Gerd Leonhard is one of the most famous futurists and international speakers concerned with the impact of artificial intelligence and exponential technologies on man and society. A public thinker, author, filmmaker and advocate of a human-centered future, he promotes the development and use of technology for the benefit of humanity.

In the more than 22 years of international activity, he has given presentations at more than 2,000 conferences, in more than 70 countries, addressing a cumulative audience of more than 3.5 million people. He has collaborated with organizations and companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Deloitte, Audi, Visa, UBS, Roche, Nestlé, L'Oréal, the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Magazine Wired he included him among the most influential personalities in Europe. He is the author of five books, including the bestseller Technology vs. Humanity, published in 2016 and translated into 14 languages. The paper analyzes the relationship between technological development and the fundamental values of the human being, anticipating a series of debates that have become essential with the accelerated evolution of artificial intelligence.

Gerd Leonhard is an important international voice in the fields of digital ethics, human-centered technology, artificial intelligence, sustainability, the future of work and education, as well as new economic and social models. His contributions and interviews were published or broadcast by The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, Business Insider, Wired, BBC, CNN, ARTE, ZDF, ARD and Swiss television SRF.

A former professional musician, he is also a filmmaker and producer of films, a member of the Royal Society of Arts in London, and a visiting professor at Fundação Dom Cabral in Brazil. He is founder and CEO of The Futures Agency and lives in Zurich, carrying out part of his work in Lanzarote as well.

Its mission is synthesized through the concept „The Good Future” – „The future of bun”: the idea that the future is not something that inevitably happens to us, but something that we build through our choices, values and actions. His vision is based on the 5P's: People, Planet, Purpose, Peace and Prosperity – People, Planet, Meaning, Peace and Prosperity.

The main themes addressed

Artificial intelligence and the future of man

Gerd Leonhard analyzes the transformations produced by artificial intelligence and exponential technologies on human identity, freedom and autonomy. In his view, the essential question is no longer just what technology can do, since its possibilities become almost limitless, but above all what we should allow it to do.

„Androrhythmii” – exclusively human qualities

In the book Technology vs. Humanity, Gerd Leonhard introduced the concept of „Androrithms” – „androrithmi”, constructed by opposition to algorithms.

Androrhythms represent those deeply human traits that no algorithm can authentically replace:

• consciousness;
• freedom to choose;
• empathy and compassion;
• intuition;
• imagination and creativity;
• ethical values and responsibility;
• spirituality;
• ability to understand context;
• mystery, spontaneity and serendipity;
• the right to privacy and secrecy.

While artificial intelligence excels at processing data, identifying patterns, and providing answers, people remain the ones who can formulate the essential questions, assign meaning, and make decisions based on consciousness, values, and responsibility.

The principle advocated by Gerd Leonhard is that, for every spectacular algorithmic progress, society must invest to the same extent in protecting and developing deeply human qualities.

„The Good Future” – The good future

For Gerd Leonhard, a good future is possible, but it is not guaranteed. Humanity already possesses numerous scientific and technological tools necessary to respond to the great challenges in health, education, energy, mobility and protecting the environment. The missing elements are not necessarily innovation or resources, but collective will, wisdom and a common direction.

Science and technology will shape the future, but they do not have to define it themselves. Its direction must be determined by people's values, ethics and choices.

Technology at the service of 5P

Gerd Leonhard proposes overcoming a model based exclusively on profit, efficiency and power. All important decisions on artificial intelligence, science, economics and societal development should be assessed by reference to

• People – progress must serve human life and dignity;
• Planet – there can be no good future on a degraded planet;
• Meaning – efficiency without a human goal becomes a faster path to nowhere;
• Peace – progress implies cooperation, stability and the ability to build together;
• Prosperity – a real, lasting and shared prosperity as a result of the first four principles.

The future of work and education

Automation and artificial intelligence will profoundly transform the necessary professions and skills. Gerd Leonhard warns that repetitive activities, similar to those performed by machines, will be most easily automated.

Consequently, the future of education can no longer be centred exclusively on memorising and reproducing information. It is necessary to develop qualities that machines cannot authentically reproduce: character, empathy, ethics, creativity, imagination, curiosity, collaboration and critical thinking.

These dimensions are brought together in the concept of HECI – Humanity, Ethics, Creativity and Imagination: Humanity, Ethics, Creativity and Imagination.

Human relations in the digital world

Gerd Leonhard points out that trust, happiness and genuine relationships cannot be reduced to data or computer code. The more technology occupies an important place in our lives, the more necessary it becomes to protect and cultivate what makes us human.

Technology must amplify human capabilities without replacing the person's autonomy, relationships, discernment and identity.