Diverse representation is an expectation, but as individuals no longer allow themselves to be defined in singular terms, there's mounting pressure on brands to understand and sensitively reflect how the intersections between race, gender, class, and ability impact people's everyday lives.

Today, audiences are shaping the cultural agenda. Empowered to speak up for the causes they believe in, people are actively calling out brands they see as inauthentic. What are the main drivers of this behavioural shift? And how can brands win the trust of these outspoken advocates?

Social media is a great resource for amplifying individual voices, and people are using this quality to mobilise against brands and institutions that fail to meet their expectations. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Doreen Chung and Dr. Kyuree Kim about how people organise around hashtags on social media.

People are looking for tech brands that champion data privacy but they’re still seduced by the convenience of AI. In the context of public health, the necessity of tracking tech is accepted, and the pandemic has shown the value of increasingly human-like AI in providing emotional support. However, people are also discovering their limits when it comes to acceptable AI interference.

Experts are warning about the overwhelming amount of misinformation around the Israel-Palestine war on X. As people struggle to discern between truth and fake news, brands are responsible for empowering audiences to identify trustworthy sources and educate themselves on realities online.