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See AI, globotics and genetics in the spotlight at this year's festival
6 February 2019
| Last updated on 16 March 2019
Pictured: Gerd Leonhard (top) and Sam Schwartz (bottom)
Discover the latest thinking from world experts and futurists on consumerism, technology and globalisation.
With the world in an ever-increasing state of flux, it can be hard to second guess what impact new developments will have on our lives. Should we be excited by the tantalising possibilities of what lies ahead, or fearful of the transformation brought about by artificial intelligence?
Get a glimpse of what the future holds at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (1-9 March 2019), where the world’s leading experts and futurists will share insights into consumerism, technology and globalisation.
What do future worlds look like?
Named one of the top 100 most influential people in Europe by Wired Magazine, futurist Gerd Leonhard’s remarkable grasp on how recent breakthroughs will affect our lives covers everything from the future of music to the transformations sweeping the business sphere.
In his book Technology vs Humanity, he looks at the imminent clash between technology and humanity – will it alter the meaning of being human? Learn how to navigate the coming changes from an inspiring speaker.
The Future World strand also features America's most celebrated transportation guru, Sam Schwartz, a.k.a. ‘Gridlock Sam’, on how the driverless vehicle revolution will transform our cities. Is the revolution just around the corner? Schwartz will also join General Director of Artificial Intelligence at Dubai Police, Brigadier Khalid Nasser Alrazooqi to assess how AI is expected to change the future of cities and assess whether the transformation has already begun in Dubai.
Richard Baldwin, one of the world's leading globalization experts, calls the combination of globalisation and robotics ‘globotics’, and warns that the inhuman speed of this transformation threatens to overwhelm us, and disrupt the working lives of millions in unprecedented ways. Prepare for an uncertain future by learning more about the globotics upheaval.
Baldwin will be taking the discussion forward in a panel session which considers ‘The Job Machine – Are We Becoming Obsolete?’ Joining him will be Sam Schwartz and Dawn Metcalfe, executive coach and leadership expert, in this discussion about our relationship with our jobs, and societies in a changing world of artificial intelligence - what are we contributing that makes us irreplaceable as a workforce?
Pictured: Douglas Coupland
Research Scientist Lewis Dartnell, known for his work, The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch, take us back to the future in his new book, Origins: How the Earth Made Us.
It looks at the human story from the perspective of the planetary forces that shaped our biology and history - not about what we’ve done to our environment, but about what our environment has done to us. In this captivating talk, Professor Dartnell unravels the story of humanity and reveals the chains of consequences that explain why things are the way they are.
SEE ALSO: Tickets are now on sale for this year's Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
The limits of the human race are still being discovered, and in particular the impact of our genetic make-up. So what does it take to be Superhuman? Just how much potential does our species have? What are the secrets of long life and happiness? Evolutionary biologist Rowan Hooper assesses the science of peak potential, reviewing the role of genetics. This is a fascinating, eye-opening and inspiring celebration of the best that the current human species has to offer. But if we push ourselves, how far can we go?
The impact of genetics is also considered by Dr Giles Yeo who presents programmes such as BBC’s critically acclaimed Horizon: Clean Eating – The Dirty Truth, which sparked a national debate in 2017. He has dedicated more than 20 years to studying how genes influence our relationship with food. Are our genes to blame for the obesity epidemic? Will our genetic make-up shape our diets in the future?
What is the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature?
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is held in partnership with Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture. It is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
For tickets and the full list of authors, visit tickets.emirateslitfest.com and emirateslitfest.com/authors
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