Jack Uldrich

In this wildly forward-looking but ultimately fascinating and informative keynote presentation, global futurist and best-selling author Jack Uldrich will not only explain how artificial intelligence is transforming farming and agriculture, he will also explore how related advances in robotics, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and quantum computing are all converging at this unique time in human history.

The truth is that today’s “bleeding edge” and “cutting edge” technologies are moving into the mainstream at a breakneck pace, and yesterday’s science fiction will soon be tomorrow’s science-based reality.

Advances in synthetic biology promise plants that enhance their own photosynthesis and fix their own nitrogen; quantum computing will optimize logistics and deliver ultra-precise weather forecasts; next- generation robotics will create new business models like “swarm farming” as well as new terms such as “micro-robotic pollinators,” and nanotechnology will be used to manufacture everything from self-healing crop coatings and nano-biopesticides to “smart dust” and “smart” packaging.

Few people are better prepared than Jack to guide your organization into this brave new future. He has been thinking and writing about this moment for more than two decades. He is the author of multiple books including “The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology WIll Change the Future of Your Business;” “Jump the Curve,” a book that covered exponential trends in technology; “Higher Unlearning,” which dealt with change management in the face of a rapidly changing future; “Business as Unusual,” a short manifesto that outlined ten strategies for coping with this unique moment in human history; and, most recently, “A Smarter Farm: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Agriculture.”

For those who are fearful of technology and AI, Jack argues that those concerns are justified but, ultimately, society’s greatest obligation is to leverage these powerful new tools to create a better, healthier and more regenerative world. In the process, these new technologies and platforms can also be harnessed in such a way to make the future better by allowing all individuals–including farmers and agri-business leaders–to focus on those characteristics and skills that are–and will remain-uniquely human.

Agriculture is on the cusp of revolutionary change. The confluence of a series of powerful technological, geopolitical, economic, and social megatrends will create an increasingly chaotic and cloudy future for everyone.

Within this swirling sea of uncertainty, a literal world of opportunity awaits those who accept change, stay flexible, embrace experimentation, and work to create a culture of innovation.

In this energetic, entertaining, educational, and enlightening keynote presentation, futurist and best-selling author Jack Uldrich will begin by outlining the startling–and sometimes staggering–advances in artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, gene-editing, robotic automation, sub-orbital Internet, and precision and vertical farming. He will then discuss how these trends are converging with other seismic shifts in geopolitics, consumer behavior, and economics to drive everything from innovative new financing models to advances in sustainable energy, and the growth of regenerative agriculture. 

Uldrich will conclude by sharing concrete actions farmers and agribusiness leaders can take to not only survive but thrive in tomorrow’s world of rapidly accelerating change.

In the past 100 years, the world has witnessed a startling amount of change—everything from mass industrialization and globalization to space flight and longer life expectancies. Experts are now predicting society will witness a comparable amount of change within the next two decades. Noted global futurist Jack Uldrich will provide a fast-paced and insightful overview of how ten technological trends—genomics, artificial intelligence, Blockchain, Internet of Things (sensors), satellites, data analytics, genomics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, 5G/rural broadband, renewal energy, artificial meat, and urban agriculture—are fueling significant change within the agriculture industry. Uldrich will then share a number of “unlearning” strategies workshop attendees can employ today to not only prepare themselves for tomorrow’s change but also seize the opportunity to create a better and brighter future for their patients and the people with whom they work. 

Major Take-Aways: 

• Gain an understanding of how technological trends are transforming agriculture
• Come to appreciate why unlearning will be just as important as learning in the future
• Become aware of the skills necessary to “create your own future”
• Change is the only constant. In order to prosper in the future, flexibility and adaptability are key.
• The future is here now. To glimpse it, however, one must expose him or herself to diverse individuals and divergent ideas.
• To appreciate all the future has to offer one must “learn to unlearn” and embrace ambiguity.
• The future is incredibly bright. To capture its full potential, a healthy belief in the “impossible” is necessary.