Podcasts about futurists

Can a company use AI to be capable of infinite adaptability?  Brian Solis and Dave Wright believe that right approach to deploying AI in large enterprises is a two-model process, first to find efficiency and create savings, and second, to invest those savings into accelerated innovation. In their new book Infinite, Brian and Dave cite successful case studies to show AI can help business leaders accomplish things that were never previously possible.  Rob Tercek interviewed Dave and Brian to extract the key points for listeners of The Futurists podcast.  

In an un-siloed world where public spaces face evolving threats, Kirk Rose and Sergio Lechuga detail how intentional design, community trust, and “invisible layers” protect people without building prisons. This is only a part of what makes HMC Architects a people-focused firm and one built for the future. he Convo By Design Icon Registry is presented by Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home. In this follow-up conversation, I attempt to anchor a deep dive into the changing nature of safety and security in architectural design. Kirk Rose (Healthcare Practice Leader at HMC Architects) and Sergio Lechuga (Director of Interior Design at HMC Architects). The dialogue builds upon a previous conversation to explore how architects, acting as true futurists who design structures to last 75 to 150 years must proactively engineer spaces for unthinkable modern threats. From emergency room protocols to K-12 campus layouts and civic centers, Kirk and Sergio break down how rigid, intrusive security (like airport-style metal detectors) can erode human experience and mental well-being. Instead, they champion an approach of subtle, “porous” architectural layers and operational human protocols. The trio bridges these heavy commercial insights with residential realities, concluding that real safety relies heavily on human awareness, technological adaptation, and the ultimate luxury: a connected community. And this is just partly why the entire HMC Architects firm are inductees for the month of August, 2026 in Convo By Design Icon Registry presented by Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home. Architects as Futurists vs. Designers: Josh establishes that while interior designers typically plan for 5-to-25-year cycles (allowing for aesthetic refreshes), architects must project safety, utility, and durability 100+ years into the future. The Psychology of Security: Walking through metal detectors or staring through barred windows drastically alters a child’s or a patient’s state of mind. Sergio explains how HMC organizes K-12 buildings to act as a natural perimeter courtyard, eliminating the need for aggressive fencing while maintaining clear sightlines and controlled points of access. The Fallibility of the Metal Detector: Kirk highlights a counterintuitive healthcare trend: many public hospitals are actively removing physical metal detectors. Because weapons can be bypassed or thrown over gates, facilities rely instead on roving security, trained staff, and strict internal “back-of-house” zoning accessible only by keycard. The “Aleatory Space” & Community Trust: Drawing on an architectural concept of un-owned public property (aleatory space), the guests argue that the true front line of residential security isn’t just an automated floodlight or a ring camera—it is genuine rapport and old-fashioned communication between neighbors. High-Tech Human Interventions: Kirk shares sophisticated backend systems used in modern maternal wards, such as infrared infant abduction systems paired with “delayed egress” alarms. These systems demonstrate that effective security is always a blend of automated tech and rapid human operational protocol. Security as the New Ultimate Luxury: Pre-pandemic design focused heavily on air, water, and sound quality. Today, Josh and the guests observe a market evolution where invisible, seamless security infrastructure has officially shifted from an afterthought to a core luxury expectation. Featured Architecture Firm: Learn more about regional planning, K-12 innovations, and evidence-based environment modeling at HMC Architects.

To understand the future, it's best to begin by studying the past. Jeff Jarvis returns to the Futurists to share a lively summary of the long arc of mass media, and he unpacks several valuable lessons for our present moment. Jeff's new book Hot Type provides a compelling account of the long struggle to mechanize typesetting, one invention at a time, including the many failures that led to other mechanical breakthroughs. The invention of the Linotype machine made print cheap, and thereafter society consumed far more printed works, paving a path for modern mass marketing and mass consumption. Rob Tercek and Jeff discuss the direct parallel between the economic impact of mass media 100 years ago and the current advent of AI and the commoditization of human cognition. Topics include Jevon's paradox, human-mechanical hybrids, unanticipated change versus technological determinism, a dozen parallels to our contemporary media economy, the importance of advertising and the attention economy, the advent of subscription sales of literature, a new definition of literacy.

In November 2025, the global techno-economy shifted subtly, then dramatically, as AI agents became viable additions to the workforce. Mark Pesce has documented these changes, what he refers to as “The Watershed”,  in a remarkable series of articles at https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/.  Pesce joins the Futurists to explain his perspective about how companies and work have changed forever. Pesce and Rob Tercek discuss the future of jobs for humans working alongside AI agents, and what happens when an  AI with compounding capability begins to set its own goals. Topics:  relative super intelligence versus AGI; The Bitter Lesson and what remains durable work for humans; private insurance markets as the mechanism for pricing AI risk, why governments will evade that measurement, and the dissolving boundaries that used to define corporations. 

