Kai-Fu Lee is one of the world’s leading AI experts and a bestselling author. He founded Microsoft Asia’s research lab that has trained CTOs and AI heads at Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba and Huawei. As President of Google China he helped establish the company in the Chinese market. And now, as CEO of Sinovation Ventures, he is investing in China’s high-tech sector, giving him a unique perspective on how AI is set to change our world over the next 20 years. On September 22 Lee came to Intelligence Squared to explain how AI is at an inflection point and urged us to wake up to its radiant possibilities as well as to the existential threats it poses to life as we know it. In conversation with Kamal Ahmed, former Editorial Director of the BBC, he discussed his new work of ‘scientific fiction’, AI 2041, co-authored with the celebrated novelist Chen Qiufan. The book offers up eye-opening scenarios of our techno-future – from a teenage girl’s rebellion when AI gets in the way of romance to a rogue quantum computer scientist’s revenge plot that imperils the world. To buy his new book AI 2041 with the Intelligence Squared discount click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/ai-2041-ten-visions-for-our-future-kai-fu-lee-chen-qiufan/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sci-fi writer Chen Qiufan envisions a future where artificial intelligence enhances our lives rather than diminishes them. He predicts extraordinary advancements over the next 20 years, aiming for healthier and safer living. Chen explores life in 2041, where technology aids in navigating ongoing challenges like pandemics. He also highlights the innovative concept of digital twins, allowing historical figures to be experienced as virtual characters. His belief? Imagining a positive future is the first step towards creating it.