“We will only get to humanity 2.0 by using the very best of humanity 1.0. Which part of our current values do we want to uphold and which are no longer appropriate in the new society.” David Wood


E35 – DAVID WOOD ON AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE), ETHICS AND TECHNOLOGY

SUSTAINABLE SUPERABUNDANCE OR A NEW DARK AGE FOR HUMANITY?


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About this interview:

What must we understand today to make good choices about the technologies of tomorrow?

In this episode, Amisha sits down with futurist, technologist, and author David Wood. David was among the earliest pioneers of mobile phone software, working at Psion in 1988 – 7 years prior to the advent of the world wide web.

He speaks of the rollercoaster ride of working in an emerging industry and the challenge of anticipating the implications of his work. He relates his experience, and the experiences of senior executives at the likes of Apple and Facebook – who now prevent their children from accessing the technology they have created – to understanding of the impact of emerging technologies on the lives of generations to come.

He tells why we cannot leave the setting of appropriate limits and ethical codes around technology to the corporations who produce it, why we must engage with and improve the conversations we have about the future and why we cannot always trust our instincts to guide us in these matters.

David explains how soap operas can help open our minds to new ways of living, points out the glaring inaccuracies in The Terminator movies that dangerously distort our perspective on artificial intelligence and why AI in the future is unlikely to develop a hatred for humanity but could very feasibly wipe us out.

Together David and Amisha discuss the human aspects of our future world. They dive into the ethics and morality of technological development, how we might need to adapt to live in a world with no work for humans and what we need to be learning today to be well-equipped for tomorrow. Finally we take a glimpse into two possible future scenarios for our planet and what it will take to achieve the beautiful future that is on offer.

David shares insights into the rapid rate at which AI and biotechnology are developing. He reveals how we may have the tools to remake ourselves as superhumans within our lifetimes, or even within the next 10 years – reversing the degeneration of our physical bodies and connecting to the internet from our subconscious minds.

“I think the sustainable superabundance is about 60% likely and the new dark age is about 35% likely but that probability is far too high for me to stay quiet about it. I want people to know about it….Certainly with an awareness of the shadow we can move into the brilliance of the sunlight.” ~ David Wood

David Wood has spent 25 years envisioning, architecting, designing, implementing, and avidly using smart mobile devices. As one of the pioneers of the smartphone industry, he co-founded Symbian, the creator of the world’s first successful smartphone operating system, and served on the leadership teams of Psion Software and Symbian from 1996-2009. 2010 to 2013, David was Technology Planning Lead (CTO) of Accenture Mobility, leading the global team that identified and oversaw staged investments to create assets using emerging or fast-changing mobile technologies. He now acts as independent futurist, consultant, and writer, at Delta Wisdom and chair of London Futurists.

 

To find out more about David, find him on X (fka Twitter) @dw2

To connect or work with Amisha, visit www.amisha.co.uk  


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