This week on The Futurists we are joined by David Wood from the London Futurists, Rohit Telwar CEO of Fast Future, Andrew Grill the Actionable Futurist, and Dr. Julia Michelin, CEO/Founder and author of The Future of Dentistry. It's an all star cast as we delve into the forecasts for tomorrow with the impact of AI and longevity treatments being a key focus. We discuss collaborative intelligence, gene therapy, nanobots and AGI. It's a great discussion in the heart of London.

Marcus “Bellringer” Bell is a musical polymath: songwriter, producer and technological pioneer. His credits include collaborations with Beyoncé, Niki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, Timbaland and music featured by Amazon, HBO, Netflix. Marcus has used AI to generate tens of thousands of songs in multiple genres. He uses AI to design agents, personas, and new tools for musical expression and personal growth. He joins the Futurists to talk to Rob Tercek about AI and the creative process. 

Adrian Woolfson, the CEO and co-founder of the biotech company Genyro, joins the Futurists to chat about the audacious vision that animates his book On The Future of Species. Woolfson conceives of a Artificial Biological Intelligence that will unify diverse fields of genomic research into a new system that enables humans to design and create new species of life. According to Woofson, this marks an unprecedented moment on earth. For the first time ever, natural selection is no longer the only means for species to evolve. Humans can generate new life from first principles. This is true authorship of living organisms. Woolfson unpacks his grand concepts for host Robert Tercek in a lively discussion that spans synthetic biology, ethics, physics and the economics of food, medicine, health care and more.

This week when two Australian futurists walk into a pub in London…well, almost! This week host Brett King and fellow Aussie futurist Andrew Grill sit down for a discussion on what the future means. This is a mashup of The Futurists and the Digitally Curious podcast which Andrew hosts. The discussion that ensues is a wide-ranging debate on the future, how quickly and impactful AI will hit, and how we will adapt to rapid, unrelenting change.

Wayfound.AI is one of the most exciting new ventures in Silicon Valley. CEO Tatyana Mamut joins the Futurists to share her vision of the agentic company of the future, where AI agents supervise a swarm of  workforce comprised of subordinate agents, on behalf of human managers who cannot work 24×7. As a startup venture, Wayfound is a novel experiment in running a business almost entirely with an agentic workforce and just a handful of human employees. It's the ultimate “eat your own dog food” approach to building a product. Matmut brings a unique perspective to software product leadership as an economic anthropologist. She shares those views here. Anyone curious about the workforce of the future will find this episode fascinating. 

This week the three hosts Rob, Ross and Brett are back in the studio debating the likely turning point in Geopolitical history from the Iran War, the resultant energy crisis, combined with the emerging demand for energy and compute based on AI. The world is irreversibally changing and The Futurists bring their unique insights and grasp on superforecasting to the momentum for what is coming. 

In a week where:King Charles III visits the US.The US Supreme Court limits the Voting Rights Act, a Civil Rights-era law intended to protect minority voting power.Nigel Farage was given undisclosed £5m by crypto billionaire in 2024.A report UK stole 25m years of life and labour through slavery in Barbados alone.Elections throughout the UK will go down tomorrow.In Politics: (11:22) Palestine Action in Germany are getting similar treatment they got in the UK, setting the stage for a landmark trial that'll set a precedent for free speech in Germany. (Article By Hanno Hauenstein)In Environment: (25:41) The Indigenous peoples continue to live in the outskirts. But the Climate Crisis doesn't discriminate and it's punishing the Indigenous hard with little to no monetary support. (Article By Anita Hofschneider)In Music: (37:52) Gatekeeping in the arts is a perpetual battle that will go on forever. But with the control that DSPs and labels have, gatekeeping has changed significantly and deserves a fresh eye on the argument. (Article By Jon Tanners)Lastly, in Life: (54:03) Archiving is typically seen as a past-tense concept, which is correct of course, but it should also be seen as a Futurist concept. (Article By Amahra Spence)Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?"Rate & ReviewE-Mail: the5thelelmentpub@gmail.comTwitter & IG: @The5thElementUKWebsite: https://the5thelement.co.ukPhotography: https://www.crt.photographyIntro Music - "Too Much" By VanillaInterlude - "Charismatic" By NappyHighChillHop MusicOther Podcasts Under The 5EPN:Diggin' In The Digits5EPN RadioBlack Women Watch...In Search of SauceThe Beauty Of Independence

In this week's Futurists episode Brett interviews bestselling author Igor Pejic on how AI and technology investment is changing valuations of defense industry players. Pejic is the author of Tech Money: A guide to the new game of technology investing. In this wide ranging conversation, Brett and Igor debate the implications of wars fought largely by AI and how tech-first defense players like Palantir, Anduril and others are changing the sector from an investment perspective.

