An Extemporaneous Keynote on an Impossible Subject? My Favorite!
Can AI create a better world? The answer from my research is a firm yes, but only if we explicitly design AI to augment our creativity, not replace it.
I had a fantastic time in Mexico City discussing this very question with ambassadors and health leaders from Europe, Mexico, and across South America. We explored how AI's true potential isn't in automating “the boring stuff”, but in becoming a partner that can challenge us, foster our uniquely human skills like creativity and connection, and help us solve complex problems.
My other talk on that trip was on using AI to diagnose rare neurological diseases in underrepresented populations (like indigenous groups in Central America). The easy out is to just say, "That's exactly what it can't do." The mad science way is to say, "The goal is to help someone, even if we have to start from scratch," and build tools on the fly that can make a difference.
It's not about building a perfect, automated future, but about creating tools that challenge us to grow. Norton Rose Fulbright Latin America had shared a few short clips from a previous conversation on this topic. You can watch them here.
SciFi, Fantasy, & Me
I just watched the latest season of Rick & Morty, the newest episodes of Smiling Friends, and sat in as my kids began the long journey of an Adventure Time rewatch party. The constant stream of surreal animation reminded me that even within cartoon absurdity, these shows manage to perfectly blend existential dread with heartfelt emotion, all while delivering some of the sharpest jokes on television. They rewire your brain.
Stage & Screen
- November 4-8, Mountain View: More fun with the Singularity University Executive Program
- November 12, NYC: AI for Good in New York with my friends at the Kennedy Human Rights.
- November 18, NYC: Then I'm hanging around for a book reading because my book is out for pre-orders!!! (Venue TBD)
- November 18, NYC: Yes, New York again–this time for the Techonomy Conference.
- December 3, Nassau: All our fingers are crossed for Bermuda to come through the hurricane. If all is well, its time for AI and Insurance: Is AI the World's Greatest Actuarial Table?
- December 8, San Francisco: Fortune Brainstorm AI SF talking about build a foundation model for human development
- Winter & Spring 20026: new events already brewing in Amsterdam, London, NYC, LA, and much more!