In this episode of the Futurist Society, host Dr. Awesome interviews William Smith, the Director of Strategy at Microsoft and a renowned consultant and author in the future space. William discusses his book ‘Future Tech’, which explores emerging technologies and their potential impact on humanity. The conversation delves into various aspects of artificial intelligence, including its current use, future advancements, and societal implications. William also shares insights on other futuristic technologies such as quantum computing, smart homes, nuclear fusion, and space technology. Join Dr. Awesome and William Smith as they discuss the innovations shaping the future of tech.

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The Future of Tech – A Conversation with William Smith

Hi everybody, and welcome back to the Futurist Society, where as always, we are talking in the present, but talking about the future. Today, I have a really special guest, William Smith. He is the Director of Strategy at Microsoft. He has a consulting firm as well as being a published author in the futurist space. He’s going to tell us a little bit about his book as well as some of the stuff that he’s doing with startups in the Chicago community. Thank you so much, William, for coming and sharing your insight with us. If you could just tell us a little bit about who you are and the things that you’re interested in and especially your book, I’d really appreciate that.

Thank you, Doctor Awesome. And you hit the nail on the head. Consultant, fractional CTO, futurist. I have a book out as well. Very excited about the future, a little bit of an evangelist when it comes to certain things. A lot of the conversations that people have, of course, with AI, but there’s so many advancements beyond that that are very interesting that people should be aware of.

Cool, man. Tell us about your book just so we can have something to know you by. Cause I know that people are probably wondering, where do we get this? I know it’s on Amazon and the name of it is Future Tech, and it’s a collection of essays on emerging technologies and their impact on humanity. So tell us a little bit about it because I do want to speak about your strength, which is artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity.

Absolutely. So the why for the book kind of stems from my past and my childhood. Like, telling my older folks what the next “x” is going to be or even just how to fix their computer at this point of time right now. I’ve always been really interested in things like Sci-Fi movies to anime to different little writings and stuff, and there wasn’t really anything out there that kind of brought everything together. So what I wanted to do is to bring everything in layman’s terms to people. Like what their child can start to learn when they’re in high school or in grade school that can prepare them for the next ten years. Of course AI is going to be involved. I wrote this book in 2021, right before the huge AI hype. So it’s all in my words and no editing from a GPT perspective. It tells the story of what we think about AI when it comes to, generally speaking, the three categories and understanding how it will be embedded into our lives. Smart cities, smart factories, space factories, advertising, automated cars, all the cool stuff. The news isn’t going to really promote this stuff, it’s going to be more cynical like ” X accident happened just because some automated reader didn’t understand an input.” So it’s just a general, non-biased viewpoint of what I see the next future is going to be with references to the exact publications of those academic postings as well.

Oh man, I love that because I have an academic background and it’s so easy to just talk from a place of experience. And I love when people bring in objective evidence, journal articles that are proving this versus that. So I really appreciate you talking about that. Let’s dive into artificial intelligence because that is certainly a strong suit of yours. You were Director of Strategy at Microsoft. Tell us a little bit about that. What are they hoping to accomplish with artificial intelligence?

When I was part of the Copilot generation, right before it was announced as an actual product, I helped organize a roadshow within the central US. The roadshow aimed to educate customers on preparing for the next generation of AI and managing their data, particularly from a ChatGPT perspective. During this event, I had conversations with technical leaders and business leaders. Microsoft, at its core, creates products for enterprises of all sizes—small, medium, and large—without focusing on a specific use case. They design products for everyone.

Copilot tries to bridge the gap between these varied needs. It may not be as advanced as others, like Gemini or Claude, but it provides an environment accessible to any enterprise customer willing to pay. It’s understandable, easily integrated with features we’re accustomed to. Quite frankly, what they are trying to invest into next is expanding on those services. Each service will incorporate some level of AI capability. As Satya mentioned at Build this year, over the next few years they plan to integrate AI into all their toolsets. This means plain Excel will become much easier for creating documents and spreadsheets. The same goes for Word and especially PowerPoint, which needs help.

People would say PowerPoint is my love language. So I take a little bit of offense to that. I love making PowerPoint slides.

I do too. It’s just, you know, it’s just hard.

It’s monotonous. And I started using AI for slide creation and also for just creating an outline. So I see some of these shortcuts. And so if I have a lecture on something, I’ll say, “Give me an outline for this lecture.” And it will create an outline and then I’ll expand based on my own knowledge base on that stuff. And that definitely helps, like the organizational component helps. But I feel like, when is it going to transfer into our lives in what I think the best case scenario is, which is a true copilot? Which is, you know, I’m saying to this person, “Hey, let’s make a presentation about this together.” And, “No, I don’t like the way this looks”, you know, that kind of stuff. When is it going to feel natural? When is the layperson going to be able to get more out of using a kind of a lame software, like PowerPoint?