Quit to win” is the unconventional advice given by entrepreneur Francesco Urso, who has written a book by that title. Urso explains to The Futurists how the best career strategy in a time of turmoil is to create your own company. In this episode, he explains how to surmount the barriers of fear and inertia, to quit your job and start a new venture.  

Steve Rosenbaum is an author and entrepreneur who co-founded the Sustainable Media Center, where he advocates for better protection for the users of abusive social media platforms. Now in his new book The Future of Truth: How AI Reshapes Reality, Steve turns his attention to the perils of a digital world defined by the funhouse mirror of machine intelligence. Steve acquaints the Futurists with the perils and potential of AI fragmenting audiences and distorting our collective understanding of subjective truth. 

Visualizing the interior of the human body has always presented a major challenge to caregivers. Most medical imaging techniques in use today were first introduced during the past fifty years. Today novel technologies for entertainment are being applied to healthcare. Michael Hollins of the University of Nebraska's iEXCEL Center joins the Futurists to explain how breakthroughs in imaging and simulation are used to train doctors, nurses, and first responders in the most advanced techniques in the US. For the first time in history, doctors can visualize their patients' complex metabolic systems at the molecular level. 

In this powerfully inspiring talk, Futurists co-founder Robert Tercek shares insights from his four years of collaboration with technologists to build artificial intelligence tools that empower artists to create cinematic stories. In February 2026, Tercek shared these remarks as the keynote speech at the annual meeting of the Hollywood Professionals Association, whose members include the heads of production for the major film studios, TV networks and streaming platforms. At a time when many professional filmmakers are worried about AI, Tercek provides a message of hope and positive change. AI for artists and storytellers is here. 

TrulySignificant.com brings back a favorite guest, author and futurist Marc Morgenstern. Read his books..The Soul of Deal Making...is our favorite. Here's why you should listen to Marc.Marc is significant because he reframes the concept of “deal making” from being purely transactional to being deeply relational, values-driven, and purpose-centered. Here's why that matters: 1. He Elevates Deal Making from Tactics to Character Most books on deal making focus on:Negotiation tacticsFinancial engineeringLegal structureCompetitive advantageMorgenstern shifts the conversation to:IntentIntegrityAlignment of valuesLong-term relationship healthHis central idea is that great deals are not won — they are built. And they are built on trust, clarity, and shared purpose. 2. He Connects Business with Soul The “soul” in Soul of Deal Making represents:AuthenticityMoral groundingEmotional intelligenceRespect for all stakeholdersThis is especially significant in an era when:Short-term wins often override long-term sustainabilityDeals can damage reputations if misalignedLeadership credibility is fragileMorgenstern argues that the quality of the deal mirrors the quality of the people making it. 3. He Bridges Strategy and Humanity His work resonates with leaders who:Care about culture as much as capitalBelieve business is a vehicle for impactWant to create outcomes that endureRather than viewing negotiations as adversarial, he promotes:Mutual value creationListening deeplyUnderstanding motivations beneath positionsThat's a higher-level view of business — closer to stewardship than conquest. 4. Why It's Relevant Today In a world of:PE rollupsStartup exitsComplex partnershipsCross-border M&ADeals fail less because of math and more because of:Misaligned expectationsCultural incompatibilityEgoPoor communicationMorgenstern's message anticipates this reality. 5. Broader Significance His contribution sits in the same philosophical neighborhood as:Conscious capitalismStakeholder-driven leadershipValues-based entrepreneurshipHe reminds leaders that the true asset in any transaction is trust.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

Price is the most important signal in a market economy. But in a distorted market, prices no longer provide reliable information to consumers. For startup ventures, getting the price wrong can be a fatal mistake. Per Sjofors is the “price whisperer.”  He uses AI to help companies determine the optimal price to charge for new products. Per joins the Futurists to talk about price-setting strategies in complex markets, commodity markets, and markets dominated by platforms or oligopolies. 

What if imagination is one of our most practical tools for the future? In this episode of Centering Centers, we talk with Bryan Alexander about what it means to think ahead when the world and higher education keep changing. Bryan shares how he came to futures work, what futurists actually do, and why learning to notice patterns, ask better questions, and explore multiple possible directions can help us respond more thoughtfully to change.Our conversation moves across the many forces shaping higher education today and the challenge of thinking beyond immediate pressures. Along the way, we talk about teaching, curiosity, science fiction, and world-building, and how creative thinking helps us see change more clearly.Transcript

This episode of 'The New Abnormal' podcast features Muhammad Alaraby, an award-winning Arab futurist, policy analyst, and editor.He's also Head of Strategic Foresight at the independent think tank Future for Advanced Research and Studies (FARAS), which seeks to enrich public dialogue, support decision-making and enhance academic research pertaining to futures-issues that currently constitute a real problem in the Middle East region. In light of instability and unpredictability, the overarching goal of FARAS is to help ward off future shocks regarding these developments. So, we discuss the above, during a conversation in which Muhammad outlines his interest in 'the rugged terrain of futures, strategic foresight, geopolitics, geoeconomics and intelligence. Not forgetting history, literature, arts and philosophy...' 

