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Digital Ethics: A decade of work by Futurist Gerd Leonhard
Futurist Gerd Leonhard's latest links & must-reads on the most urgent questions at the intersection of technology, humanity, and our collective future.
Featured
OpenAI's SuperIntelligence Memo
Bernie Sanders' Fever Dream or Sam Altman's Chilling DC Warning?
"Washington is essentially staring down a tidal wave without a life jacket." Made with Google NotebookLM and about 4 hours of research and prompting, this deep dive examines OpenAI's internal superintelligence memo and what it signals for policymakers, technologists, and the rest of humanity.
Are Humans Becoming Super-Stupid?
While super-intelligent machines are being developed, humans are at risk of becoming super-stupid — and the question is whether this is by design.
AI is now essentially a "digital enclave" of millions of synthetic citizens, each smarter than any Nobel Prize winner, thinking 100 times faster than us — and they never sleep, or fail to rise to the challenge.
Every white-collar, office job performed behind a screen is exposed. The cognitive gap between human and machine is widening at an alarming pace.
AI Dilemmas: The Inner Life We're Trading Away
Productivity vs. the Soul
Inspired by Christof Koch's brilliant piece "The Inner Life We're Trading Away," Gerd explores the profound AI dilemma of our time: what do we lose internally when we outsource thinking, creativity, and reflection to machines in exchange for speed and productivity?
The trade-off may be more costly than we realize — not in dollars, but in depth, meaning, and what it means to be human.
Research Report
Elon University 2026 Report: Human Resilience in the Age of AI
Gerd contributed to Elon University's Imagining the Digital Future Center's 52nd "Future of Digital Life" report. Key themes include the rise of "Super-Stupidity," the end of solitude, and the urgent question of how humans build resilience as AI reshapes every domain of work and life.
Super-Stupidity
Cognitive atrophy as humans over-rely on AI for thinking and decision-making.
End of Solitude
Always-on AI companions eroding the space for reflection and inner life.
Human Resilience
Why grit alone won't save us — and what skills will actually matter.
Too Much Technology: Bicycles for the Mind… but Bullets for the Soul?
Technology has long been celebrated as a "bicycle for the mind" — amplifying human capability and reach. But when does too much of a good thing become destructive? Democracy itself has suffered from the unchecked acceleration of digital tools.
Gerd examines the paradox of technological abundance: the same forces that empower us can corrode the social fabric, attention spans, and democratic institutions that hold civilization together.
New Film: Look Up Now (2026 Edition)
AI and the Future of Humanity
Who is "Mission Control for Humanity" in the Age of AI? Gerd's new film confronts the defining question of our era — and challenges viewers to look up from their screens and reckon with what's coming.
If AI Can Predict the Future, What's Left for Futurists?
Working in forecasting, futurism, and keynoting, Gerd is witnessing a massive shift: the core of his work — prediction and observation — is becoming increasingly automated by AI. This is GerdsTake Video #2, exploring what remains uniquely human when machines can model scenarios faster and more accurately than any expert.
The answer lies not in competing with AI on data, but in the irreplaceable human capacity for meaning-making, ethical judgment, and storytelling.
Gerd Leonhard vs. Kurzweil & Diamandis
A Different Kind of Optimism
Many people have asked Gerd how he compares to Ray Kurzweil and Peter Diamandis — two of the most prominent techno-optimists of our time. While all three share a fascination with the future, Gerd's perspective is grounded in humanist values, ethical caution, and a belief that technology must serve humanity — not the other way around.
The Future of Futurists
Forecasting used to be a human craft. Most prediction work is becoming automated — while great narratives become essential but also increasingly politicized.
A recent realization from Gerd, directed at fellow futurists: as AI commoditizes data-driven forecasting, the value of human futurists will shift toward narrative shaping, ethical framing, and contextual wisdom. But that space is not neutral — it is becoming a battleground for competing worldviews.
Videos & Keynotes
Films & Keynotes on Digital Ethics
Gerd has produced a series of films and keynote excerpts exploring the ethical dimensions of technology and AI. From TEDx stages to global summits, these talks challenge audiences to think critically about the future we are building.
Are You on Team Human?
Technology vs. Humanity — The Future is already here. A film by Gerd Leonhard.
We Need to Talk About AI
A film by Futurist Gerd Leonhard: thoughts on artificial intelligence and its implications.
A Global Digital Ethics Council?
Futurist Speaker Gerd Leonhard keynote excerpt on the need for global AI governance.
TEDxBrussels: Digital Ethics
Digital Ethics and the future of humanity — Gerd Leonhard's TEDxBrussels keynote (2015).
About Gerd Leonhard
Gerd is a Futurist and a humanist, a leading global keynote speaker (on-stage and virtually), the author of 5 books including Technology vs. Humanity, and a filmmaker. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts in London, and the CEO of The Futures Agency in Zürich, Switzerland.
People, Planet, Purpose, and Prosperity is Gerd's credo. The Good Future is his passion.
Author
5 books including the landmark Technology vs. Humanity
Keynote Speaker
Leading global speaker on AI, digital ethics, and the future of humanity
Filmmaker
Creator of thought-provoking films on technology and the human condition
CEO, Futures Agency
Leading The Futures Agency from Zürich, Switzerland