I like how you put that in there. I’ll say, generally speaking, it is still in copilot mode. So we’re still driving the ship, it’s just giving us everything we need to be good at driving and helping us navigating. It needs to get to a better AGI perspective where it may not be totally comprehensible, as a human would be, but enough to understand specific tasks, diversify those tasks into sub-tasks, and then culminate back together where it’s able to distinguish, based on this research, what we can do. Generally speaking, people put it in years; they say ten to twenty years. That’s when we’ll generally have AGI. I’d say, in the next ten to fifteen years, one of the things that will be more revolutionary is more AI assistance and then assistance leading to actual directors and organizers. So in the next five to seven years, we may have more robotics-based engines, whether they be software or hardware. We may have a robotic butler soon that can do tasks, right? Like, imagine Dr. Awesome. You’ve got a robot nurse handing you the specific tool set, and you have visualization of your…

I would take a robot to do my laundry or to wash my dishes today. Like, give me a price tag and I would pay it. I can’t wait until that comes out. I don’t think I even need artificial and general intelligence. I think I need something that is going to take away all of the mundane tasks. That’s what I’m looking for. Like, is that a 10 or 15-year timeframe or is it going to be that long?

All the tasks… it has to be specific. You know, there are going to be kinks in the road. There will be issues. Like any software that you bring out, you know, it needs to be perfected. There will be bugs. I’ll say you’ll start seeing the first ones that roll out that can be the housekeeping bots, right? It does all the tasks. So it’s like a Roomba on steroids where it’s got legs and can actually move things and place objects how you want. There’s a startup that I advise—shout out to Guillermo. He has a startup that helps housekeepers not only efficiently clean houses because they have an exact way it is supposed to be done, but they take that formula, pre-train how the house is supposed to look, and then the AI assistant or the AI housekeeper comes in and starts putting things the right way they need to be. If something’s out of place, like if it’s a cat, it can move it right back to where it needs to go. Yeah, awesome, right?

Yeah, I can’t wait until that happens, man. But the reason why I wanted you to talk about your time with Microsoft is, first off, I’m a big Microsoft fan. I think I was probably one of the only people to own a Windows phone. I was a big-time, huge fan of all the things that Microsoft has put out. The thing I like about Microsoft is that it provides accessible software to those three tiers you talked about. You could have a Fortune 500 company running on Microsoft or you could have a food truck running on Microsoft.

The wide range of technology offerings that Microsoft has, to me, democratizes technology. I feel like people often worry about the fact that it’s going to be expensive and out of reach. For example, the Apple Vision Pro, the augmented reality, virtual reality device, is so expensive that most people cannot afford it. It doesn’t provide value for someone living paycheck to paycheck, but their Android phone really does provide a lot of value. I feel Google is a much more democratic company in that they have technological offerings for everyone.

So I guess my question to you is, what do you see coming for the layperson? What can they be excited about other than the work stuff, like the helping bots and everything like that? What would you say to someone like your parents, who might not have the technological know-how that you and I do? What is coming down the pipeline from Microsoft for them? Other than just having a robot, what do you see coming for them?

Yeah. And really quickly, back to your Apple Vision remark. I did a product test review for it, and you mentioned a great thing – the price of it sucks. But another thing that sucks is how relatable it is to its previous product line and how ergonomic it is. I felt like my face was just pulling down as I was watching things. So I agree with you, some of those things need to be worked out. But back to your question. I would say a lot of great things are happening. The first one is that ChatGPT is bringing out a wave of instant innovation. It’s helping us get ideas out, make pictures, and create different things. That’s awesome. It’s enough to get people dangerously started, and that’s going to evolve over time. We can say, “Okay, well, listen, this hasn’t been made yet, but you could actually work this thing out.”

One thing I’ll speak on is quantum. Quantum is coming very soon. I talked with a few experts at the UChicago booth, and they mentioned that there’s at least a ten-year roadmap. So within the next ten years, there will be a rollout of innovation when it comes to quantum. Right now, it’s used in academia and certain specialized use cases, but eventually, we’ll start having MacBooks with quantum capabilities.

The second one I’m interested in is more automated cars. I know a lot of people are talking about having those farms where automated cars can just park themselves. Teslas are able to recall and retract as they will, even now, in specific areas. They face legal backlash because of how much control they give and take. It’s always a battle of who’s right and who’s wrong. But I’m more excited about the technology of just being able to drive because that makes for safer roads. People want to have control, but these computers are much faster to the chain than we are. So I’m more excited about that.

Another thing I’m excited for is smarter homes. I grew up within that smart house age. I don’t know if you remember that movie Smart House from Disney.

Yeah.

