Will A.I. use up all the worlds electricity? Or will A.I. contribute more by helping us solve the world’s sustainability problems?

In an era of ‘exponential AI,’ the answers have huge implications for our future, but they are far from clear, because ICTs contribute in so many ways to energy savings as well as use.

I meet with IT & sustainability guru Dr Vlad Coroama for an in-depth look at both sides of the ledger.

After exploring direct contributions and costs, Vlad takes the discussion up a level by exploring secondary effects (positive and negative) to get me thinking MUCH bigger about the dynamics shaping our future. We have a lot of coffee-fuelled fun going back and forth over his ideas! And of course Vlad draws on his research to offer some overall assessments of where we are headed with AI, data centers and energy.

Vlad Coroama heads the Roegen Centre for Sustainability (RC4S) where he assists governments in using digital technologies to save energy and emissions, and in reducing the direct footprint of digitalisation. Much of his work focuses on the rapidly increasing energy/carbon footprint of AI and data centers. He has researched the complex relationships between computing and sustainability for 20 years in Switzerland (ETH Zurich, Empa), Brazil (University of São Paulo), Portugal (Instituto Superior Técnico, Coimbra University), Sweden (KTH Stockholm), and Germany (TU Berlin).

You will enjoy Vlad's company. He is a BIG thinker, he builds his arguments thoughtfully, based on data, and he has a way of cutting through complexity using simple, powerful examples. The world needs 10,000 more like him!

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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be up on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com

Enjoy the insights? Follow, share, and leave a review to help more curious listeners find the show :-)

First generation surgical robots, such as the Da Vinci set new benchmarks for precision and accuracy. With A.I. and robotics developments racing ahead at breakneck speed, what new capabilities are in the pipeline? How might next-generation surgical robots impact the future of healthcare?

I visit Prof. Philipp Fürnstahl, a global leader in this field, to unpack how his robots are going beyond vision to listen and feel and apply other senses as they operate. He compares orthopaedic and soft-tissue systems, explains why preop plans must be supplemented by real-time context, dives into spinal surgery as an early use-case for his next-gen robots, and explains the systems challenges of integrating the new innovations with teams, operating room workflows, telemedicine and training.

And as you will hear, Philipp gets me thinking much bigger about which patients will benefit and why. With procedure demand rising and surgeons in short supply, the opportunity is more than safer and more precise surgery, it's scaleable surgery.

Prof. Fürnstahl has authored more than 150 publications in computer-assisted surgery. As well as heading the lab at Balgrist, he is Professor for Research in Orthopedic Computer Science (ROCS) at the University of Zürich. He invited me to visit him at the Computer-Aided Surgery Lab at Balgrist University Hospital where we toured the full-scale surgical theatre used to test the robots.

My thanks to Philipp and his colleagues for so generously sharing their insights and answering all my questions.

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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review to help more listeners find FutureBites.

Will we worship A.I.? How are religions already rejecting, adopting or adapting to A.I.? How could A.I. re-shape the future of organised religion?

Could the questions get any bigger?

My conversation today is with THE global expert on the AI and religion, Prof Beth Singler. Beth explores adoption, rejection, and adaptation responses from organized religion, gives vivid examples of chatbot “priests” and theomorphic robots already being used in religious rituals, and helps me think much more expansively about the future implications and dangers.

We also discuss the secular world and how utopian dreams and quasi-religious metaphors fuel the pressure to “accelerate” A.I. without bounds.

Beth discusses harmful outcomes she is seeing, and the boundaries and safety considerations we should all keep in mind. We also look at how A.I. can help prick the bubble of human exceptionalism and teach us some much-deeded humility. As you will hear, once you start exploring A.I. and religion, you cannot help but reflect more deeply on how A.I. will impact all aspects of our lives, spiritual and otherwise.

It's a fun conversation (Beth is truly brilliant!) and at the same time deals with serious, high-stakes issues that we all need to be discussing about our (near) future.

Prof Beth Singler has written multiple books and produced a series of documentaries in her long and distinguished career researching AI and religion. She is Assistant Professor in Digital Religion(s) and Co-Director, University Research Priority Programme in Digital Religion(s) at the University of Zurich (UZH). What a joy and privilege it was to learn from her!

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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com

How do we model the climate? How to make predictions at a local level? What role does AI play? What do our models predict about the future of extreme weather events?

We sit down with world-leading atmospheric scientist Prof. Andreas Prein to pull back the curtain on how weather and climate models really work. Andreas describes the evolution of weather and climate modelling, the mechanics of prediction, where AI shines and struggles, the complex interconnections with other earth systems, and the important considerations when undertaking 'climate change attribution' for extreme weather events.

