Gerd Leonhard

Gerd Leonhard – “For the Human Future”

Gerd Leonhard is a futurist, humanist and thought leader on the future of humanity and technology.** **He is regarded as one of the world’s leading futurists and keynote speakers. For more than two decades, he has explored the major technological, economic and societal transformations of our time – and the question of how we can actively shape the future ahead.

As a futurist, humanist, author and filmmaker, Gerd Leonhard connects Artificial Intelligence, exponential technologies and digital transformation with questions of ethics, work, education, sustainability and social responsibility.

His focus is not only on what technology will be capable of in the future, but on what technological progress means for humanity. His core belief: Technology should expand our possibilities – not replace our humanity.

He calls his vision “For the Human Future”: a liveable future in which technology serves people and the planet, and economic progress is combined with responsibility, sustainability and prosperity.

Gerd Leonhard Keynote Topics

• Navigating the Intelligence Revolution – Humans and Business in the Age of AI

We are at the beginning of a new technological era. Artificial Intelligence is evolving from a digital tool into a system that analyses, creates content, supports decisions and increasingly acts autonomously.

Gerd Leonhard shows how the “Intelligence Revolution” is transforming business models, leadership, work and society. What role remains for humans when intelligence is available almost everywhere? Which decisions should we delegate to machines – and which should remain firmly in human hands?

His message: The organisations that succeed will be those that combine technological intelligence with human capabilities.

• Androrithms – What Makes Humans Irreplaceable

The more powerful algorithms become, the more important the capabilities that define us as human become: empathy, intuition, creativity, imagination, values and judgement.

Gerd Leonhard calls these qualities “Androrithms” – the counterpart to algorithms.

Companies should therefore invest not only in better technologies, but just as consistently in human capabilities. The future is not about humans versus machines, but about intelligent collaboration between the two.

• Digital Ethics & AI Power – What Technology Can Do and What It Should Do

Not everything that is technologically possible should automatically be implemented.

Who is responsible for AI-driven decisions? Which tasks should machines be allowed to take over? How can we prevent an excessive concentration of technological power?

For Gerd Leonhard, digital ethics is becoming a central leadership responsibility. Alongside innovation and efficiency, organisations must think seriously about governance, responsibility and boundaries.

Technology has no morality of its own. Responsibility remains with humans.

• The Good Future – The Future Does Not Just Happen, We Shape It

Gerd Leonhard is convinced: A good future is possible.

Many of the technologies and scientific breakthroughs needed to address major challenges already exist. What matters is how we choose to use them.

Technological progress therefore needs direction, purpose and human values. Companies should measure success not only in terms of growth and efficiency, but also by their long-term contribution to society.

For Gerd Leonhard, the future is not destiny – it is something we are responsible for shaping.

• The Future of Europe – Europe’s Role in the New World Order

Artificial Intelligence, geopolitical power shifts and technological dependencies are forcing Europe to make fundamental strategic choices.

Gerd Leonhard calls for greater technological sovereignty, stronger innovation and closer European cooperation. Europe cannot simply adopt or regulate developments from the United States or China – it must shape its own future.

Democracy, humanism, sustainability and social cohesion can form the basis of a distinct European model for the future.

• The 5 Ps – People, Planet, Purpose, Peace & Prosperity

For decades, one “P” dominated the world of business: Profit.

Gerd Leonhard broadens this perspective to five dimensions: People, Planet, Purpose, Peace and Prosperity.

Technology and economic success should serve these goals. The 5 Ps provide a strategic compass for organisations that want to combine growth with social responsibility and sustainability.

• Future-Fit Learning, Education & New Work – Learning for a World with AI

As machines take over more and more routine tasks, we need to redefine the skills people will require in the future.

Creativity, critical thinking, empathy, communication, collaboration and the ability to ask the right questions are becoming increasingly important.

Gerd Leonhard shows how companies, schools and universities can rethink learning. Continuous development and lifelong learning are becoming strategic success factors in a world of work increasingly shaped by AI.

Gerd Leonhard Keynote Speaker & Author

Over the past 22 years, Gerd Leonhard has spoken at more than 2,000 conferences and events. His clients include Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, IBM, Google, Visa, Deloitte, Roche and Novartis, as well as the European Commission, the United Nations and WWF.

His keynotes combine futures thinking, technological expertise and humanism with powerful visuals, storytelling and clear, thought-provoking ideas. His so-called Super-Keynotes are highly visual experiences designed to give leaders orientation in a time of rapid change.

Gerd Leonhard is the author of five books. One of his best-known works is “Technology vs. Humanity – The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine”, in which he addressed many of the questions as early as 2016 that have become more relevant than ever with Generative AI and autonomous systems.

Who is Gerd Leonhard?

From professional artist to internet entrepreneur and author, and eventually to visionary thinker, speaker and CEO of The Futures Agency in Zurich. In 1985, he received the Quincy Jones Award from Berklee College of Music in Boston and subsequently worked for twelve years as a professional guitarist, composer and producer. He then entered what he himself describes as his internet phase and became an entrepreneur in digital music and media. From 1994 to 2004, he founded and served as CEO of several internet startups based in San Francisco. Following the bursting of the dot-com bubble and the crisis surrounding 9/11, Gerd Leonhard returned to Europe. There, he discovered his talent as a futurist and founded The Futures Agency in 2007, a global network of more than forty leading futurists, speakers and thought leaders.

Gerd Leonhard: “The future is already here – we just haven’t been looking closely enough!”

We are rushing headlong into a machine-led world in which our humanity is increasingly being challenged and called into question. Gerd Leonhard urges us to reflect on the human values we are prepared to stand up for – before the meaning of being human changes forever.

Gerd Leonhard travels around the world speaking at leading conferences, events and seminars. He helps individuals, companies and government organisations deal with “future shock” and actively shape the change they want to see. He was listed by Wired Magazine as one of Europe’s 100 most influential people and described by The Wall Street Journal as one of the world’s leading media futurists. He is also an influential author. He co-authored the visionary book “The Future of Music” and is the author of five additional books, including his bestseller “Technology vs. Humanity”, which is available in eleven languages.

Gerd Leonhard’s films on the future of technology and humanity, digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence have reached millions of viewers. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London and serves on the advisory boards of Indian and Canadian research institutes. He lives in Zurich and presents in both English and German.

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