Future Tech And Foresight

What is a futurist, how can we best think about the future, and how do we overcome our collective sense of future shock? My guest Richard Watson and I dive into a detailed megatrends map that Richard put together as a way of helping to navigate the current and coming disruptions that will impact all of us. Richard's Tools for thinking about the future: https://nowandnext.com/thinking-tools/Timeline of emerging Science and technology: https://nowandnext.com/PDF/Timeline%20of%20Emerging%20Science%20and%20Technology.pdfTable of Disruptive Technologies: https://nowandnext.com/PDF/Table%20of%20Disruptive%20Technologies.pngMegatrends and Technologies till 2050: https://nowandnext.com/PDF/Mega%20Trends%20and%20Technologies%202017-2050%20(Web).pngBook on aeging population demographics: https://www.biblio.com/book/extra-time-cavendish-camilla/d/1383632216?aid=frg&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsIejBhDOARIsANYqkD0iK_qHf7W-cmaSNxMCEeDLzu39_Lj0ejJk5vvzSA3q9AWd29qgbGwaAgdsEALw_wcB About The guest Richard Watson is a futurist speaker, author and scenario thinker who helps organisations to think further ahead, especially about emerging growth opportunities and risks. Richard has worked with the Tech Foresight Practice at Imperial College London and London Business School and is co-founder, along with philosopher Professor Roger Steare and strategist Nick Turner, of Thinking Allowed, a 24-hour retreat from the non-stop noise of working life. Richard is also the author of five best-selling books, including Digital Vs. Human. He is currently Futurist-in-Residence at the Entrepreneurship Centre at the Judge School at Cambridge University. Website: nowandnext.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-watson-883b1327 Timecodes: 00:03:45 - Interview Begins 00:07:34 - Are futurists too focused on technology? 00:09:16 - Is the future constructed or is it determined? 00:13:02 - Are we all experiencing future shock? 00:15:42 - How should a futurist help organizations? 00:20:22 - Does taking the reigns of the future remove future shock? 00:25:23 - Which megatrends are the most relevant today? 00:29:08 - How much impact will a decline in the birth rate be? 00:33:07 - Unique tech and trends that most people haven't heard of...yet 00:41:13 - The negative ramifications of Brain Machine Interfaces 00:45:27 - A return to focusing on people rather than just profit 00:46:09 - Are most people aware of the tech and megatrends coming their way? 00:50:12 - Is it even worth understanding what the future might be like for the average person? 00:54:05 - Is Richard optimistic about the future? 00:54:58 - Conclusion and how to reach Richard

What is AutoGPT and how can it and other AI agents be used? What impact will they have in the future and why is regulation so important now with these new tools? TimeCodes: 00:00:32 - Episode begins 00:02:14 - What is AutoGPT and Baby AGI 00:04:59 - Applications of AutoGPT 00:08:00 - Impact of AutoGPT 00:12:59 - Why regulation is needed now more than ever 00:19:52 - Limitations of AI agents

Over the last few months now the excitement and fear of generative AI has been part of most technology discussions. Whether you think we should go full speed ahead and unleash the potential of ChatGPT and its future versions for the benefits we can reap, or you think we have opened Pandora’s box and should now try to contain it as much as we can, AI, the future of work, and technology’s impacts have been front and center. About The Guest: I read an article from today’s guest that detailed exactly one of these concerns, namely the impact that AI is having on our ability to collaborate and learn, and how it may be signaling the end of our collective knowledge. Peter Nixey is an engineer, designer and occasional investor. He exited his first San Francisco, YC-funded startup and over the years, has been both an Angel investor (including three unicorns) and a Venture Partner. He’s now building Intentional.io, a day planner that helps you ensure that more of what you hope to get done actually does get done. In our discussion Peter and I discuss the issue regarding collecting knowledge but also address many of the other potential problems and benefits that this new wave of AI is likely to bring about. I personally was so into the conversation that I lost track of the time so unfortunately our conversation ends relatively abruptly but nevertheless we were able to cover the most important points. Timecodes: 00:01:09 Introduction 00:03:45 Interview Begins 00:08:09 What is Stackoverflow and why is it important 00:10:49 Tangible Benfits of using StackOverflow 00:13:08 How has GPT-4 changed Stackoverflow? 00:17:07 How are developers now using Stackoverflow? 00:17:57 Why is GPT-4 bad for the future of programming? 00:26:47 Will AI remove collaborative knowledge in other areas? 00:31:40 Are we becoming hyperdependant on AI? 00:28:02 Are becoming hyperdependant on AI? 00:36:21 The social consequences of being dependant on AI 00:41:56 Will AI come to dominate our civilization? 00:43:08 Thought on Elon Musk's request to pause AI development 00:48:03 Will there be signs of AI's 'breaking out' of their safety programs? How quickly can AI go wrong? 00:55:14 Should AI development be made illegal? 00:56:34 End of conversation