Inspired by first-hand experiences of extreme weather in his youth, Andreas dedicated his career to improving the understanding atmospheric systems. Nowadays he leads the High-Resolution Weather and Climate Modeling group at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science (IAC), part of the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich).

It’s a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation. We've all wondered what’s behind the predictions about the biggest force of change shaping our future, and this episode has the answers!

Enjoy the podcast!

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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com

Digital disinformation and the declining quality of newsmedia is one of the most important challenges of our time. Everyone is aware of it, and its easy to get overwhelmed and conclude it’s can’t be solved.

But there ARE pathways forward, and sometimes it takes a fresh evidence-driven perspective to illuminate them.

Enter Mark Eisenegger, Professor of Public Sphere and Society, Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich, who leads a research program which has now accumulated 15 years of solid data on media quality and consumption trends in Switzerland. What can the Swiss context teach us? A lot, actually!

Join us as Mark dissects the trends, discusses differences between countries and – most importantly – explores what actions we can take to preserve a healthier “news future.”

It’s a wonderful conversation backed by evidence, and with more than a few surprises to share!

Enjoy the podcast!

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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com

Why does the most cited fisheries scientist in the world call modern fisheries a global Ponzi scheme?

Welcome to part two of our dive into the future of oceans, where my focus is still on the pathways we can take to preserve ocean ecosystems and fisheries for the future, but this time I’m putting my questions to Daniel Pauly.

Daniel is Professor of the Institute of Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia, and Principal Investigator of the Sea Around Us Project, winner of the 2023 Tyler Prize (the "Nobel prize for environmental achievement") and author or co-author, over his distinguished career, of more than 1,000 science papers, articles, books and book chapters.

And he does NOT pull punches.

In this brutally honest conversation about the state of our oceans and the impact of modern fishing practices, Daniel speaks plainly about:

• The beginnings of the technologically-enabled “War on Fish” in 1880
• Current global trajectory for overfishing
• The absurdity of having one-third of commercial fishing value subsidized, allowing unprofitable operations to continue despite dwindling stocks
• How ending subsidies would be a giant step towards a fix
• Marine sanctuaries: government promises versus enforcement inaction
• How modern technology could easily be used to enforce regulations
• Distinctions between sustainable and highly destructive forms of aquaculture
• The devastating ecological consequences of changing ocean currents
• Why deep-sea mining must be stopped

Take a moment to meditate on Daniel’s insights, then share them. Our oceans are so vastly important to our future, and yet most people spend NO time thinking about them. All the technology to preserve our oceans exists. The solutions are clear. The only missing piece is the will to implement them.

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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com

How do we feed another 2 billion AND preserve the future of ocean ecosystems?

In 2025, over three billion people rely on seafood as a significant source of protein. Over 80% of the world's biodiversity comes from oceans. A multitude of ocean ecosystems are in crisis mode.

By 2086, the global population is projected to increase by another 2.2 billion (from 8.1 today to 10.4 at peak). How can we feed them and make future fisheries sustainable?

This is a topic of VAST importance in determining our future, and yet most of us know almost nothing about it!

Join me in Vancouver, Canada, for an insightful and wide-ranging discussion with William Cheung, Director and Professor of the Institute of Oceans and Fisheries and Principal Investigator for the Changing Ocean Research Unit at the University of British Columbia and one of the world's foremost experts on this subject. Professor Cheung explores the current state of the oceans, threats to ocean ecosystems, the key trade-offs in managing and conserving marine resources, the impacts and advantages of different types of aquaculture, and of course the positive pathways we can take to shape a better, more sustainable future.

Professor Cheung considers it fundamental to strengthen public connectedness to ocean ecosystems, which is what this episode is all about!

Enjoy the podcast!

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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com

How do we create a happier future? What are the factors that influence happiness? What can we do as managers and leaders to enhance happiness, and why is this fundamental to achieving ALL our goals?

Join me for a deeply insightful discussion with John Helliwell, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of British Columbia, and editor of the World Happiness Report 2025.

They can be no more universal theme than this. Happier organizations are more productive. They are more innovative. They are more resilient. Happier societies are safer and healthier and more giving. A deeper understanding of the factors helps us make more effective personal and professional decisions. Happiness benefits EVERYONE. With laughter and good humour and vast knowledge of his subject, John shares a ton of actionable advice for leaders.

If you only listen to one FutureBites episode, make it this one.

And when you're finished, I urge you to download and read the report.

Because we CAN influence happiness, and because moving happiness back to centre-stage in our measures of progress is one of the surest pathways we can take to a better future.

Enjoy the podcast!

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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com