Michael was both engaged and engaging . . . His skills as a journalist were well-employed as he summarized the remarks of other presenters, listened-in on tabletop discussions, then quickly prepared meaningful and effective closing remarks.
Michael Rogers
Featured Book
Email From the Future
by Michael Rogers
Michael Rogers
Featured Keynote Programs
AI Will Change….Everything!
Cognitive computing is the latest and most potent expression of artificial intelligence. Software and robots can now learn from experience and then reason and act upon information--often coming up with insights that humans might not reach. The astonishing abilities of ChatGPT are a good example. Because they are “cloud-based”, these powerful thinking tools will be accessible even to small organizations and individuals. The result will be new efficiencies and surprising new intelligent services that will change the very nature of work and challenge us to identify what skills are uniquely human.
ChatGPT
Opening Bell for a New Era of AI
This year is a turning point in public understanding—and concern—about artificial intelligence. The rapid rise of ChatGPT and its clones has been nothing short of astonishing. And it’s been matched by an outpouring of dire predictions, from human extinction to massive unemployment. But well before we grapple with existential questions about AI, there will be more practical challenges for business and society.
ChatGPT is a breakthrough in public awareness, but it’s actually a subset of AI that has been in development for several decades. “Cognitive computing” was first publicly displayed in game-playing bots that beat human champions in Jeopardy and Go.
Cognitive AI can ingest vast amounts of information and quickly generate reports or decisions comparable to human effort. This speech will offer fresh examples of what the current technology can do, as well as a look ahead at how the next generation of conversant artificial intelligence will evolve.
Social, legal and political challenges are imminent, as well as new questions about fair business practices, ethics and liability. AI has already raised issues, such as inadvertent redlining by AI-powered mortgage software, or discriminatory behavior by credit rating technology. As advanced AI grows more common in law, finance, medicine and similar critical professions, additional potential liabilities will arise. (I’m already working with an educational group on the impact of AI in classrooms and the implications for the future of teaching.)
Government oversight and regulation are unlikely to keep pace. The first “rules of the road” for AI may come from industry groups seeking to self-regulate, often emphasizing disclosure and transparency. Those efforts will be driven by insurance and legal concerns—the insurance industry is already looking at the potential liabilities of AI in their portfolios, from autonomous vehicles to cybersecurity. Insurers may require evidence of sound AI practices before issuing liability coverage.
Professional services will change with the adoption of cognitive computing. White collar employment, including law and finance, will be impacted, especially among younger workers. The result will be new efficiencies and surprising intelligent services that will challenge us to identify what skills are uniquely human.
Management Meets the Future
Never before has management’s life been so...interesting. Business, government and society are all creating a vast new digital infrastructure, from smart sensors and cognitive computing to wearable computers, extended social networks and virtual workplaces. That puts leaders in the midst of not just technical challenges but broader social quandaries such as the nature of privacy, white collar automation, reskilling workers, the rule of law in cyberspace--not to mention the strategic direction of the enterprise itself. How can successful managers discover and implement innovation while still meeting the daily challenges of business?
The Radical New World Of Education
We’re all educators--either as professional teachers, or as managers, team leaders, mentors, or parents. In the future, we will be permanent students as well. The online world represents a powerful opportunity for education to reach a wider, more diverse audience. But it’s also a challenge to the future of both teachers and campuses.
And there’s a second issue: what do we teach? Now that young people live with one foot in the virtual world, how does that impact education and employment? What skills will our students initially bring (or not bring) to campus, and what skills will they need to make their way in an increasingly automated world? Michael has spoken to educators worldwide ranging from K-12 to college, law and medicine.