Rudy van Belkom
Rudy van Belkom is director of Stichting Toekomstbeeld der Techniek (STT) where he conducts research into the influence of technology on our society. In doing so, he emphasizes our own perspective for action: the question is not what future we will have, but what future we want. He also emphasizes the importance of thinking in the long term.
Commissioned by STT, he conducted research into the impact of technology on the future of democracy. For the 2021 Dutch parliamentary elections, he developed the Technologie Kieswijzer, an innovative election compass on tech-related topics such as privacy, fake news and the power of Big Tech. This voting guide attracted a lot of media attention: he gave interviews for VPRO Backlight and Nieuwsuur, among others, and was even mentioned in Zondag met Lubach. No less than 30,000 people used the voting guide.
The insights from the voting guide formed the basis for his book Alive and Clicking, in which he examines the future of (digital) democracy and argues that there is hope for democracy. The book is now in its fourth printing
Rudy previously researched the future of artificial intelligence (AI). Within this research, he discusses what AI exactly is, what the impact can be on society, and what the desired development direction of AI should be (what future do we actually want with AI?). And finally how to design ethically responsible AI (including an ethical design game for AI).
Rudy talks about the importance of future thinking and long-term thinking and the influence of technology on democracy. Some examples of his presentations:
Future thinking
We generally agree that it is important to look ahead. But how do you do that exactly? What methods can you use for this? And how do you translate these insights to the workplace? According to Rudy, the question is not so much how we can predict the future, but rather how we can shape it. In this interactive lecture, futures researcher Rudy van Belkom discusses the art of looking ahead, inspiring you to use your imagination and be more open to change.
The future of democracy
It seems as if our democracy is deadlocked and hijacked by fake news and online trolls. But there are also more and more citizens’ initiatives, citizens’ consultations and there is more political involvement among young people. Democracy is much more vibrant than we think. Based on his new book ‘Alive and clicking’, Rudy van Belkom takes you along inspiring stories and examples worldwide that open the door to a hopeful future.
The future of AI
What is Artificial Intelligence, what is the impact and how will AI develop in the future? Or more importantly: what future do we actually want with AI? Rudy provides insight into the current developments around AI and provides tools for integrating ethics into the design process.