Our Age of Transformation

This is a full hour-long version of the talk "Our Age of Transformation" that CEO Pete Leyden gives to organizations all over the world. The talk covers a range of subjects, including insights into the digital revolution, new media, and demographic trends - and how these shifts are creating global transitions in economics, politics, and problem-solving. This version of "Our Age of Transformation" was given in Atlanta, Georgia, at a global company's annual meeting. On this page, please find each section of the talk in order, from top to bottom. To see more video of Pete Leyden speaking, please go here.

An Introduction to "Our Age of Transformation"

This introduction gives a big-picture overview of some of the trends that Leyden discusses in the talk. He sets the stage with a sense of the challenges that the world is facing, and how we are currently going through some major transformations in a historic sense. These transformations and paradigm shifts will be fueled by advancements in technology and shifts in demographics, and will allow us to confront some of today's biggest challenges, including climate change.

 

 

The Digital Revolution Continues

In this section, Leyden covers the basics of the digital revolution, including the explosive growth of Moore's Law, and what that means for the future of technology. Now, he says, the power of a mainframe computer is in the hands of anybody with an iPad. This, combined with widening access to the internet on a global scale, puts huge power in the hands of everybody. Thes trends set the stage for huge shifts in politics, media, and problem solving.

 

What's Next in New Media

In this video, Leyden gives an overview of the huge shifts currently underway in media production and distribution. He posits that advances in technology are putting powerful media creation and distribution tools in the palms' of our hands, and that this is leading to a democratization of media. At the same time, digital tools like the iPad are making it easier than ever for consumers to engage with media in new, profound ways.

 

 

The Millennial Generation

This segment delves into the millennial generation. Leyden explains that this generation is the largest in American history, and that its size will profoundly impact the country's landscape. Leyden says that this generation is diverse, endowed, global, and civic-minded - distinguishing them from past generations like Gen-X. The millennial generation boom is also accompanied by a melding of America, by which it will be a majority minority country by 2050.

 

The Global Long Boom

In this segment, Leyden discusses the global long boom, or the idea that shifts in innovation and development can profoundly influence growth over a long-term, international scale. Leyden points to other periods of growth in American history, such as the post-WWII boom, and says that we're in such a period right now. Leyden also discusses the rise of China and what that could mean for America's future.

 

 

 

 

The Renewable Energy Future

In this section, Leyden says that, because of global warming and increasing oil costs, it's inevitable that America and the world will shift to clean and renewable energy within the next century. Leyden describes what this would mean, and how it could happen: through an embrace of a range of technologies, including nuclear, wind power; as well as harnessing efficiency gains. Leyden describes how this might take place with a case study of the US energy grid.

 

 

 

21st Century Challenges

In this section, Leyden says that there is an upcoming paradigm shift in how to solve problems. He discusses how, through advancements in technology and networking capacity, people are beginning to be able to efficiently and successfully collaborate on large-scale challenges. He points to a surge in new collaboration tools, and the example of a virtual choir, as evidence of this shift.

 

 

 

 

America's Periodic Transformation

In the final part of this talk, Pete Leyden pulls back and puts our era within the larger scope of American history. He says that our current transformation has a lot in common with that of the post-WWII period, when America was up against some big challenges (like the threat of nuclear war,) but also put technology and human capital to work in positive, transformative ways. Leyden ends with a Q&A session with the audience.