Category: Technology and Humanity
Creating Alternate Synthetic Minds: Shall we let the fox guard the henhouse?
Guest post by Peter Van In this post, we’ll have at a more philosophical take on AI and ethics. Should we enhance our own brains with AI technology to keep up with the exponential progress of technology? Let’s zoom into some of the arguments from Susan Schneider in this recent Edge.org post. Susan holds the … Continue reading "Creating Alternate Synthetic Minds: Shall we let the fox guard the henhouse?"
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Big data and surveillance in cities: convenience vs tracking
Guest post by Peter Van Sidewalk Labs is Google’s / Alphabet Inc.’s urban innovation organisation. Its goal is to improve urban infrastructure through technological solutions, and tackle issues such as cost of living, efficient transportation and energy usage (Wikipedia). Looking at their website, it’s full of ambitious goals: reimagining cities to improve quality of life, … Continue reading "Big data and surveillance in cities: convenience vs tracking"
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We need to talk about AI! A new short-film by Futurist Gerd Leonhard: what you need to know about artificial intelligence
I am very excited about my latest short film (the others are here) outlining my views on my #1 speaking topic: humans versus/with machines, artificial intelligence and the future of humanity in a world where machines can hear, see, speak, learn and ‘think’. On the one hand, artificial intelligence (AI) clearly has the capacity to improve … Continue reading "We need to talk about AI! A new short-film by Futurist Gerd Leonhard: what you need to know about artificial intelligence"
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World Leaders at Davos Call for Global Rules on Technology (via the NYT) #digitalethics
“The rapid spread of digital technology in daily life and the implications that has on the future of work and data security will require more international cooperation, not less, Ms. Merkel said. But she acknowledged that nobody knows how to wri...
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Will we need another ‘Oppenheimer moment’ to take action on AGI and Human Genome Editing? Who is Mission Control for Humanity’?
Guest post by TFA Curator Petervan In Gerd’s recent podcast with Matt Ward from Disruptors.fm, he discussed a theme from last book Technology vs. Humanity called the Megashifts i.e. the 10 most important disruptive forces we need to investigate, such as datafication, virtualisation, automation and cognification. As context to these exponential changes coming towards us, Gerd mentions what he … Continue reading "Will we need another ‘Oppenheimer moment’ to take action on AGI and Human Genome Editing? Who is Mission Control for Humanity’?"
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New podcast: a conversation about Chapter 1 of Gerd Leonhard’s book Technology vs Humanity: a prologue to the Future
This is #1 of a new weekly podcast featuring every chapter in my book Technology vs Humanity. In the first chapter titled “A Prologue to the Future”, I indicate that we are halfway through the century’s second decade and at a critical pivot point in technology evolution, a hinge moment when change will not only … Continue reading "New podcast: a conversation about Chapter 1 of Gerd Leonhard’s book Technology vs Humanity: a prologue to the Future"
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Gerd Leonhard’s latest newsletter just went live: practical wisdoms from the future (announcing Digital Ethics focus)
Read more, and subscribe here I have been very fortunate that my 2016 book ‘Technology vs. Humanity’has been successful beyond my wildest dreams. Many memes from the book – such as #DigitalEthics and of #techvshuman – have spread far and wide around the globe. Most of all my recent talks have been on these topics, already (be sure to watch my … Continue reading "Gerd Leonhard’s latest newsletter just went live: practical wisdoms from the future (announcing Digital Ethics focus)"
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New video: proposing a Global Digital Ethics Council
… it’s time to incorporate the negative externalities of exponential technological progress into EVERY digital business model!
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Is AI a danger for Humanity? Well… it’s complicated!
In an interesting display of “Yes, No, It’s complicated”, three Indian researchers reflect whether AI is a danger for humanity. In the YES-camp, the key argument evolves around the almost exclusive focus of AI on one particular aspect of human beings: the calculative capacity. The result are (artificial) intelligences at the service of corporations with … Continue reading "Is AI a danger for Humanity? Well… it’s complicated!"
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The very first edition of my Digital Ethics newsletter is now available!
This is a new collaboration with TFA’s new curator PeterVan. Subscribe here. Read the first issue here.
