Jack Uldrich | AI & Human Evolution

It’s clear that artificial intelligence is going to be one of the most powerful forces shaping the future of humanity and the planet today and over the next two decades. Much of the AI discourse is negative or dystopian themed. Far too little AI news is highlighting how the planet’s problems and the challenges humans face can be solved.

In this conversation, futurist Jack Uldrich paints a picture of how we can collectively benefit from the advancements in artificial intelligence. Given the moving target of forecasting the future, Jack provides AI scenarios that he is 99% certain will occur, 75% certain, and 50% certain. He even provides a few scenarios that have a 25% — and even a 1% — chance of happening.

Jack says that we will see great leaps in diagnosing cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease sooner. He is optimistic that AI can be used to address the effects of climate change and greatly assist in the pursuit of nuclear fusion. In what is becoming known as the “compressed century” - where there will be a century’s worth of change in just a decade, Jack points out that “AI is doubling in capacity and capability every seven months” which means that the capabilities of AI in six years could be a thousand times more powerful than they are today.

Jack doesn’t see AI as a panacea. He points out that there will be job losses because of AI. He says that trust could be further eroded as a result of AI-generated deep fakes and fake news. He also points out that the “internet is broken” as we move from “social media to social production.” The conversation ends with Jack sharing his ideas around how purpose, faith, and trust will grow in importance to cope with the disruption AI is certain to bring.

Jack Uldrich is a well-recognized global futurist, speaker, and the author of thirteen books, including a number of award-winning best sellers. He is a frequent speaker on technology, change management and leadership and has addressed hundreds of corporations, associations and not-for-profit organizations on five continents. He regularly makes television appearances on PBS’s Frontline, the Science Channel, and the Discovery Channel, and is a frequent guest on major media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, Fox and National Public Radio.