The Good Future: Life in 2053 with Gerd Leonhard

For the Summer of 2023, a dozen futurists talk about what life will be like for humans in 30 to 50 years. Each guest is asked to paint a picture of the changes that we will experience between now and 2053 or 2073. Then they are asked what mistakes we are making today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief. The goal of these episodes is to spark the imagination of listeners about the future we have the ability to create.

In this episode, Gerd Leonhard paints a picture life in 2053 with a focus on how humans have the power to create lives enhanced by food, water, and energy abundance. He calls this “The Good Future.” He reminds us that the future is not about what is possible…it is about what we want. Among the topics Gerd discusses are uploading our brains to the internet, quantum computing, nuclear fusion, climate change and the technologies that will be created to manage it, and how movements will drive politicians to make the changes necessary to enable this good future to happen. Gerd finishes the interview with a discussion about what humans are doing today, including our use of fossil fuels, the way work is currently structured, and the importance of nation states, that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief.

Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Gerd is one of the world’s leading futurists and the author of Technology vs Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine. With the motto “People, Planet, Purpose, and Prosperity,” Gerd is an outspoken critic of unregulated exponential technologies. He uses his influence and platform to help people “imagine and create a better tomorrow” and was named one of Wired UK’s 100 Most Influential Europeans in 2015.

“We have to always judge things by how applicable is it, how much benefit does it generate? For example, I think we also need to retain our humanity by saying that ‘we use technology, but we also need to function in a basic way without technology.’ If in the morning, I have to boot up to get out of bed, I would perceive that to be not a real advantage.” Gerd Leonhard in “The Good Future: Life in 2053 with Gerd Leonhard” discussing the importance of wisely creating and using technology that enhances the human experience.