Byron Reese – Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur in conversation with Futurist Ian Khan
In this episode, i speak with globally recognized Futurist Daniel Levine, also a co-contributor to the recent book “After Shock”.
Bio (In Byron’s own words)
Hello, my name is Byron Reese. I enjoy studying technology and history, contemplating their intersection with the future, and writing and speaking about it all.
I have always loved technology. As a kid, I was always taking stuff apart to figure out how it worked. I grew convinced that I must have a knack for engineering because whenever I would put something back together, I always had a few pieces leftover. If that isn’t talent, I don’t know what is.
Like many people that are fascinated by technology, I loved science fiction. I was, and still am, a big Star Trek fan. Years ago, I read a quote by the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry. He said that in the future, “There would be no hunger, there would be no greed, and all the children will know how to read.”
This quote gnawed at me, and I wondered if it was true. Or did it just sound true because it rhymed? So I decided to try to figure it out. That’s how I became a futurist.
I got into business early in life. When I was 12, my mom asked me to paint our house number on our curb with a stencil. Our neighbor, Mr. Roland, saw me doing it and asked me to do his as well. Afterwards, he gave me $5. Five bucks! For five minutes work. In 1980! I remember hearing a distinct “ka-ching” inside my head. I immediately started going door-to-door and made a kid-sized fortune. I have been an entrepreneur ever since.
After I had some business success as an adult, I began getting invitations to give talks. Good speakers write a speech and give it over and over. I am not a good speaker. I have never given the same speech twice. I just can’t bring myself to do it… it feels like I am phoning it in. So, I would give talks about whatever I was interested in at the time. After a while, I noticed that the same themes were coming up over and over. Suddenly that collection of speeches looked a lot like a book. That’s how I became an author. My latest book is about AI and is called “The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity.”
Today, I am requested to speak to both technical and non-technical audiences around the world. I invite you to check out my Talks on Tomorrow and visit my blog for a collection of writing including my articles on artificial intelligence and interviews with today’s AI thought leaders.
Whether I am writing or speaking, you are sure to find me exploring the intersection of technology, business, and the future. Follow me on Twitter at @byronreese
About After Shock
The world’s foremost futurists reflect on 50 years of Future Shock—and look ahead to the next 50
Contributors include:
Alan Kay
Aaron Frank
Adrienne Mayor
Alexander Mankowsky
Alexandra Ivanovitch
Alisha Bhagat
Amy Zalman
Anders Sorman-Nilsson
Andra Keay
Andrew Curry
Andy Hines
Anita Sengupta
Anne Lise Kjaer
Aris Persidis
Aubrey de Grey
Barry O’Reilly
Barry Vacker
Bill Davidow
Bill Diamond
Bryan Alexander
Byron Reese
Carlos Osorio
Carver Mead
Cat Tully
Cindy Frewen
Clem Bezold
Daniel Burrus
Daniel Levine
David Brin
David Guston
David Krakauer
David J. Staley
David Weinberger
Deb Westphal
Diane M. Francis
Donna Dupont
Eleanor “Nell” Watson
Eric Daimler
Erica Bol
Erik Qualman
Fotis Sotiropoulos
George Gilder
Grady Booch
Gray Scott
Hannes Sjoblad
Harish Natarajan
Hazel Henderson
Helen Messier
Ian Khan
Ignacio Pena
Jack Uldrich
James Canton