If you’ve ever wanted an overview of what the fusion industry currently is dealing with, beyond the complex technological aspects, my guest and I clearly lay out a number of the challenges and opportunities, as well as giving a much more positive outlook than what the intro clip alludes to. About The Episode So this week’s intro was a clip pulled from the sci-fi show The man who fell to earth, where one of the characters is listing off some of the more negative repercussions of instant fusion adoption on a global scale. Now I’ve covered nuclear energy in previous episodes, and even looked at things like the Thorium reactors as being a possible alternative. But I’ve wanted to cover fusion for a long time, mainly due to the massive scale of the implications, both positive and negative, when it is finally achieved, compared to almost any other emerging or upcoming future technology. And with the relatively recent breakthrough of the fusion ignition that happened in 2022 creating a newfound buzz around fusion, I think it’s the perfect time to get a look at this fascinating technology, where the industry currently is, and what might the next 10 years look like.  About The Guest To explain these ideas and many more, my guest this week is Andrew Holland, the CEO of the Fusion Industry Association. At the FIA, he advocates for the emerging private fusion industry before Congress, the White House, regulators, international bodies, and governments around the world.  He’s the author of the report, “Fusion Power – A 10 Year Plan for American Energy Security,” first published in 2013, laying out a roadmap for American leadership in fusion, which you’ll hear more about in today’s epsiode.  He also previously led the American Security Project's energy and climate work, rising to lead the organization as Chief Operating Officer and worked in the U.S. Senate as Energy and Environmental Policy Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel.  If you’ve ever wanted an overview of what the fusion industry currently is dealing with, beyond the complex technological aspects, Andrew clearly lays out a number of the challenges and opportunities, as well as giving a much more positive outlook than what the intro clip alludes to.  FTI Website: https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/ Andrew's Paper: https://www.americansecurityproject.org/fusion-white-paper-2014-10-year-plan-for-american-energy-security/ TimeCodes: 00:01:39 - Intro 00:04:16 - Interview Begins 00:08:11 - What is the current state of the Fusion Industry? 00:11:15 - Similarities between the New Space Industry and Fusion 00:14:41 - What will be the impacts of fusion energy? 00:19:27 - Main challenges for the fusion Industry 00:21:30 - How does the USA fusion industry compare to other countries? 00:24:31 - What is the importance of the ITER project in Europe? 00:31:49 - What does the recent Fusion Ignition breakthrough mean? 00:36:04 - How Important is the recent breakthrough for the future of the fusion industry? 00:39:32 - Fusion is no longer just a distant dream, it can be achieved 00:40:30 - How the Fusion Industry Association is supporting Fusion to happen 00:41:53 - What do the next 10 years mean for the Fusion Industry? 00:46:52 - How is AI impacting the Fusion Industry and Science development? 00:49:25 - Overlap between AI and Fusion Investments 00:50:08 - Andrews Vision of the future impacts for commercial fusion energy 00:56:05 - How to get in touch with Andrew