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New video excerpt from my keynote at Netapp Insight 2018: with great power comes great responsibility #digitalethics
Download these videos via gerd.cloud Watch the complete keynote on my Youtube channel Netapp 2018-Gerd-Leonhard-Futurist-Gerd-on-Stage-Power-And-Responsibility. 50MB MP4 download
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New podcast with Matt Ward: Megashifts, AI and Why the Future is More Unknowable than Ever
read more here You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: The evolution of AI and dangers of AGI Why Europe has to lead the way on privacy, data and consumer rights Why Gerd believes we need a moratorium on the future of artificial general intelligence The … Continue reading "New podcast with Matt Ward: Megashifts, AI and Why the Future is More Unknowable than Ever"
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The currency of humanity (Joi Ito’s Practice of Change)
In late 2018, Joi Ito, Director MIT Media Lab presented his draft Phd. dissertation on the “Practice of Change“. Organised in 6 chapters, he articulates how to intervene in complex systems. It’s a fascinating, long and deep read on how to keep our humanity at heart in this fast changing world. What is refreshing in … Continue reading "The currency of humanity (Joi Ito’s Practice of Change)"
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Futurist Gerd Leonhard announces updated mission statement, new 2019 speaking topics: focus on digital ethics and the future of humanity
January 5, 2019 Greetings everyone, and Happy New Year! It’s been almost 17 years that I started giving talks and presentations on the future, and it’s been an amazing adventure – one that I plan to turn into a new book in 2019 (stay tuned via Twitter) I’ve done more than 1700 engagements (keynotes, talks, … Continue reading "Futurist Gerd Leonhard announces updated mission statement, new 2019 speaking topics: focus on digital ethics and the future of humanity"
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The Anti-Human Religion of Silicon Valley – Douglas Rushkoff – Medium must-read!!
“The anti-human agenda of technologists might not be so bad — or might never be fully realized — if it didn’t dovetail so neatly with the anti-human agenda of corporate capitalism. Each enables the other, reinforcing an abstract, growth-based sc...
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A Conversation about AI, with Rudy Rucker (Voices of AI podcast)
“one of Wolfram's points has been that any natural process can embody universal computation. Once you have universal computation, it seems like in principle, you might be able to get intelligent behavior emerging even if it's not programmed. So ...
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How Much of the Internet Is Fake (via NY Mag)
“What’s gone from the internet, after all, isn’t “truth,” but trust: the sense that the people and things we encounter are what they represent themselves to be. Years of metrics-driven growth, lucrative manipulative systems, and unregulated plat...
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Tim Renner & Gerd Leonhard Beitrag in „Die Welt”. Wacht auf! Mensch, Technologie und die Zukunft der Politik (MIT VIDEO) German / French
Erschienen am 11.8.2018 in DIE WELT (Achtung: Paywall). Post auf RennerLeonhard.com ansehen. FRENCH translation by Goethe Institut Kanada Update: jetzt mit Video; Science Fiction wird zu Science Fact Von Tim Renner und Gerd Leonhard Wacht auf, Verdammte dieser Erde! Die Zukunft kommt. Sie kommt sogar sehr schnell. Zwar sehen wir noch keine Roboter auf der … Continue reading "Tim Renner & Gerd Leonhard Beitrag in „Die Welt”. Wacht auf! Mensch, Technologie und die Zukunft der Politik (MIT VIDEO) German / French"
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Neue Video-Serie: Tim Renner und Gerd Leonhard – Lasst uns über die Zukunft reden (6 Videos)
Tim Renner und Gerd Leonhard im Gespräch – 6 wöchentliche Episoden Was müssen Politiker über die Zukunft wissen? Wie könnte die Politik wieder bessere Zukunftsvisionen entwicklen und das Thema Zukunft nicht weiterhin den globalem Technologieunternehmen überlassen? Wie wird sich Politik, Demokratie und Gesellschaft in den nächsten 10 Jahren verändern, und was müssen wir tun um … Continue reading "Neue Video-Serie: Tim Renner und Gerd Leonhard – Lasst uns über die Zukunft reden (6 Videos)"
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New video: my keynote at Netapp Insight 2018 in Barcelona: the future is driven by data but defined by humanity (amazing stage & screen!)
Download the slides used in this presentation: Gerd Leonhard driven by data defined by humanity netapp Barcelona insights PUBLIC-print Download the MP4 Thanks to Netapp for making this video available. Find out more about this event here. In a world where technological progress is exceedingly exponential and combinatorial, how will we define what is human, … Continue reading "New video: my keynote at Netapp Insight 2018 in Barcelona: the future is driven by data but defined by humanity (amazing stage & screen!)"
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