Globally the cost of health care is exploding. In the United States, the problem is particularly severe because system is fragmented across many providers and highly inefficient. Economic incentives intensify the problem among private films. Suneel Ratan, CEO of Precognitive, is on a mission to streamline service delivery by building an intelligence layer to provide a single unified care plan across siloed providers. He likens it to a fintech model for health care. Ratan points out that health care is not an infinite resource, which raises the stakes for optimized delivery of personalized care. This is a job for AI. In this discussion, the Futurists covers a range of issues of challenges and areas of inefficiency in health care while driving towards solutions. 

An erratic President, a bungled raid on American cities, two fatal shootings by ICE agents, a massive protest by thousands of citizens in Minneapolis and other US cities, and flood of dishonest and misleading statements by Presidential aides and cabinet members: the United States begins 2026 in utter turmoil. Technologist and author Ramez Naam joins the Futurists to share his perspective on the political unrest in American civil society and the collapse of governance norms. Are populist forces fighting against a future defined by accelerating change? Is this a desperate attempt to restore society to a mythical past that never existed? Or is something more sinister afoot? What are the long term effects, domestically and internationally? The discussion includes a range of views on American chaos and some lively debate about the long term implications. 

As the founder of The Future of Storytelling, Charles Melcher curates a collection of the world's most provocative and vivid immersive experiences. To Charlie, future stories won't be linear or confined to the pages of a book: they will be participatory and responsive. Charlie tells The Futurists what makes this type of drama so effective and memorable. In our modern media landscape, where books and TV shows have become commoditized and formulaic, the most successful stories tend to work harder by engaging all of the senses and the imagination fully. After you hear Charlie's account of his amazing adventures, you'll never look at storytelling the same way again.  

Global economist Peter Middlebrook has advised governments in many nations on modernization and economic policy, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Rwanda, Afghanistan, India, and the UK as well as the United Nations, the EU and the World Bank. He joins the Futurists to share his perspective about the current and future trajectory of capitalist economies and geopolitics. Topics include: the fate of 250 million displaced people; how governments drive up the cost of housing and other assets when they inflate away debt;  what happens when Western nations attempt to combine capitalist economies with socialist policies; why Asia represents the greatest growth opportunity of the future; why the United States seeks to consolidate South America; why the BRIC nations are de-dollarizing trade; why the future economy is both hyperlocal and hyper global;  the illusion of the free market and the growing significance of industrial policy; why multimillionaires are fleeing from the UK; why Western nations need strategic plans. 

The Futurists starts 2026 with a stimulating conversation with serial entrepreneur Matt Miesnieks, a true pioneer of AR/XR and spatial computing. In his new startup venture, Primate AI, Matt is focused on a novel approach to artificial intelligence. He intends to construct spatial and dimensional concepts that replicate the way humans develop a mental model of the real world. Topics in this episode: how the limitations of LLMs create opportunities for new approaches, such as Yann LeCun's JEPA (Joint Embedding Predictive Architecture); the distinction between trying to understand the real world and trying to generate new worlds; why it is so hard to get a robot to cross a busy street safely; why 3D world models are needed; what happens when the real world is machine-readable.

Forbes has called Brian Solis “one of the more creative and brilliant business minds of our time.” ZDNet heralded him as “one of the 21st century business world's leading thinkers,” and Entrepreneur Magazine described him as "a world's top superforecaster."Check out his latest bestseller, ⁠Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation and Reshape The Future⁠Brian is a world-renowned digital futurist, 9x best-selling author, and international keynote speaker. He has published over 70 widely read research reports that explore the future of business and industries, disruptive technologies, and shifts in markets and consumer behaviors. Brian serves as the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow. In his role, Brian leads a global network of Innovation Officers and Futurists who study emerging technologies and micro and macro trends, business transformation patterns, and customer insights to understand important shifts affecting organizations and the markets they serve.  The Innovation team produces original research and thought leadership and delivers presentations and workshops that help leaders anticipate shifts, capitalize on trends, and drive resilience and long-term growth. He is published in industry publications such as Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, CIO, Forbes, and Worth. And he has consistently been recognized as one of the world's leading thinkers in innovation, business transformation, and leadership for almost three decades. 

