Meet the OEB24 Speakers: Keynote Gerd Leonhard

Gerd Leonhard is a futurist, speaker and author who specialises in the debate between humanity and technology. “People, Planet, Purpose, and Prosperity” is Gerd’s motto, and helping to design “The Good Future” is his key objective. Gerd is one of the top-rated contemporary futurists worldwide. He has presented at over 2000 leading conferences and events over the past 20 years, worked with Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, NBC, Visa, Google, the European Commission, L’Oréal, Audi, Deloitte, and IBM. Gerd has influenced and inspired millions to “imagine and create a better tomorrow”. Wired magazine named him one of the most influential Europeans, and he is listed as #7 in the global ranking of futurists.

As a leading voice on the future of humanity and author of the bestseller “Technology vs Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine”, Gerd has built a storied reputation as the go-to keynote speaker and thought leader when it comes to digital ethics, human-beneficial technology, sustainability, and the need for a new, future-fit economic logic. Gerd is a confirmed keynote speaker for the OEB Conference this year, and will be speaking in the Opening Plenary on November 28 2024.

We caught up with Gerd to discover the person behind the speaker, and get to know more about his life and participation at OEB this year.

Who, or what, was your most important teacher?

Buckminster Fuller, Futurist and Designer.

What was your most important lesson?

Meeting Steve Jobs for about 12 seconds (in the late 90s) made me realise what brevity means, and how important a concise message is.

What current learning trend do you think will have a lasting impact?

We’re going back to learning what it means to be HUMAN, at the same that AI is becoming more capable of simulating human skills, and virtual reality and spatial computing allows us to gather virtually.  Yet, let’s remember: knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.

Which technology, in your view, had the biggest influence on the way we learn now?

No doubt, what I call the CAVA of Technology that is currently shaping the future AI: Cognification, Augmentation, Virtualisation and Automation see https://www.youtube.com/@GerdLeonhard/search?query=cava

What is the coolest gadget/ technology/ tool you have seen lately?

The Apple Vision Pro Spatial Computer / VR set, no doubt – this will have huge impact on learning.

What would be the title of your autobiography?

Public Thinking about what really matters.

What was your first thought about our overall theme, ‘Brace for Transformation: The Courage to Redefine Learning’?

It’s a perfect fit with my mantra: The Future is something we MAKE. Today.

Do you have a final message for the OEB community?

Yes: embrace technology, but don’t become it. Humans are for questions, machines are for answers!

Thank you, Gerd. Join us in Berlin to see the Opening Plenary with Gerd and our other keynotes.