There’s an entire other side of Neurotech that isn’t invasive, where you simply put on a wearable device to get the benefits of neurofeedback. But what kind of benefits can be obtained? And what kind of devices are out there? Dr. Cody Rall come onto the podcast to give more of an insight into what this technology can do, what benefits it can provide, and how it may be used in the future. About The Guest: Cody Rall is an ABPN board certified Navy trained Psychiatrist and a founding partner and former Media Director for Stanford Brainstorm. He was a former board member of The American Psychiatric Association's Annual Psychiatry Innovation Lab. He completed his obligation to the U.S. Navy in July 2021 and is now pursuing the use of Brain Computer Interface technologies for mental health. He is the founder of Techforpsych, a media and relations company that covers advancements in technology related to neuroscience and mental health treatment.  Tech For Psych Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMIs6RbQ1sAr_RmYyfc4iQg Website: https://www.techforpsych.com/ 00:01:02 - Introduction 00:02:51 - Discussion Begins 00:05:24 - How does non-invasive neurotech work? 00:07:53 - How have Neurotech devices improved over the last 10 years? 00:10:04 - What are the applications of Neurotech? 00:13:17 - AI's impact on neurotech 00:15:58 - Concerns about Neurotech going forward 00:20:20 - How should neurotech be regulated and what kind of regulations are on the horizon? 00:21:57 - What kind of personal benefits can you experience from using this tech? 00:26:25 - Some limitations of neurotech 00:30:26 - How is neurotech beneficial for companies? 00:36:59 - What application/device is currently getting the most attention 00:38:56 - Generative Ai's impact on Neurotech part 2 00:02:28 - What will AI's impact be on BCI? 00:45:15 - The Future of Neurotech

This episode will give a bird's eye view on how this arms race came about, what’s happening in the race today, who the main players are, what the technologies can be applied to, and give some thoughts on where we might be headed with this undeniably powerful and exciting technology….and yes…much of this will have been written or at least influenced by ChatGPT. Check out the shownotes on the website for sources embedded in the transcript: https://futuretechandforesight.com/ Timecodes: 00:00:56 - Podcast Begins 00:03:06 - History of Generative AI 00:06:02 - Current AI Arms Race 00:11:29 - Text to Image 00:14:42 - Text to video 00:16:19 - The power of GPT-4 00:17:48 - GPT-4 Applications 00:21:11 - The Future Impacts of generative AI 00:22:21 - Job Loss 00:23:27 - AI Safety, Ethics, Bias 00:24:18 - Will AI increase cultural polarization? 00:26:04 - Will generative AI create an Existential Crisis? 00:30:24 - Why we should be hopeful for the future 00:31:35 - ChatGPT's summary of the AI Arms Race

An introduction to many, but a comprehensive overview of what Animal-Human Chimeras are, what their applications might be, what are the ethical complications that arise from their existence, and what is the future of this technology. Today's topic is something that I think most of us have only ever come across in science fiction media. Animal-Human Chimeras. I still remember the first time I saw a headline of these chimeras back in 2017, where some were created in a lab in China, and I immediately thought it had to be a joke, but with curiosity getting the better of me, I read a few sentences and stopped short being in a bit of a state of disbelief and shock. I’m sure the same questions of ethical complications, practical applications, and ‘has science gone too far?’ came floating through your mind as they did with me. Since that initial article though I’ve become more familiar with the topic, and therefore more curious about the usefulness of doing such strange and amazing work. And today I’m lucky enough to have a guest who not only dives into the possible applications of the science, but clearly lays out the many myriad issues related to creating such creatures. About The Guest Henry Greely, (Hank) specializes in the ethical, legal, and social implications of new biomedical technologies, particularly those related to genetics, assisted reproduction, neuroscience, or stem cell research. He chairs the steering committee for the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and directs both the law school’s Center for Law and the Biosciences and the Stanford Program in Neuroscience and Society. He is a professor (by courtesy) of genetics at Stanford School of Medicine, is the author of two books on related subjects and has numerous other accomplishments and relevant positions related to bioethics and emerging technologies.  Needless to say, Hank was more than informative on this fascinating topic, and I couldn’t have asked for a guest to paint a more comprehensive picture of the science, technology, impacts, and future of chimeras. Anyone who is hearing about Animal-Human Chimeras for the first time should hopefully by the end of the episode feel a mix of being amazed, terrified, informed and perhaps as one of my favourite professors used to say, “be confused at a higher level.”    Timecodes: 00:03:30 - Interview Begins. What is a Chimera? 00:05:14 - Hank's First Encounter with Chimeras (Around the year 2000) 00:09:08 - Why make early Mice Chimeras? 00:10:44 - History of Chimera creation 00:12:29 - Do human / non-human Chimeras exist today? 00:18:02 - The technologies that enable the creation of chimeras 00:20:20 - Potential Genetic Manipulations 00:23:32 - When will Chimera creation be successful 00:24:48 - Alternatives to using Chimeras 00:28:42 - What are the applications of created chimeras? 00:42:32 - Ethical Issues with Chimeras 00:52:55 - Will the power of technology shift our ethical standards? 00:58:24 - Final Thoughts 00:59:33 - Where does the term chimera come from? 01:02:10 -Hanks Contact Info and Interview End Sources & Links: Hank's Full Profile: https://law.stanford.edu/directory/henry-t-greely/ Hank's Twitter: https://twitter.com/HankGreelyLSJU Hank's e-mail: hgreely@stanford.edu Correction on the 3D printing organ company's name: https://futuretechandforesight.com/podcast/can-we-bioprint-human-hearts-and-other-organs-today/