Technology innovator Akshay Chopra joins the Futurists to discuss his new book: “After Us: A Tale of Life Beyond Superintelligent AI.”  In this work of speculative fiction, Chopra posits scenarios of a world dominated by a benevolent superintelligence.  Topics include: the challenge of envisioning a positive outcome in a world organized by AI; the perils of AI-induced delusions;  AI as an evolution of mankind, not a substitute for humanity;  the Dataism philosophy and the Panspermia hypothesis; the appeal and relevance of magical realism;  how AI denialism is a form of grief processing as we mourn the loss of our status as a species;  the struggle to think exponentially instead of linearly;  the threats that Akshay thinks we should be concerned about. 

This week, The Futurists offers a human interest story from Brett's conference travels. Listen as Brett connects with Arwa Damon, former CNN reporter based in Istanbul, and current President and Founder of INARA, an NGO working in Palestine.INARA, International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance, is a humanitarian organization providing rapid response and treatment to refugee children, its mission to ensure every child has the agency to create a dignified life.Arwa provides a first-hand look at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and discusses how it impacts the basic needs and access to financial services for people living there.

In this episode of Case Studies, Casey sits down with Taylor Randall, the 17th president of the University of Utah and former dean of the David Eccles School of Business. With a background as a distinguished economist and academic leader, Taylor brings deep insight into what it takes to lead major institutions through growth, innovation, and cultural transformation.He shares the leadership principles that guided his decade-long transformation of the Eccles School into a nationally recognized and fast growing business program, and discusses how those same values now shape his presidency at the University of Utah. The conversation explores how to build momentum in complex systems, why fast decision making matters, and how to lead with both humility and urgency in high stakes environments.Casey and Taylor unpack topics ranging from academic innovation and public university strategy to entrepreneurship, economics, and the future of higher education.00:00 | Welcome & Introduction to Taylor Randall01:14 | Growing Up at the University of Utah03:10 | Early Career at Arthur Andersen05:01 | Wharton Years & Ambitious Peers06:13 | Academic Curiosity & Consulting for MLB07:34 | Why Chaos Creates Opportunity08:31 | PhD Research on Global Operations Strategy10:27 | Turning Down Chicago to Return to Utah11:27 | Venture Fund & Breaking the Classroom Model13:37 | How AI Disrupts and Enhances Higher Ed14:42 | Launching Lassonde Studios & Student Startups16:59 | Building Immersive, Purpose-Driven Experiences18:50 | Early 2000s Venture Fund Success & Lessons20:31 | Inspiration Behind the Entrepreneurial Institute21:57 | Reimagining the Classroom-Incubator Hybrid22:07 | Teaming Up with Futurists and Architects23:39 | Becoming Dean During the Financial Crisis24:18 | Privatizing the Business School Model27:36 | Program Innovation & Specialized Master's Degrees30:48 | Education as a Confidence Catalyst32:25 | Mentorship, Mistakes & Growth Moments34:59 | Considering Life After Academia36:15 | Presidential Application Process & Headwinds in Higher Ed38:33 | Interviewing for President During COVID40:13 | Behind Utah's Nationally Ranked COVID Response43:36 | Lessons from the Pandemic Response Team45:43 | Understanding the University of Utah as a $9B Enterprise47:02 | Medical Education, Research, and Clinical Trials50:36 | Breakthroughs in Neurobionics & HIV Prevention52:04 | University-Owned Businesses & Innovation Ecosystem53:16 | Huntsman Cancer Institute's Impact on Utah County54:50 | Collaborative Vision Across Utah's Higher Ed Institutions55:22 | Proxima: Creating Healthcare Career Pathways57:54 | UVU, First-Gen Students & The Promise of Education59:11 | Executive Education & Adapting to a Changing Market59:26 | The Future of College Sports & Athlete Compensation01:03:20 | Sustainable Models for College Athletics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Industry strategist John Sviokla is the co-founder of GAI Insights and an Executive Fellow at the Harvard Business School. He tells the Futurists about the real challenges and opportunities in the process of reorganizing businesses around unlimited intelligence.  Topics include: The existential threat to the big strategic advisory firms. Why talking to machines is such a significant change.  The remarkably rapid rise of machine IQ and the power of emergent capabilities.  John's forecast for the evolution of new AI models. How proprietary data, especially intent, will fuel the transition from search engines to answer engines.  The logic behind the partnership between Walmart and OpenAI.  What happens to a company's organization when you can buy expertise on demand.  How every human worker will become a platoon of experts.  The two populations in most organizations that use AI. The net present value of AI projects.  GAI Insight's four-step process for fostering new corporate capabilities based on AI. 

