Most of us can sense that we are living through a golden age of technology. And what brings friction into this age is the paradox of technology, the seemingly endless ways that technology can be both beneficial to us as well as detrimental.
Whether it's artificial intelligence, blockchain, e-commerce, 5G, or next-gen algorithms, one way to explore and evaluate the technology of tomorrow is by bringing the top thinkers in the tech industry together for some honest conversation and exchange.
COSM is a national technology summit designed to stimulate debate and deliberation on the things that unite these diverse areas of technology. The event takes place in one of the national epicenters of technological innovation, Seattle, Washington, Nov. 10-12.
What are the pros and cons of this new era of innovation? How can we help humans thrive through the biggest technology upheavals of a generation? What technological advances will take shape in the next decade, and how do we use them wisely?
These questions and more will be discussed by an impressive lineup of speakers from across the technology world, including renowned technologist George Gilder, historian Niall Ferguson, Amazon Vice President Dr. Babak Parviz, computer scientist Kai-Fu Lee, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, Senior Director for Quantum Computing at Microsoft Julie Love, CEO of Endeavor Ari Emanuel, and others.
The conference is presented by Discovery Institute, a national think tank with a mission of advancing a culture of purpose, creativity, and innovation. Discovery Institute has a special concern for the role that science and technology play in our culture and how they can advance free markets, illuminate public policy, and support the theistic foundations of the West.
''COSM is a conference like no other,'' says Discovery Institute President Steve Buri, ''exploring not just cutting-edge technologies, but also what they mean for human flourishing. While others predict a future of scarcity, we foresee prosperity and abundance made possible by human creativity."
COSM is the brainchild of bestselling author George Gilder, who for decades has written about the information that drives technological revolutions shaping our world. Gilder's information theory of capitalism turns classical models of equilibrium and order on their heads and shows instead that information lies at the heart of a healthy economy, just as it lies at the heart of biological life itself.
The backbone of COSM is the belief that technology is a mind-based system, powered by human creativity, with the goal of bettering humankind. How exactly this is achieved is the topic of some intriguing talks at the conference.
For example, computer scientist and tech entrepreneur Erik J. Larson will discuss his new book "The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can't Think the Way We Do." I've introduced Larson's compelling case for an AI reality check here.
Mathematician and philosopher Dr. Bill Dembski will team up with Gilder and computer graphics pioneer Jules Urbach to discuss the blockchain technology of NFTs, a unique system of digital ownership that may revolutionize property.
Innovations in biotech provide another intriguing frontier to be discussed. Rice University Professor of Chemistry James Tour will join Philosopher of Science Stephen C. Meyer, Madrona Venture Group Managing Director Matt McIIwain, and Matthew Scholz, CEO of Oisin Biotechnologies, to talk about the technologies at the forefront of killing disease and living longer.
These are just a few of the topics to be explored at this year's COSM summit. Anyone with an interest in the future of technology — from corporate senior executives to researchers and technologists — is invited to participate in the conference. Learn more about the speakers and agenda, and register for COSM, here.
Innovations, like ideas, have consequences. One way to be boss of the tech in our lives is to join with top leaders in the tech world for sincere conversation and provocative debate that will illuminate the best way forward.
Andrew McDiarmid is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute. His writing on technology has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, The Herald (UK), BreakPoint, The Technoskeptic magazine, and others. Find Authentic Technology at authentictechnology.org, on Facebook, and on Twitter. Read More Here.
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