Gerd Leonhard, interview with a futurist

Last week I had the pleasure of listening to Gerd Leonhard at South Summit 2018 and buying a signed copy of his book, “Future of Humanity”. The talk was very good, in line with what we had already published, but I especially liked the interview of El País Retina with devastating quotes:

We have about ten years to decide how we want to be (humans) in the future.

I wouldn’t denied the possibility of any country to create a supersoldier using 100 million genomes.

We can’t sit back and watch China develop a genome editing program and then try to negotiate with them.

We must focus on being very human. I would prefer my son to go to India for three months and interact with a lot of different people than getting an MBA.

I also want to highlight this question and Leonhard’s answer about the creation of a Global Ethics Committee:

How should we manage these 50 years which, at the very least, remain until general AI arrives?

We need a moratorium on the development of technology as a weapon, as already exists, for example, with nuclear weapons. Artificial intelligence, genome editing and genetic engineering have a lot to contribute to the world, but we must make sure that they are not used for evil. These technologies are now out of control, companies can research whatever they want. The genome can help us eradicate cancer and the world is sure to be better with AI, but it is up to us not to cross the red line.

I propose the creation of a Digital Ethics Committee, a global organisation dedicated to thinking professionally about what we should and shouldn’t do and trying to get us to agree on simple rules of operation. For example, that if we automate we pay a tax, so that we can make people learn another job. Nor should we use machines as weapons or let them control themselves, for example to kill. I think we could all agree on that.

I would like to be a part of it and empower it! What do you think?

#365daysof #futurism #humanity #AI #transhumanism #day226