Shelly Palmer returns to the Futurists to share fresh insight about how AI agents will rearrange the way entertainment and news are published, distributed and monetized. Today, many of the biggest media companies are still reeling from the previous two rounds of digital disruption (web and mobile). This leaves Big Media unprepared for the biggest disruption of them all, because AI agents will soon  reconfigure their core asset: video distribution channels. This interview provides a preview of how autonomous agents will work in unison to handle tasks that previously were managed by networks of human professionals, such as media buyers, advertising managers, retail marketers, and TV programming executives.  Likely impact: a further round of unbundling as agents personalize video distribution and advertising. Timeline: this transformation begins in 2026 and will iterate rapidly during the next five years. 20th century mass media is about to go through the Big Tech blender. 

In today's Cloud Wars Agent and Copilot Minute, I look at how screen-aware Copilots, task-based agents, and multimodal interfaces are reshaping enterprise work — and why identity, permissions, and access guardrails now matter more than ever.Highlights00:30 — Two experts, Brian Madden, Vice President and Field Technology Officer and Futurist at Citrix, and Marco Casalaina, Vice President of Products, Core AI and an AI Futurist at Microsoft, hosted a session at this year's Microsoft Ignite conference titled “Develop Your Enterprise Playbook to Prepare for the AI of Tomorrow.”00:58 — I want to share some key takeaways. Madden laid out a seven-stage roadmap for human–AI collaboration. Steps included simple prompt and paste, the first introduction to AI; next, AI as an analyst for colleagues; followed by AI watching your screen; AI using your computer for you; AI using your computer without you watching; multi-agent AI communication; and the final step: AI-orchestrated work.01:55 — Ultimately, AI needs to work where human knowledge workers work, because the world we live in today is built for humans, and the way that AI will succeed is by operating within this user space and emulating humans in practice. Users talk to AI, and AI talks to the applications and workflows on behalf of the user.02:34 — The discussion moved on to the notion of apps dissolving into data, ultimately AI talking directly to the data without going through an application. Casalaina demonstrated this by running Anthropic's Claude on Azure and giving it the skills to create a PowerPoint. It did — without using PowerPoint. It made the slides in HTML and then converted them without ever opening the PowerPoint application. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Mike Pell is an author, an artist and the director of the Microsoft Garage, the worldwide innovation program where he applies “fast design” principles to bring ideas to prototypes quickly. Mike's hackathons scale to include 10,000 participants.  Mike tells the Futurists how artificial intelligence systems accelerate ideation during the innovation process.  The challenge: managing a team of AI agents will require human workers to adapt to entirely new processes and discard some outdated practices. Visualization is one of the key elements in Mike's approach to this process, as conveyed in his recent book, “Visualizing Business”.  

In this episode of the Learning Future podcast, host Louka Parry engages with futurists Jamais Cascio and Bob Johansen to explore the complexities of navigating the current chaotic landscape, framed by the BANI model. They discuss their personal learning experiences, the implications of technology on human development, and the importance of mentorship across generations. The conversation emphasizes the need for clarity in uncertain times and the role of education in fostering resilience and adaptability in students.

(Riverton, WY) - The second of a three part series of artificial intelligence instruction is set for November 20th at Central Wyoming College. AI 201 does not require you to have attended the "101" event that took place last month. A third workshop, "301" will take place in December. This hands-on demonstration is set to help business owners, entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to learn more about AI utilize it to save time, boost creativity and make smarter business decisions. Tash Harris from CWC and Kevin Kershisnik from Manufacturing Works returned to the County 10 studio recently to discuss more about the opportunity. More about this event can be found here.

Ocean Protect (Check em out here lords!) Presents... Cosmic Apricots Live from TUBIES with Trade Lords, MPS, Sustainable Building Experts, Joshy Kirkman and More all trying to do good shit for the planet through reimagining the building sector... Rip in while the rip in rips in!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In This Episode Inside The Futurists X Summit: Preparing For An AI Powered Future This week Breaking Banks comes to you from The Futurists X Summit in Dubai, the world's largest gathering of top-ranked futurists. This summit brings together leaders, innovators and policymakers from around the globe for meaningful dialogue on the future of technology, business and society. Tune in as Breaking Banks and The Futurists host Brett King speaks with Mastercard's J.K. Khalil, EVP and Division President of East Arabia, and Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Mastercard. JK and Brett kick off the discussion with JK highlighting Mastercard's partnership with the Ministry of AI in Dubai and their AI Center of Excellence in the UAE. Mastercard is always talking about the fast and accelerating pace of change and its impact on consumers' lives. The AI Center of Excellence aims to demonstrate that AI is more than just a buzzword, helping people see the bigger picture and understand the broader implications -- how this access to information and AI translates to daily life. The discussion also touches on exploring possible futures and enhancing the human experience. Then, Raja joins Brett to share his perspective on an AI-powered future. As AI improves quality of life, helping to alter the work-life balance -- working less, experiencing more -- what does the world look like? With AI, chores can be delegated to the machine, you can let go of certain things and have more time for other things. Time to pursue your passions – a long-standing focus for Mastercard is helping elevate lives through experiences. As technology levels the playing field—and everyone feeds similar briefs into the same AI tools—outputs will start to look alike. That's exactly why this moment could become a new golden age of marketing: a chance to break through the sameness with real creativity, smart risk-taking and unconventional ideas. With advanced tools and the right mix of strategy and imagination, the possibilities are endless. And when you serve consumers with heart while driving revenue, that's marketing at its best. It's an engaging and thought-provoking episode from leaders in the field....priceless! Interested in hearing more about The Futurists X Summit? Follow our sister podcast, The Futurists.

