About
Bennie Mols
Bennie Mols is a science journalist, author and speaker with twenty years of experience, specialising in artificial intelligence, robots and the human brain. He gives presentations for companies, governments, universities, non-profit organisations and all kinds of general audiences. He published twelve books, most notably Hallo robot (translated into English and Chinese), Living with robots (multimedia e-book) and Turings Tango (in Dutch only – about artificial intelligence). He regularly appears on radio and tv to talk about artificial intelligence and robots. He graduated from physics and philosophy and holds a PhD in physics. With this background he uniquely combines in his presentations the fields of science, technology and philosophy, always asking the question how the combination of these three disciplines can improve people’s lives.
His motto is: ‘The world looks so different after learning science‘, a statement by one of his heroes, the physicist Richard Feynman.
1. Future of the brain
Which techniques will we use to improve our own brains? Can we download our brain and upload new knowledge and skills? Will man become more computer and the computer more human? Can we imitate our brain on a supercomputer?
2. Artificial intelligence
Computers and robots are getting smarter. Are they going to be smarter than humans? Is artificial intelligence or human intelligence different? How can we combine the best of both?
3. Robots
Robots make people more efficient. Technology has made us more efficient for centuries. Robots do not make people completely unnecessary, they work together with people.
4. Alan Turing
Computer pioneer, hacker of the German Enigma code, inventor of the Turing Test, tragic hero. In his book Turings Tango (2012), Bennie Mols wrote extensively about the life and work of Turing. He also took part in an official Turing test in London in 2014, the first for which a computer was successful. In November 2014, the film ‘The imitation game’ premiered in the Netherlands, about life and work by Alan Turing.
5. Big Data
‘Big Data’ has become a buzzword. But what can and do we really want to do with it?
6. Technological trends
Most people overestimate technology in the short term, but underestimate it in the long term. The science of today determines what the future will look like in a few decades.