What is the Future of Humanity in a World of Exponential Technological Change?
The internationally renowned Futurist, Author and Speaker Gerd Leonhard has been confirmed as keynote speaker at The Economist’s “The World in 2016” Gala Dinner on January 15 at the Hilton Malta. Gerd Leonhard will talk about shaping the future of corporations, organizations and governments, and will also address other topics of interest in regards to the digital transformation of society and business.
Humanity will change more in the next 20 years than it did in the past 300 years, as we enter an era where powerful new technological intermediaries emerge, impacting our lives at an increasingly faster pace. Intelligent digital agents, smart software in the cloud, thinking machines, big data and artificial intelligence (AI), robots, and deep learning are likely to become as normal as smartphones. But where is this technological super-intelligence going? What will happen to work and jobs, to human idiosyncrasies such as mystery, creativity and serendipity, to our social contracts, ethics, and to how we do business? Exponential technological progress could be a kind of nirvana for us, or it could just as easily spell disaster – depending on how we prepare and act, today. As Gerd Leonhard likes to say “Technology does not have ethics, and technology is morally neutral until we apply it” (William Gibson). “Embrace technology but don’t become it”, advises Gerd, and suggests a much stronger focus on digital ethics, and why we use technology rather then how.
About Gerd Leonhard
Listed by Wired Magazin as one of the top 100 most influential personalities in Europe (2015), Gerd Leonhard’s work focusses on the future of humanity and technology, digital transformation, big data, automation, AI and robotics, media, content, marketing and advertising, telecommunications, culture and tourism, banking and financial services, and leadership.
In his keynotes, presentations, workshops and advisory sessions, Gerd Leonhard often addresses topics such as digital darwinism and the challenges of digital transformation, the redefinition of human-machine relationships, automisation and jobs, privacy versus publicy in the era of big data, the sharing economy, and many more. His presentations are renowned for a hard-hitting and provocative yet inspiring, humorous and motivating style.
Gerd Leonhard is a much sought-after speaker, having presented at more than 1500 events in 40+ countries since 2005. His list of clients include UBS, Mastercard, Unilever, Lloyds Bank, WWF, Nokia, The Guardian, Google, Sony, Telkom Indonesia, Siemens, RTL, ITV, BBC, France Telecom, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, MTN, The Financial Times, DDB, Ogilvy, Omnicom, The EU Commission, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, VISA, and many others. Gerd Leonhard is a member of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA, London). He resides in Basel, Switzerland.
Gerd Leonhard will be available for telephone interviews eff. January 4th, or in person in Malta during daytime on January 15.
Link to Media Release PDF
Featured video clip: Humanity vs Technology . Live keynote videos: www.gerdtube.com
Photographs: online collection
The Economist: The World in 2016 Gala Dinner in Malta January 15, 2016 |