Ever since Second Sight elected me as Futurist of the Year in 2013, resisting calling myself a futurist no longer made sense. Technology offers wonderful opportunities, yet it is not so easy to maximize its potential.
I am fascinated by Artificial Intelligence — I see this technology as the most powerful in the years to come. Yet the choice for what sort of AI or platform to use isn’t just technological. It’s also a geopolitical decision. It’s a decision that influences where your data goes, and what can be done with that data. The aspect of trust becomes important: who do you trust with your data?
If you decide you want to stop using a certain AI, removal of your data from that AI doesn’t suddenly make the AI dumber again: as soon as it has been able to use your data to learn and improve, the removal doesn’t reverse this effect. And as tech companies who’re busy with AI live in a ‘winner-takes-all market’, this access to data is of great importance.
AI has the potential to greatly influence our societies. It will lead to the disappearance of certain jobs. It’ll create others, too. The transition from the old jobs to new jobs takes time, as humans need time to master new skills. I see this transition process as one of the big challenges of our time, as AI has the potential to greatly increase inequality in our societies — and by that it can threaten our democracy. After all, our democracies rely on a certain degree of equality.
AI offers a plethora of opportunities and chances. And ethical dilemma’s. In order to determine where we want to go, we have to know what’s possible.
By discussing these aspects of AI, I get to culminate my formal education in Industrial Engineering, Geopolitics, Territory & Security, Exponential Technology and Ethics & Theology. Together with my 10+ years of entrepreneurial experience in IT startups, specifically focused on security, this allows me to take a broad perspective.
I keenly look at the interaction between AI and healthcare, and how this may affect our psyche and our way of living. The intersection between AI, neuro technology and robotics is very promising. Augmented reality offers great opportunities too. What are the ways that the interplay between AI and humans can enhance our way of living?
Security and AI are a very interesting combination. The security industry relies on AI for recognizing potential threats, for example. Yet AI can also be used to fool the AI systems recognizing vulnerabilities. What are the opportunities and threats for AI in the security field? What should we watch out for? How could criminals turn to AI to seek for potential misuse?
I discuss the impact of technology on society. What sort of activities should we, or should we not want to move to AI? What are the fields of work most at risk of being displaced? And should we even want that?
I’ve spoken for countless groups and organizations for inspiring them to discover their future direction.
Contact me, and I’d happily discuss how I can help you as well.
