people, cultures, and ideas – the challenge isn’t only to welcome newcomers, but to create the time, space, and conditions where they can truly belong. Immigration isn’t just about crossing a border. It’s about crossing into each other’s lives.
MINDPLEX
AI’s Linguistic Bias: A Silent Architect of Cultural Marginalization?
The potential benefits of artificial intelligence are huge, as are the dangers.—Dave Waters
PHYS.ORG
Violent crime is indeed a root cause of migration, according to study
“The ‘border crisis’ brought migration to the forefront of (U.S.) policy debates, was a leading issue in the 2024 election, and motivated a search for the ‘root causes,'” according to the study.”
YOUTUBE
Harvard Business Review – Cognitive Diversity Helps Teams Solve Problems Faster
“It’s not who you are that speeds problem-solving—it’s how you think, and how safe you feel to share it “
THE FUTURE WITH FRIENDS PODCAST
Ep 12: The Future of Immigration
In this episode of The Future With Friends, Simon Waller is joined by leadership expert and good friend Anton van der Walt for a heartfelt conversation about immigration, belonging, and the future of cultural integration.
Anton shares a beautifully written and deeply personal scenario set in 2042. It explores the journey of an immigrant family navigating the complexities of settling in a new country – the challenges they face, the strengths they bring, and the emotional resilience required along the way. It’s a story that reminds us that true belonging isn’t achieved through assimilation or automation, but through time, empathy, and mutual understanding.
Simon and Anton’s conversation weaves through themes of identity, community, and the value of shared experience. They reflect on their parallel journeys in podcasting, the role of technology in fostering connection, and the limitations of a hyper-efficient approach to integration.
It’s a thoughtful discussion on the immigrant experience – one that asks us to slow down, listen more deeply, and recognise the cultural richness that emerges when we make space for difference.
At its heart, this episode is about the power of stories – and the kind of understanding that only comes from sitting down and truly hearing one another, friend to friend.
Also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Simon