And it just keeps going...The cast: Chartreuse (Charlie) Pine - played by Paul (also @AlakazamGanda) Liliana Shadowgarden - played by Lydia Professor Rudimentus Sneaze - played by Michael And our Game Master - Nick Eyeli - Eyeli Join our Facebook Group, where you can meet and chat with the cast and other fans! We'll approve everyone's request to join (unless you're a Rotom; we don't like Rotom). Also, join us on Discord! Check out Lydia's Fiverr for your Podcast/Radio Show editing needs!Donate to our Patreon, and earn sweet rewards by becoming a part of the Pokemon Rollout! family. MUSIC & SFX: Theme Music "Electric Donkey Muscles” by RoccoW. Used under an Attribution-ShareAlike License. “The Futurists” by Peter Lonnquist. Used by permission.

The future of computing is 3D, according to Avi Bar Zeev. For three decades, this creative technologist  has played a part in the creation of every major advance in spatial computing, immersive media, and XR. This week, Avi joins the Futurists to explain how previous breakthroughs will make the next wave of 3D computing possible. Avi shares what he has learned from 30 years of designing theme park rides, new headsets, virtual worlds and planetary-scale maps.

The future in Dubai is so brilliant, you need sunglasses. This week Brett and Rob talk to their colleague and business partner Mohamed Alkhatib about the key findings and hot topics they covered at the first Futurists X Summit. Why Dubai?  Learn about the bold steps that the United Arab Emirates is taking to foster future prosperity with applied imagination? Giant data centers, advances in AI models, asteroid mining, next generation energy, future transportation and city planning, biotech and programmable biology, smart infrastructure and city scale digital twins.

Sangeet Paul Choudary is the world's leading exponent of the platform economy.  This week he joins the Futurists to explain how artificial intelligence is likely to reorganize industries. Choudary pushes far beyond facile claims about “AI abundance” and “AI doom” to analyze the probable redistribution of value in markets. He explains how entire systems of production and distribution will be reshaped by machine intelligence. Choudary envisions a reorganization of value creation and value capture whereby AI will reshape the economic pie and cut it into different slices; but not all the value will flow to today's incumbents. Choudary's term for this system-wide reinvention “the reshuffle”, the name of his newest book. This conversation makes reference to concrete examples that will be familiar to all listeners: container shipping, the barcode, the smartphone, big data, and the rise of the digital economy. 

Susan Zeiger, the author of “Logistics and Power”, joins the Futurists to share her insight about global trade and control. Global trade and logistics requires a hierarchy of control to ensure timely, reliable delivery. That's why power is an emergent principle of the global supply chain.  For Zeiger, the supply chain covers more than containers and manufactured goods, spanning the movement of humans and information.  The early phases of global trade continue to shape the present and the future of logistics, transportation, and cultural globalization. Zieger provides a wide-ranging survey of world systems, beginning with the Dutch colonies of the 17th century;  how modern managerial power emerged from railroad industry in the 19th century; and today's new frontier of suborbital supply chains in space. Zieger's critical focus is a humanist-focused interpretation of logistics, including the impact on the people who are engaged in global trade as employees or consumers, subject to the rules imposed by the logistics of trade.

We're back with Charlie and Professor Sneaze this week as they continue their confrontation with Twilip! And let's not forget the exciting evolution that started for Nilly at the end of the previous episode. How will the trainers do with their battle? Will it finally be the end? Who knows!The cast: Chartreuse (Charlie) Pine - played by Paul (also @AlakazamGanda) Liliana Shadowgarden - played by Lydia Professor Rudimentus Sneaze - played by Michael And our Game Master - Nick Eyeli - Eyeli Join our Facebook Group, where you can meet and chat with the cast and other fans! We'll approve everyone's request to join (unless you're a Rotom; we don't like Rotom). Also, join us on Discord! Check out Lydia's Fiverr for your Podcast/Radio Show editing needs!Donate to our Patreon, and earn sweet rewards by becoming a part of the Pokemon Rollout! family. MUSIC & SFX: Theme Music "Electric Donkey Muscles” by RoccoW. Used under an Attribution-ShareAlike License. “Bipolarity” by Poor Alexei. Used under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.“The Futurists” by Peter Lonnquist. Used by permission.