In this podcast’s previous incarnation, VR and AR were discussed numerous times, especially as the podcast ran through the entire pandemic period and remote work and the future of collaboration was top of mind for many. In late 2021 however, with Facebook’s rebrand to Meta and their new focus shifting to more emerging horizons, The Metaverse became front and centre for many discussions. Most apparently, many asked what exactly is the metaverse, how will it work, who will own it etc etc. But, over the last year with Facebook tying their brand to the metaverse and in many people's mind the two becoming synonymous, when, let’s say hiccups in the quality, direction, and functionality of Facebook’s vision became apparent many of the previous questions asked turned into one, namely is the Metaverse already dead? To discuss the current and future viability of the Metaverse, and what it might mean for all of us if it comes to be, is my guest Dr Louis Rosenberg.  About The Guest: Louis is an early pioneer in the fields of virtual and augmented reality. His work began over thirty years ago in labs at Stanford and NASA where he worked on early VR vision systems. In 1992 he developed the first functional mixed reality system at Air Force Research Laboratory. In 1993 he founded the early virtual reality company Immersion Corporation which is still around today. In 2004 he founded the early augmented reality company Outland Research. He received his PhD from Stanford University, was a tenured professor at California State University, and has been awarded over 300 patents for VR, AR, and AI technologies. He's currently CEO of Unanimous AI. Timecodes:  00:00:46 - Introduction    00:03:25 - Interview Begins    00:07:31 - How the Dotcom crash created a metaverse 'winter'    00:10:02 - What is the Metaverse?    00:15:55 - Technical barriers and challenges    00:24:39 - Negative impacts of a functional metaverse    00:38:50 - An open source metaverse?    00:49:05 - Policy needs for the future of the metaverse    00:52:07 - The Responsible Metaverse Alliance    00:54:27 - Get in touch with louis    00:56:59 - How to support the podcast Sources and Links:  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-rosenberg-025851132/ Venturebeat articles: https://venturebeat.com/author/louis-rosenberg-unanimous-a-i/ Big Think Articles: https://bigthink.com/people/louis-rosenberg/ Responsible metaverse Alliance: https://responsiblemetaverse.org/ XR Safety Initiative: https://xrsi.org/ Metaverse Safety Week: https://metaversesafetyweek.org/ 

Brain-Machine-Interface, also known more generally as Neurotech. Popularized by Elon Musk's Neuralink, and one of the most influential technologies that led to the podcast’s rebranding and re-focus on a more general set of emerging and future technologies is what we’ll be looking at today. What is it, what can it do, and what are it's applications and impacts? Both current and future.  About The Guest: My guest David Moses is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California San Francisco, as part of the Edward Chang Lab. He has numerous publications that deal with how machine learning is able to decode speech from brain activity, and has been overseeing a lot of the research connected to one of the more high profile studies that deal with an implanted Brain Computer Interface device in a living human patient. Time Codes: 03:38 - General Summary of Neurotechnology 05:25 - Why AI is important for Neurotechnology 06:50 - Intro to David Moses 07:40 - Interview Begins 10:50 - David's Research on how to help a paralyzed patient 'speak' again using BCI tech.  16:25 - How BCI tech can improve 19:30 - Current Successful benefit of BCI tech for patients 21:00 - Invasive vs Non-invasive tech and will invasive tech still be relevant in 10 years 23:30 - What is exciting about BCI tech for the future? 26:40 - Will we be able to link to our digital technology and control it with our 'minds'? Links and Sources:  UCSF Profile and publications: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/david.moses Edward Chang Lab: https://changlab.ucsf.edu/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-moses-945a3894/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AtDavidMoses NPR article on David’s research: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/07/14/1016028911/experimental-brain-implant-lets-man-with-paralysis-turn-his-thoughts-into-words   

A wrap up of the last 100 episodes that have explored technological unemployment and what the future of automation means for us and our society.