Meet the OEB25 Speakers: Keynote Andrew Maynard

Dr. Andrew Maynard, scientist, author, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions at Arizona State University.

Andrew explores how transformational technologies, from AI and nanotech to human augmentation and quantum computing, are shaping our future. He leads ASU’s Future of Being Human community and works across disciplines to understand the ethical and societal implications of emerging innovations. A long-time contributor to the World Economic Forum, Andrew is known for his ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and accessibly.

His writing appears in The Washington Post, Scientific American, Slate, and The Conversation, and he’s the author of Films from the Future and Future Rising. He also co-hosts the podcasts Mission: Interplanetary, Future Rising, and The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future.

We are honoured to welcome him as a speaker in the Opening Plenary at OEB25.

What was your first thought about this year’s conference theme “Humanity in the Intelligent Age: Empathy, Responsibility, and the Duty of Care”?

I work on navigating advanced technology transitions – essentially understanding how to get from the present to a better future. And a large part of this is focusing on the importance of care, responsibility, empathy, and other factors that underpin human flourishing. As a result, I was thrilled to see a conference focused on these – especially as advances in artificial intelligence are challenging and potentially revealing new ways of thinking about what it means to be human in an “intelligent age.”

If you could look into the year 2045, what do you envision learning will be driven by?

Predicting the future has never been an accurate science, and with the speed at which AI is changing the world, it’s less reliable than ever. However, based on the current trajectory of transformative technologies, the next 20 years are likely to see a profound transformation in learning – especially as AI accelerates what we can do and transforms who we are. As machines take on more and more of the value creation usually associated with human endeavors, I suspect learning in 2045 will focus more on empowering people to create value that is uniquely human and not replicable by machines – and understanding how to do this through working with intelligent machines.

Which learning technology has recently impressed you?

I’m not necessarily impressed but I am intrigued with what I currently see emerging at the edges of advanced AI. This is still a young technology and has as many flaws and challenges as it does affordances. Yet the potential of new AI models and tools to extend the imagination and understanding of individuals as they experiment with them on their own terms, is astounding. This is partly why I like the metaphor of a playground when thinking about emerging learning technologies – their power is only unlocked when students and educators are given the freedom and permission to play with them, to be creative, to make mistakes, and to learn from experimenting and doing. It’s this mindset of play that is pushing the bounds of what is possible with learning technologies.

Which book should everyone read?

That’s a tough one as I’ve written a couple of books that were meant to be read widely  – and so it would be being disingenuous if I didn’t suggest one of these. Future Rising: A Journey form the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow is a good place to start, as it provides a unique way of thinking about our relationship with the future and our responsibility to it. On a more practical level I’d recommend Mitchel Resnick’s Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play – it’s been out for a few years now, but the underlying concepts around learning and play are more relevant than ever.

What was your most significant learning experience?

I trained and worked as a physicist for many years, and my education in physics from the age of around 13 was transformative in how I think about and approach the world. Much of this was through the firehose of lectures – I absorbed new ideas like a sponge. But three things stand out as being especially transformative: A high school physics teacher who inspired me not only to embrace the wonder of how different ways of thinking can reveal new things, but how this can be done in a spirit of generosity and inclusion; the thrill and awe of discovery in labs, where there were so many “light bulb” moments when I discovered something for myself through hands-on experimentation; and what I’ve learned from talking with so many interesting people over the years, no matter who they are.

Which question is asked too rarely when we talk about learning?

Why? Why do we do things one way and not another? Why don’t we challenge baked-in assumptions more? Why do we value some things in learning and not others? Why do we adhere to conventional thinking and ideas when the world around us is changing at the speed of light? And the really controversial one: Why is learning important?    

What would be the title of your autobiography?

Surprised by Serendipity

What are you looking forward to the most at this year’s OEB?

Talking with interesting people and being exposed to new ideas.

Thank you, Andrew! Andrew Maynard will be speaking at the OEB25 Opening Plenary.