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Mastercard launches AI-powered stories for commuters

Australia – Mastercard has launched its Transit Tales campaign which tailors classic stories to the length of commuters’ journeys.

Available to 1.2m people in Sydney, the campaign uses AI technology and real time transit data to personalise stories to the commuter's exact journey time at no cost.

The stories include The Jungle Book, Romeo and Juliet, The Great Gatsby, Dracula and The Wizard of Oz and can be reimagined through different genres such as mystery, thriller, superhero saga, sci-fi fantasy and dystopian adventure.

‘There’s been a lot of talk about AI and creativity. We couldn’t think of a better way to harness it than by turning mundane train rides into imaginative escapes,' said Shane Geffen, executive creative director at McCann Australia, which developed Transit Tales.

Transcripts are available for each story, helping to make the campaign more inclusive. At the end of their trip, commuters can purchase the full book via online retailers. The campaign is live across Sydney metro and train networks and supported by out of home, digital and social activations.

For more insight into the future of AI and the latest creative applications of the technology, head to our Artificial Intelligence topic.

Strategic opportunity

Look for ways to transform consumers’ dullest daily routines into uplifting brand touchpoints. By elevating overlooked moments, brands can embed themselves into everyday life in ways that are useful, memorable and valued

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Asics, Japan

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst Rose Coffey explores the emotional element of fashion, the Undropped Kit by Asics and sensorial sustainability.

: I have just returned from a week away in West Cork, which functioned as my very own digital detox destination. With signal hard to come by in the rural mountains, I had ample time to experience clothing through a purely material lens. My outfits kept me warm and dry in fluctuating weather conditions and I even wore pieces passed down from my grandmother – reinforcing the emotional weight of fashion.

My work is often centred around technological innovations in the field, but recently I have been thinking more about the core relationship between fashion and feeling – a theme we touched on in our Mood-matching Fashion report. This pause reminded me that as digital systems shape discovery, the tactile, emotional bond with clothing remains fashion’s most enduring elements.

: Elsewhere, research by Asics shows that the UK’s school PE kit plays a major role in teenage girls dropping out of sport. The company has collaborated with Inclusive Sportswear and Mind to create the Undropped Kit – a clothing concept designed to help them feel more comfortable, enjoy exercise and ultimately stay in sport. The kit was tested by secondary school students at Burnley High School – an area flagged by Sport England as having some of the UK’s lowest PE participation rates.

This initiative is a strong example of Collaboration Culture being used to foster connection and care. It highlights how sport is a community driver, not just a form of competition. As we noted in our Soft Sports report, brands are moving away from performance culture toward community, inclusivity and holistic wellbeing.

: Finally, I’ve been loving this Sensorial Sustainability report published in collaboration with Arbor Communications. It puts forward that in a post-verbal, post-greenwashing world, sustainability must be felt to be believed. This reframing pushes brands to move beyond messaging and metrics toward multisensory experiences that embed responsibility into touch, sound and atmosphere – turning sustainability from a claim into a lived encounter.

Quote of the week

‘It's deeply concerning to see so many teenage girls dropping out of PE in such big numbers. While the reasons are complex, simple changes like adapting PE kit could help girls feel more comfortable to stay active, giving them a lifelong tool to support their mental health’

Hayley Jarvis, head of physical activity at Mind (source: Asics)

Stat: Tech-savvy Gen Z interns see AI as a career tool, not a threat

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

US – Gen Z is entering the workforce with a pragmatic view of artificial intelligence and enthusiasm for in-person mentorship. According to a KPMG survey of 1,117 US interns, almost 90% use generative AI at least weekly, with 60% describing themselves as more experimental with the technology than older peers.

Half of the interns expect 20% of their jobs to be automated by AI when they start full-time roles, but 92% are confident in their ability to adapt to AI advancements in their fields. Yet enthusiasm comes with caution: interns cited overreliance, misinformation and bias as top concerns, signalling a generation that is eager to harness AI without losing creativity.

Beyond technology, nearly half ranked eliminating rigid workday structures as their top desired change, with work-life balance surpassing salary as the leading career priority. Despite being digital natives, interns favour face-to-face mentoring and office culture, which they say fosters confidence and friendships.

In The Synthocene Era macrotrend report, we further explored the benefits and limitations of a world shaped by the merging of human and machine intelligence – and what this will mean for future generations.

Strategic opportunity

As AI adoption continues to boom, help your employees prioritise human interaction by embedding mentorship programmes and peer networks that safeguard interpersonal trust and creativity within increasingly automated workflows