Beyond AI: What really matters in technology & society by 2030? | recorded at the Future of Payments Conference Warsaw Oct 6, 2025. A big thank you to the Polska Bezgotówkowa Foundation for inviting me to speak at this event, see https://futureofpayments.pl/ para mais pormenores

We are standing at a crossroads unlike any before — between humans and machines, optimism and fear, heaven and hell aka #hellven. In this energizing and entertaining keynote, #futurista Gerd Leonhard challenges the doom-and-gloom narrative surrounding artificial intelligence, climate change, and global politics. Instead of asking “What will the future do to us?”, he proposes to ask a better question: “What kind of future do we want to create?” Gerd explores seven powerful game-changers — from quantum computing to synthetic biology — showing how these technologies can empower humanity rather than diminish it – IF we can collaborate. He explains the “gradually, then suddenly” moments transforming our world, revealing how AI, digital money, and the climate revolution are converging to redefine business, society, and the very definition of humanity. At the heart of this keynote lies a call to action: embrace technology, but don’t become it. Europe, and indeed all of us, have the opportunity to lead with balance, wisdom, empathy, and purpose. The future isn’t something that happens to us — it’s something we build togethe

00:00 Introduction: The Good Future? 00:15 Human-Machine Convergence 01:14 Technology's Role in Solving Global Issues 02:29 The Power and Dangers of AI 03:05 A mentalidade do futuro 03:21 Digital Transformation in Finance 04:13 The Rapid Pace of Exponential Change 06:24 AI in Entertainment and Society 09:31 Geopolitical and Economic Shifts 13:24 Sustainability and Future Strategies 15:36 Discussing AGI – Artificial General Intelligence 16:44 The Impact of AI on Jobs and Routine Tasks 17:42 AI in Business and Everyday Life 18:22 The Future of AI and Human Control 20:03 The false dichotomy: AI Doom vs. Boom 22:40 Balancing AI Advancements with Human Values 25:06 The Future of Work and Human-AI Collaboration