Gerd Leonhard
Futurist / Humanist, Keynote Speaker, CEO The Futures Agency, Author of 'Technology vs Humanity', Film-Maker
Biografie
Gerd is an avid futurist but also a passionate humanist; a philosopher and musician by training, as well as an early internet entrepreneur. He believes that technology can do amazing things, and that we should embrace it – but he also thinks we must urgently protect what makes us human. Gerd often points out that technology does not have ethics, that it is morally neutral until we use it (riffing-off W. Gibson), and that we need to invest as much in humanity than we invest in technology.
And that all breakthrough-technologies can be used both for human advancement, as well as to our detriment. To ensure that human flourishing remains the primary goal of all scientific and technological advances as we enter this era of exponential progress, we must evaluate, frame and govern technology wisely. Societies are driven by their technology but defined by their humanity!
Inzetbaarheid
Spreker
Over the past two decades Gerd Leonhard has risen to one of the top 10 futurist keynote speakers worldwide. He has performed at over 1500 engagements in 50+ countries, and boasts a global audience of over 2.5 million people. Gerd’s client list includes most Fortune 500 companies as well as many governments and NGOs. He is a leading global influencer in the field of digital ethics.
Gerd has written five books, including the best-selling ‘Technology vs Humanity’ (2016) - now available in 10 languages. Gerd’s films on the future of technology and humanity, digital transformation and artificial intelligence have reached millions of viewers. His pioneering keynote presentations use animations, video and audio in fascinating new ways.
Reviews:
“Working with Gerd was an excellent experience, and he definitely pushed our executives’ thinking forward. Not only did he outline major technological and societal trends affecting our business, he did so in a way that was engaging and personal.”
Adam Carroll, Inter Public Group
“Gerd Leonhard distinguishes from other futurists trough his emphaisis on the human factor in the story between man and machine. While some focus on predicting what technology will bring soon, he actively searches a positive story for humanity and he clearly sets limits on technology.”
Kristoff Vandermeersch, HR Expo
“Eye-opening, thought-provoking, brilliant….. Gerd’s visionary speech challenges the very core of our beliefs, he can link seemingly unrelated trends and deliver a presentation in engaging and entertaining fashion.”
Dana Kršaková, Michal Ivantyšyn, ITAPA Slovakia
“Gerd came in remotely and lit up our Conference, everyone was talking about his thought provoking insights throughout the rest of the day!”
Jeremy Hope, Huawei
Literatuur
Friction is Fiction
In this book published in 2010 (!) Gerd shares his thoughts on the Future of Content, Media and Business. The book’s central meme is that the Internet has completely disrupted the traditional notion of generating higher income by simply taking advantage of possible friction points and hurdles within transactions or business processes, i.e. by controlling the ‘people formerly known as consumers’.
The future of business
The Future of Business explores how the commercial world is being transformed by the complex interplay between social, economic and political shifts, disruptive ideas, bold strategies and breakthroughs in science and technology. Over 60 contributors from 21 countries explore how the business landscape will be reshaped by factors as diverse as the modification of the human brain and body, 3D printing, alternative energy sources, the reinvention of government, new business models, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and the potential emergence of the Star Trek economy. For more information and to access exclusive content, visit Fast Future Publishing.
The Future of Music
From the Music Research Institute at Berklee College of Music comes a manifesto for the ongoing music revolution. David Kusek and Gerd Leonhard. Published in 2005 the book explores challenging aspects of the music business, discovering the changes, technologies, innovation and powerful trends that are affecting its future. What will happen to the way we consume music. Anyone who is planning to listen to music from shiny pieces of plastic in the future will be in for a big shock. Some may find this book controversial while others will consider it prophesy. No matter where this revolution begins or ends, the industry must learn to respect and react to its consumers.
The Future of Content
This short Kindle book is a highly curated collection of the most important essays and blog posts gerd has written on this topic, and even though some of it was written as far back as 2007 it still holds water years later.
Topics
Finally, climate change has become a dominant narrative in every business, every industry and every country. 2020 will mark the year when we‘ll see some real action on addressing climate change. Get ready...
Trust isn’t digital. Machines don’t do relationships. Happiness is not a download, and it can’t be automated or digitized. These memes have been all over my talks for years, and have now become an official 2020 speaking topic...
The first Renaissance was a European movement away from feudal and religious dogmas to human artistry and independent thinking, led by polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci. Today we need a new Renaissance...
I think we have reached peak 'digital transformation' - if you haven't heard about why you and your business need to 'go digital' or 'transform into a digital organisation' you may have lived under a rock during the past 5 years:)
Automation will have more impact on work and jobs than globalisation. Smart machines and software will likely handle between 40-60% of all repetitive and routine tasks in the next 10-15 years. Yet the End of Routine is NOT the end of human work...
