Are we at the beginning of the rise of post-human machine intelligence?

Conference Chair, Donald Taylor, said, "Perhaps more than in any other year, the keynote addresses at Learning Technologies this year are discussing profound changes, not just those facing our learning and development community and business, but the social and human effects of technology. Jaron Lanier will be providing the closing address at this January's conference. Jaron offers great insight and challenging perspectives on the human effects of technology and will provide an entertaining, thought-provoking close to the conference."

Jaron Lanier's session, 'Are we at the beginning of the rise of post-human machine intelligence?', opens day two of the conference on 26 January.

Wealth and power now accrue to those who own the computers that can collect the most information over networks, whether they are running hedge funds, search engines, social networks, or spy agencies. This new order doesn't create middle class jobs, so the whole world is devolving into a plutocracy, courtesy of digital networks. If the phenomenon is to be understood as a rise of machine intelligence, then we are entering into the fabled obsolescence of human labour foreseen by a century of science fiction and Marxist writers.

Or, maybe what's happened is that we've tricked ourselves into not noticing that there is actually a new kind of precious human labour that makes the new wealth possible. If people were paid for their role in feeding data into the networks, then a middle class could exist even in a future in which machines get better and better.

Jaron Lanier, author of the widely acclaimed 'You are not a Gadget', is keynoting at Learning Technologies, day two, on 26 January.

Jaron Lanier, the man who coined the term 'virtual reality' is a true polymath: philosopher, artist and computer scientist with a collection of over 700 musical instruments. His writing can be found in the Wall Street Journal as well as in Forbes, Wired Magazine and Scientific American and Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010.

To keep up to date with all the latest news and January 2012 event developments, visit www.learningtechnologies.co.uk and www.learningandskillsevents.com

About Learning Technologies 2012, 25 and 26 January 2012, Olympia 2, London
The Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference is Europe's leading showcase of the technology used for learning at work and provides a wealth of content from the leading exhibitors in the field and a free seminar programme running in five theatres in the exhibition hall. The conference, running alongside the exhibition has expert sessions on learning technology, strategy and the issues facing L&D from some of the leading learning thinkers and visionaries in the industry.

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About Learning and Skills 2012, 25 and 26 January 2012, Olympia 2, London
Learning and Skills 2012 is co-located with the Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference. The Learning and Skills exhibition showcases the entire spectrum of methods, products and services for workplace learning with a focus on people development, learning and performance, learning resources and HR systems and services and is built around a multi-streamed programme of free seminars in four theatres on the exhibition floor.

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The combination of Learning Technologies and Learning and Skills provides access to more than 200 exhibitors and over 120 free-of-charge seminars and is the must attend event for all learning and development professionals.