ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN EUROPE
As a Futurist and Humanist, Gerd tells the story of People, Planet, Purpose and Prosperity
*Fee ranges are an estimation for a live keynote speech in an European venue, they can vary significantly depending on the specific requests of the clients, the type of performance, the preparation time and the travel time which is requested. Travel and accommodation costs are not included.
Over the past two decades, Gerd Leonhard has risen to one of the top 10 futurist keynote speakers worldwide. With over 2,000 engagements in 60+ countries since 2004, and a combined audience of over 2.5 million people, Gerd has been listed by Wired magazine as one of the Top 100 Most-Influential People in Europe, and as ‘one of the leading media futurists in the World’ by The Wall Street Journal. Gerd focuses on the future of humanity and technology, digital ethics, artificial intelligence, future leadership and foresights.
His keynotes, speeches and presentations are renowned for their hardhitting and provocative style – inspiring, humorous, motivational, and always personal. Using cutting edge creative motion design, Gerd’s performances have become a unique immersive experience on the big screen, reinventing the visual side of the conference industry. Gerd is highly regarded as a global influencer and has advised many business leaders and government officials around the globe.
His diverse list of clients include governments, NGOs and Fortune 500 companies such as SAP, Microsoft, Google, Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG, Sony, UBS, Tetrapak, Mastercard, BBC, Unilever, Lloyds Bank, WWF, Sony, The Guardian, Telkom Indonesia, Siemens, RTL, France Telecom, The Financial Times, Ogilvy, Omnicom, The EU Commission, VISA, Audi, NetAPP and many others.
A true thought leader in the futurist space, Gerd is above all a dedicated humanist who believes that all technological progress should further collective human flourishing. His credo is simple: People, Planet, Purpose and Prosperity.
Gerd uses his keynotes, presentations, workshops and advisory sessions to deep-dive on complex topics. Recurring themes include the coming redefinition of human-machine relationships, exploring what it means to be human in a world of machines and algorithms, the future of work and jobs, and the ethics of technology. As Gerd likes to say, humanity will change more in the next 20 years than in the previous 300 years – so let’s maintain and protect what makes us human!
Gerd Leonhard has spent his lifetime engaging with change, as a professional artist, internet entrepreneur, and author; now exploring the role of visionary thinker and speaker. Gerd’s background is in the music business; in 1985 he won Berklee College ‘Quincy Jones Award’ and subsequently spent 12 years working as a professional guitarist, composer and producer. He then caught the internet-bug and became a digital music & media entrepreneur. From 1995 to 2002 he served as Founder/CEO of several internet startups, based in San Francisco. In 2002, following the .com meltdown and the 9/11 crisis, Gerd returned to Europe and discovered his new calling as a futurist and as the CEO of The Futures Agency, a global network of over 40 leading futurists, speakers and personalities. The future is already here – we just haven’t paid enough attention! As we rush headlong into a machine-led world where the very essence of human being is being increasingly challenged, Gerd is reminding us to consider what moral values are we prepared to stand up for before “being human” alters its meaning forever. Gerd travels around the globe to speak at leading conferences, events and seminars, helping “The future is already here – we just haven’t paid enough attention!” individuals, enterprises and government organizations to deal with ‘future shock’, and to embrace change.
Gerd is also an influential author. He is the co-author of the visionary book ‘The Future of Music’ and the author of five other books including his last best-seller, ‘Technology vs. Humanity’, which is now available in ten languages.
Gerd’s films on the future of technology and humanity, digital transformation and artificial intelligence have reached millions of viewers. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA, London) and an advisory board member of the Indian and Canadian Research Institutes.
He resides in Zürich, Switzerland and presents both in English and German.
The 3 challenges – 2025 is a fighting year
The year 2025 isn't just pivotal – it's the stage for a new world order. Donald Trump's administration has plunged diplomacy and economics into chaos, establishing misinformation and intimidation as cornerstones of global interaction. What happens if truth is negotiable, bullying is normal, and established diplomacy is upended? As longstanding alliances strain and trust erodes, the critical question emerges: how long before U.S. democracy fractures completely, and what comes next? Which opportunities may result from this crisis (such as the USofE) ? Simultaneously, the climate emergency is no longer just a potential threat— it's here, now; devastatingly real and relentless. And if that's not enough, while humanity could potentially prosper with the wide availability of amazing AI tools, we must also face the possibility of Artificial General Intelligence (our last invention?) Will AGI elevate humanity to unprecedented heights, or swiftly render us irrelevant? The fight for The Good Future is ON – and this keynote will show the way forward.
The Good Future? yes, we can!
Our world is changing faster than ever, fueled by deep geopolitical shifts, long-standing, complex conflicts and regional wars, the accelerating climate emergency, the mind-boggling pace of technological transformation and the confusion that comes with the meteoric rise of AI. What used to be unthinkable or deemed impossible is quickly becoming the new normal, and science fiction is increasingly becoming science fact. The excitement about amazing new tech is real, but worries about the future are also at an all-time high. So how could we reset i.e. rebrand the future as ‘good'? How could it become a reality? How can humanity go beyond the amazing science and the cool tools towards more collaboration and TELOS , Gerd Leonard believes that The Good Future is real and attainable – and I'm ready to explore it with you!
DIGITAL LABOR: AI AGENTS, AUTOMATION AND THE FUTURE OF WORK
Why ‘Smart’ Machines Still Can’t Replace You
Beyond AI: What really matters in technology & society by 2030
THINK LARGER. IMAGINE. PREPARE.
Examining Techno-Optimism
Too much of a good thing can be a very bad thing
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