Member Article

Technology minds head north for conference

Some of technology’s greatest visionaries will head to North East England from around the world in May to discuss the ideas and technologies of the near future.

Ray Kurzweil, a futurist who predicts computer intelligence will surpass human intelligence in 2029, Aubrey de Grey, a biogerentologist who says we can engineer a cure for the ageing process, and Greg Dyke, the former director general of the BBC, are among those speaking at the inaugural Thinking Digital conference, which will take place at the Sage Gateshead, NewcastleGateshead, on 21-23 May. A full list of speakers can be found atwww.thinkingdigital.co.uk.

Herbert Kim, programme director for Thinking Digital, said: “As technologies get more and more sophisticated and complex, they’re driving an ever-greater need for concerned and informed individuals to meet face-to-face in order to better understand the changes in our world, digest the future trends we face, and think creatively about what we can do.

“We have created the Thinking Digital conference to bring together some of the world’s brightest, most accomplished and innovative minds as speakers, sponsors and delegates across a wide variety of disciplines, industries and functions. This is a rare chance to look across borders, boxes and walls in order to stimulate new thinking, insights and connections.”

The conference will start on 21 May with a series of workshops. The talks will begin on day two, with sessions on the future of media, the network effect, technology and even happiness. The final day will include sessions on globalisation, mobile 2.0 and management in the digital age.

The Thinking Digital conference is being organised by Codeworks, North East England’s centre for digital innovation. It will take place at the Sage Gateshead and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on 21-23 May. Anyone booking before Monday 21 April will receive a discounted price of £549.

For more information and to book places, visit www.thinkingdigital.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .