Gerd Leonhard

Our future could be heaven, or it could be hell – it’s our choice!
Science fiction is increasingly becoming science fact. Consider the dramatic technological advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, human genome manipulation, autonomous vehicles, and quantum computing. By 2030, the power of exponential technologies will become almost limitless!

The ethical and humane use of technology can no longer be an afterthought but instead, an existential challenge. If we define ethics as, “Knowing the difference between having the power to do something and doing the right thing”. Who do we want to make these critical decisions? Should it be the algorithms and profit incentives that determine our fate? Who will be mission control for humanity?

To paraphrase Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, “Technology can do great things, but it does not want to do great things…it doesn’t want anything”. In a world where technology will increasingly define every aspect of life, who do we want at the helm?

If we define ethics as, “Knowing the difference between having the right or the power to do something and doing the right thing”, who will decide what is right, and who will be “mission control for humanity”?

Character Traits, Personality, Skills, and Attitudes: Your Mindset Contains Your Future!
While there is no such thing as “knowing the future,” nothing is more important to your future success than your mindset, your intuition, your imagination, and your overall future readiness. Looking at the Future is not about prediction, it’s about being better prepared. That’s something we can learn and practice.

In this popular talk, Gerd explains and shows how to develop the future mindset, and how organisations can dramatically increase their future-readiness.

The next 10 years will bring more change than the previous 100 years: driven by the 3 revolutions (digital, sustainable, purpose) as well as by simultaneous technological leaps in sectors such as AI, Quantum Computing, Synthetic Biology, Nanotech and Genetic Engineering and others.

AI is now a general purpose technology, and the platform ‘for everything’ – yet AI is clearly not the panacea or the magic wand many entrepreneurs, tech-moguls and Silicon Valley investors have envisioned. It’s time to look beyond AI.

While we certainly need to get ready for the 5 hyper-exponential technological game-changers (quantum computing, nuclear fusion, synthetic biology & nano-technology, genome editing and geo-engineering) we also need to ask this crucial question: What kind of future do we want?

In this talk, I outline what to expect by 2030, while correlating the technological breakthroughs with wider societal developments such as the rapidly accelerating climate emergency, technology regulation, global governance and global consciousness, the rise of GenY & Z, global demographics and various important geopolitical mega-trends.

Why and how People-Planet-Purpose and Prosperity is the key to the Good Future

Fueled by recent geopolitical conflicts, the urgency to address the accelerating climate emergency, and the mounting societal challenges of technological hyper-transformation (in particular, AI), the world continues to change at a mind-boggling pace, and confusion reigns.

Once unthinkable climate-emergency measures such as new carbon taxes (for aviation or for eating meat) are increasingly likely, concerned citizens (especially the GenY) around the world will push for real change. CEOs are touting their commitments to stakeholder values, but many doubt that corporate leadership toward a better future is sincere enough; resulting in a political power shift that benefits autocratic regimes.

What kind of future do we want? Is our current economic logic even suitable for the future? Will the traditional model of ‘free and open markets’ deliver solutions for these complex global issues? Is this approach fit for the future?

I believe that we must look beyond socialism, capitalism, and/or liberalism to design a new economic logic and reboot our stock markets as we transition from the suicidal single bottom line of GDP growth to what I call the 4Ps: People, Planet, Purpose, and Prosperity. This keynote will dive into my latest learnings on The Good Future, and help show the way forward.

AI is now a general-purpose technology like fire or the printing press, and it’s a new technology platform as well. It could be heaven, or it could be hell, depending on whether the tools will dominate us, or whether human telos (the purpose) will prevail. The more power we have, the more wisdom we’ll need! And that’s true no matter whether we will pursue AGI, or not.

Science fiction is increasingly becoming science fact as smart machines – both physical and virtual – take on more tasks once thought impossible for a “digital entity” to accomplish. As a result, knowledge work is transforming at a rapid pace, forcing us to reconsider what it means to be human – in our daily life, in our professions and in our organisations. What will happen if and when machines become ‘generally intelligent‘?

We must embrace these new possibilities while also preserving and protecting our humanity. We need proaction and precaution. We must define new values and goals that transcend increased efficiency or the resulting financial gains. I think it will be our androrithms, our uniquely human skills and traits that will make us invaluable in this coming age of AI, not just our ability to command technology or to become faster by using it (or even to merge with it).

In this customized talk, I guide my audience through what is important (and real) versus what is utopia or plain false (or dangerous) when it comes to AI. I delineate how we can harness the power of AI to further human (and planetary) flourishing, happiness, success, and well-being. I set forth why I believe the future holds great promise if we play our cards right and pursue People, Planet, Purpose, and Prosperity.

How Organisations Can Define and Create Their Preferred Future

While a rising tide lifts all boats, one-sided or blind disruption can capsize any organisation. To create enduring, dynamic organisations which are built to last in today’s era of accelerating exponential technology, the most important thing is foresight and preparedness.

Today, companies and organisations, and their people, find themselves increasingly forced to pivot and reinvent themselves or face sudden disintermediation and irrelevance. From music to the automotive industry, from big oil to big box retail and everything in between, the pace of change is only poised to accelerate further. The 3 Revolutions, the 10 Game-Changers and other Megashifts sweep across industry and society, altering every aspect of our daily lives.

While organisations, unprepared for the waves of change to come will not survive, those who prepare themselves, can and will take advantage of the enormous opportunities created amidst the chaos – from IoT and AI to robotics and new human-machine interfaces (such as voice-control and intelligent bots).