Media cartographer Evan Shapiro publishes the definitive chart of the global media industry cited by every pundit and trade publication. After 20 years of disruptive change, the media industry is evolving so quickly beyond recognition that Evan's chart has emerged as the universal scorecard to keep track of who owns what. Evan joins the Futurists to decipher the chaos in streaming, television, socials and cinema. Topics include: the importance of audience fragmentation across media formats and platforms; the consequences of consolidation; why Big Tech is trouncing Big Media;  why Netflix is worth more than Disney, Comcast, WarnerBros Discovery, and Paramount combined;  YouTube as the new era of cable TV;  why 60% of all advertising dollars flow through three companies;  Disney's genius move with ESPN;  and Evan's surprising answer to the question: which is the only major media company that has managed the transition to the digital age?

Best selling author M.P. “Mike” Woodward joins the Futurists to share scenarios for the future of the next major naval war in the Pacific. How might a war between the United States and China happen? According to Woodward, it begins with a struggle to control the chips that govern artificial intelligence, then rapidly escalates to a massive ocean-spanning clash between two navies bristling with high tech gear. Woodward exposes critical weaknesses in US military preparedness and he speculates about innovations in weaponry and tactics.  Woodward's new book RED TIDE provides the basis for a lively discussion about the politics, economics and strategy that will determine the course of the next world war.

In This Episode This week on Breaking Banks, we feature a fascinating and thought-provoking episode from our sister podcast, The Futurists, where Brett King welcomes celebrated experimental astrophysicist Professor Brian Cox. Professor Cox, an English physicist and musician, is widely recognized for presenting science programs such as BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage and the Wonders of... series. He is also the author of two popular science books: Why Does E=mc²? (And Why Should We Care?) and The Quantum Universe. He's selected to deliver the keynote address at The Futurists X Summit in Dubai on September 22nd. In this episode, Professor Cox dives into how our understanding of black holes and quantum information theory could change our fundamental understanding of the universe, ushering in a new era of scientific advancement. Professor Brian Cox is one of the most articulate scientists in the world today. This interview underscores that, in an era where science faces ongoing challenges from political forces and media, our future lies in embracing knowledge and applied intelligence. Are we at the event horizon of something new and extraordinary?

This week The Futurists welcomes celebrated experimental astrophysicist Prof Brian Cox. Prof Cox dives into why our understanding of black holes and what it means for quantum information theory could change our fundamental understanding of the universe and usher in a new era of scientific advancement. Cox is one of the most articulate scientists in the world today and this interview proves once again that in an age where science faces ongoing attacks from political forces and media that our future lies in embracing knowledge and applied intelligence. It could be said that we are at the event horizon of something new and extraordinary.

Think about the place where you live. Every inch of every city and suburb has been designed by other humans. For better or worse, their choices determine how the world around you works, and how you live and navigate through it.  Jeff Speck is the world's leading exponent of the concept of the “walkable city”, human-centered urban centers.  In this episode of the Futurists, Jeff shares his inspiring vision of the city of the future. Topics include; the New Urbanism, how cities foster society, the impact of the automobile on the organization of society, the goals of city planning and urban design, organic neighborhood evolution versus top-down zoning, the consequences of the 1969 World's Fair, how lifespans increased when factories were separated from living quarters, how mass transit systems shape the growth of cities, and how automation and robotics will shape the city of the future.

What happens when lazy humans outsource their thought process to machines?  You get a society that vibes its way into a blurry, sub-optimal future. The surge of slop means that AI is creating more work for humans instead of stealing our jobs.  Mark Pesce returns to The Futurists to cut through the hype and the skepticism about modern tech. He calls out AI mediocrity and reminds us why human learning remains painful. Topics include: Chat GPT psychosis, why we need a generation of PhDs to revisit eternal questions about Truth, the perpetual dawn of AGI,  what happens to the political economy when the populace is siloed into bubbles, why Kremlin propagandists produce propaganda for machines instead of people, why experience cannot be generated, why autocracies need accurate data, and the real reason why people get lost in untruth.

Zoltan István holds the distinction of being the first Transhumanist to run for President of the United States.  Now Zoltan has set his sights on the Governor's office in California, a $4 trillion economy that ranks as the fourth-largest in the world, and the leader in global innovation. Zoltan joins the Futurists this week to discuss his plan to replace Gavin Newsom. He answers some pressing questions about the future risks and opportunities faced by the biggest US state.