Daily Signals 12.08.2025

Signals

The Future Laboratory unveils Innovation Debrief 2025–2026 at Breakfast Briefing, AI physiotherapy clinic halves waiting times for back pain treatment and how young US adults turn to AI for daily brainstorms.

The Future Laboratory unveils Innovation Debrief 2025–2026 at Breakfast Briefing

The Future Laboratory, UK
The Future Laboratory, UK
The Future Laboratory, UK
The Future Laboratory, UK

UK – The Future Laboratory, alongside the team behind its trends intelligence platform LS:N Global, hosted its quarterly members-only Breakfast Briefing at The Roof Gardens on Tuesday 5 August 2025.

Members and guests were given a snapshot of 50 trends from the new Innovation Debrief 2025–2026 report – from collagen-infused jeans to sake tested in space. The event also offered refreshments and networking in the London social club’s private roof garden.

As part of their subscription, LS:N Global members receive exclusive access to these quarterly in-person events, where analysts share the most valuable insights from the latest macrotrend reports.

For early access to our reports and events, become a member today.

Innovation Debrief 2025–2026 is also available for purchase via The Future Laboratory’s online shop.

AI physiotherapy clinic halves waiting time for back pain treatment

UK – A 12-week NHS pilot of Flok Health’s AI-powered physiotherapy clinic has cut waiting lists for back pain by 55% and overall musculoskeletal waits by 44% in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The app-based service, built on video of a human physiotherapist, offers same-day automated consultations, freeing 856 clinician hours each month. Patient feedback highlights flexibility and intuitive use, with some rating it equal to or better than private treatment.

The results position AI-run clinics as a scalable model for alleviating healthcare bottlenecks. Yet the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy warns that reliance on app-based care could exclude those without digital access and that addressing recruitment freezes remains key to sustainable improvement.

With a national roll-out planned, the trial offers a live test case for how AI can augment the human workforce while accelerating access to essential care.

These findings echo insights from our Viva Technology 2025: Decoding a Decisive Moment for Tech report, which highlights AI’s growing role in bridging healthcare gaps and serving underserved populations through scalable, tech-enabled care models.

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Strategic opportunity

Prototype AI-assisted service models that replicate expert care at scale, combining flexible scheduling, real-time feedback and seamless escalation to human specialists to boost efficiency, inclusivity and user trust

Stat: Young US adults turn to AI for daily brainstorms

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

US – About six in 10 US adults under 30 have used AI to come up with ideas, compared with just two in 10 of those aged 60 or older, according to a study by AP-NORC

The poll, which sampled 1,437 US adults, found that younger users are also more likely to tap AI for brainstorming on a daily basis. 

Overall, 60% of US adults – and 74% of under-30s – use AI to search for information, but only about four in 10 Americans use it for work tasks, highlighting that AI’s productivity potential remains unevenly realised. 

Other uses include email drafting, image editing, entertainment and shopping, while AI companionship is rare, with fewer than 20% trying it. 

The survey underlines how generational divides are shaping AI adoption – with younger Americans weaving it into both their personal and professional routines. 

For more insights on the brand opportunities, marketing and retail strategies shaping the future of consumer-facing, AI-driven tech, explore our AI topic

Strategic opportunity

Design AI tools and campaigns that cater for younger consumers’ appetite for daily idea generation, embedding creative prompts, co-creation features and rapid iteration 

Previous Daily Signals Articles
Heineken leverages the power of fandom to spark friendship between strangers

Daily Signals

Heineken leverages the power of fandom to spark friendship between strangers

International brewer Heineken has launched Fans Have More Friends, a sponsorship platform built on the idea that shared passions are one of the fas...
Fandom : Sports : Drinks
Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals shaping culture right now. This week, foresight analyst Seyi ...
Bridgerton : Regency : Balls
Stat: Uptick in night-routine content reflects a shift towards protective wellness

Daily Signals

Stat: Uptick in night-routine content reflects a shift towards protective wellness

Night-routine content on TikTok rose 46% year-on-year in Q4 (October–December) 2025, reaching 13.2m weekly views, according to new research from Kyra.
Health : Wellness : Sleep
The Future Laboratory launches 2026 events calendar

Daily Signals

The Future Laboratory launches 2026 events calendar

The 2026 events calendar is here. Don’t just follow the future – get ahead of it. Join The Future Laboratory in 2026 for a programme of inspiring p...
The Future Laboratory : Events : Calendar
How diet sodas fell out of fashion

Daily Signals

How diet sodas fell out of fashion

Consumers are turning their backs on diet drinks, with zero sugar emerging as the preferred signifier of healthier indulgence.
Drink : Health : Food Retail
Stat: Alcohol abstinence in England rises as sober-curious lifestyles gain traction

Daily Signals

Stat: Alcohol abstinence in England rises as sober-curious lifestyles gain traction

Almost a quarter of adults in England (24%) now abstain from alcohol, marking a notable rise from previous years when non-drinkers consistently acc...
Drink : Stat : Statistics
How forpeople used bio-electrical tree data to shape Tree Aid’s rebranding

Daily Signals

How forpeople used bio-electrical tree data to shape Tree Aid’s rebranding

London-based creative studio forpeople has unveiled a pro bono rebranding for international development charity Tree Aid, placing living systems at...
Design : Nature : Technology
Bara brings Welsh flavours to South London

Daily Signals

Bara brings Welsh flavours to South London

Bara is London’s first café dedicated to Welsh cuisine, opening in February 2026 in Peckham, southeast London.
Food : Hospitality : Cuisine
Stat: Silent mental health crisis among women over 50

Daily Signals

Stat: Silent mental health crisis among women over 50

Almost two in three women over 50 in the UK struggle with their mental health, yet nearly nine in 10 do not seek help, according to new research co...
Generation X : Women's Health : Mental Health
Childline gamifies digital pressure to prompt reflection among teens

Daily Signals

Childline gamifies digital pressure to prompt reflection among teens

British counselling service Childline has launched a new campaign, Race to a Milli, designed to raise awareness of the pressures of online life for...
Technology : Health : Wellness
You have 0 free Daily Signals remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN