Kevin Kelly Can Predict the Future
Kevin Kelly is ridiculously smart. Many know him as the founding executive editor of Wired magazine. But his list of accomplishments extends so far beyond that title. He’s written numerous popular books, including Cool Tools and What Technology Wants. He also co-founded the All Species Foundation, which is a non-profit seeking to identify and catalog every living species on earth. Popular blogger Tim Ferriss thinks he’s one of the most interesting men in the world — and we can’t help but agree.
Recently, Kevin Kelly dropped by for a LIVE Chat with the Product Hunt community. You can find the full conversation here:
In this conversation, he talks about the technologies he finds most exciting, the concept of a global superorganism, and why it’s better not to be rich. Kevin is a well-respected futurist; given the breadth of his wisdom and gift of discernment, we know we’ve got to listen when he talks about the future of humanity and technology. Read on for more wisdom from one of America’s greatest polymaths.
What are the risks/costs/downsides of being super wealthy as you see it? And what’s the ideal amount of money to have? — Ben Casnocha
Success makes it hard for a person to move away from a local peak onto whatever newer and higher has come along. If you have a billion dollars, those dollars demand attention and energy that takes away attention from something small and marginal — but the next big thing. You might think a billion dollars would make one more risk friendly, but it usually does the opposite. And if you are a good person, the weight and duty of being responsible with the billions you have becomes a burden. And then it almost becomes criminal to pass that burden onto your kids. So what do you do with it, but pay more attention to the billions? It is very hard not to have it run your life.
What do you think of the Wired magazine of today? Has it held up the vision you had when it began? — Jeff Umbro
It’s dangerous for former editors to speak about their past loves, but Wired in the last two years no longer holds my interest as a reader.
If you could start a new technology publication today what would you want it to look like or feel like (tone, content, focus)? -Chris Kay
I ask myself that all the time. I have answers to all those questions, but not the major one of how it would make money. To be honest, I would not want to be editing Wired today because it is almost an impossible job, to be intelligent, radical, edgy, and making enough money to keep going.
You have an absolutely insane list of accomplishments. Is there a certain mindset with which you approach your life and work that you believe enables you to create at such high quality and velocity? — Melissa Joy Kong
My glib answer is that I don’t watch TV. (Our kids grew up without it.) But that is not fair since I watch a LOT of documentaries. A better answer is that I work a lot, but my “work” is usually the kind of thing that also gives me deep pleasure, so I could say I also play a lot. The best answer is simply, the reality is that I have a lot of help. I hire people whenever I can. Mostly freelancers, not interns. I always pay fair. It took me a long while, but hiring others was a breakthrough. I am a big do-it-yourself believer and I still do a lot my self, but more and more I also hire the best expert or professional I can as well. That really ups one’s productivity.
You mentioned in a recent podcast with Tim Ferriss that you see a need for a new mythology to better reconcile the rapid advancements in technology with the actualities of human experience. What does that look like? Where does one start? — Erik Torenberg
On new mythologies: Individuals don’t create them; they are collectively and unconsciously built. But we can salute them as individuals. We can highlight myths we like and find helpful, and in that way feed the ones that work. One of the myths I am playing with right now is the myth of a global superorganism — that we are all part of something very large composed of all of us. If this myth were true it would have major ramifications — although what precisely is not clear.
Do you have an opinion on radical life extension? And if so, how does that effect the myth of the global superorganism? — Cameron Woodward
I think wide progress on life extension will be very slow. There is no Moore’s Law operating in this sector, so while life will be extended it will be much slower than the internet runs, because life runs on evolutionary time.
If you were working on a remake of the Minority Report, what might be different in your rendition of the future? What’s the next big issue we face ethically? — Kunal Bhatia
That’s a great question! I haven’t thought about that, but I should. Let’s say we move it 25 years into the future, to 2075. Some of the policing of pre-crime might be through automated ways that prevent you from doing the crime, rather than human cops. There would also be much more AI, and maybe robots. Here’s the pitch: Minority Report meets Robocop.
Is the Ashley Madison hack just the start of things to come in the era of “privacy is an illusion”? — Tim Chang
Yes, the Ashley Madison [hack] is a very good example of the rule that you should assume — in all aspects of your life — that you live in a transparent world. Sooner or later what you say in email will be shared, where you visit will be open, and what you say to others will be passed on.
What are the top 3 technologies do you find most exciting today? -Star Simpson
AI, VR, and QUANTIFIED SELF sensors.
What’s a lie you tell yourself the most often? — Erik Torenberg
That I am a nice person.
How have you come to make sense of the purpose of this life (individually and collectively)? -Melissa Joy Kong
Your job in life is to discover your job, and it usually takes your whole life to figure this out.
Who would YOU like to have access to — any particular pockets of the world, or characters in society that you’re curious about? — Keren Phillips
Living or dead? There’s a bunch of dead notables I’d like to have over for dinner: Jesus, Tesla, Leonardo, and Thoreau. Among the living, I’d like to chat with JJ. Abrams, Bob Dylan, and Stephen Hawking.
How has your farsighted perspective affected the way you raise your kids? — Zander
I try to remember they are the ones who will choose my nursing home, and so I give them as much slack as I can.
What did you learn as a photographer in Asia? — Teresa Hammerl
I caught a bad case of optimism, despite the fact that I was photographing the disappearing traditions. I learned that humans everywhere are extremely adaptable and ready to improve their lot. They leave these beautiful villages with organic food and strong families to come to crowded slums in overburdened cities because they have more opportunities — which is exactly what I would do if I were born there.
What question do you think not enough of us ask of ourselves? — Melissa Joy Kong
What am I trying to maximize? At my funeral what will people remember about me?
Do you think that we are headed towards a future where no one knows how to work with their hands — and do you see this as a problem, or at least a loss, for humanity? -Joel Clark
Using your own hands will continue to be an option, but only an option. Maker Faires and Etsy will continue to expand, but at the same time, they are never going to return to be the normal. Machine made things will be the norm. Artisan things will continue to be a higher priced option, or a do it yourself option, which is good.
Join Product Hunt for future LIVE Chats with Susan Cain, Dave McClure, Hunter Walk, Tamara Mellon, and many more. You can find the full LIVE Chat schedule here:
Editor’s Note: The Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity.