But it was pretty cool seeing that house. It was like our first AI of the nineties. Well, it wasn’t the first, but it was a cool Disney spin on it. I liked how it knew when to wake up, they had AI assistance to help with tasks, and it could detect if one of the kids was having problems at home or school. That same rendition could apply to our homes and families. Your kids might not tell you everything, but the AI can patternize behaviors and detect fluctuations, not just from puberty but also from bullying at home or school, or anxiety from a test. It could control the lights, play music when getting ready, and so on. Instead of you telling Alexa to do this, it would already be programmed to run on your own algorithm.

Yeah, I think there are a lot of benefits to having smart technology. Let me give you an example. I took this AI class at MIT as an elective thing I’m doing, not associated with any degree or anything like that. It was just a certificate they were offering for AI and healthcare. Right now, they’re working on a wearable device for Parkinson’s patients that can detect by movement whether the person’s medication is working or not. I think sensor technology is going to be a true breakthrough.

I think that there’s a lot of benefits to having smart technology.

I agree that it’s really interesting to see what people are creating in this space. Your mention of the Disney Channel show and their spin on artificial intelligence ties into a big interest of mine, which is science fiction. This includes both Disney offerings and anime, which I’m also a huge fan of. You have some utopian science fiction and some dystopian science fiction. What do you think are the best examples of utopian science fiction that actually have a real promise of happening?

You mentioned Smart House, but I’m sure you consume a lot of science fiction the same way I do, based on our mutual backgrounds. For me, I always look back at Star Trek as the most ideal utopian science fiction. But there are lots of others out there, and I want to know your thoughts on it.

And that’s a good question because I like a lot of mecha and space-type ones. Of course, Alien probably isn’t going to happen unless they genetically modify a cat to kill us all. But that’s a good question. Cyberpunk is one of my favorite games, and it’s based on old cyberpunk renditions. It’s almost like it’s going to be that in a way, not to say where everyone’s crazy and warped, but I feel it’s going to be a more liberal and robust society. You’ll have people opting into augmentations. Like how we have now, right? We have people who opt for reductions or enhancements and fix their faces. But imagine implants that are smarter.

I cannot wait until augmentation is something like the idea of cyberpunk, having the ability to increase your strength or mental capabilities. My God, I cannot wait for that. People think of that as dystopian, but I really think of it as utopian. I think a lot of interesting things are going to happen if we get to that point.

Yeah. Imagine, like, you just go in with the mantis arms, and then you’re like, “Oh, sorry, let me pick this up for you.” – and it’s a car.

Yeah, I know. So, no, that’s cool. I like cyberpunk as a genre. The stuff that’s crazy to me from cyberpunk science fiction is the whole idea of your digital self. To me, that’s something that might be a little bit scary for people. There are lots of things people are scared about with artificial intelligence, but the idea of people having conversations completely in the digital world—like you’re just sitting next to each other and having a conversation, as in Ghost in the Shell—is something that scares a lot of people. They have this idea that conversation should happen the same way we’re having it now, through sounds produced by our vocal cords and heard by our ears. And that seems very scary to them. What would you say to people like that?

Yeah, it’s going to be hard to convince like my parents. Like you say, the dystopian and how things are kind of blurred, like with stuff like Black Mirror, which is ultra-real but then has a dark twist. Taking the dark twist out of everything and just thinking about the future and how our lives are going to be different. I’d say the first rendition of that is definitely digital twins. You have a digital entity that runs with multiple simulations, and it’s the digital version of the realistic one. For example, Michelin created one in partnership with Microsoft for Michelin tires. They created it in a way where it can track how long it should normally last and how long it will last under different conditions like normal use, rough roads, higher elevations, XYZ, and different types of cars.

Thinking of that, even with simulations. I know you watch Black Mirror. There was one where they created simulations, and like one second of ours was ten days for the AI entity. Those types of simulations can be run with a high-speed computer, deep calculations, and understanding of the algorithms, as well as the digital twin being assessed and AI being a rendition as well. But explaining that to my older folks? Geez, that is hard.

I know it’s hard. I mean, I think that until we give them something of real value, like a robot that can wash their dishes, there will always be this sense of fear associated with these technologies.

Obviously, you’re into artificial intelligence, and everyone’s saying it’s an existential threat that could really turn out poorly for human beings. A lot of that is because dystopian science fiction has paved the way for that idea. When people like your parents think about artificial intelligence, they’re probably thinking about The Terminator and other low-hanging fruit pop culture references. What do you say to people like that who are scared about artificial intelligence?

And it’s an uphill battle. A lot of people are really fearful of what they can’t control. AI is something that everyone has access to, but they can’t control, nor can they stop its rapid change. When you get older, you become more comfortable, so when things change, you feel a bit anxious. The best way I can explain it is that this technology is going to be here, and it’s just a harsh reality you’ll have to become comfortable with. Try to understand it and recognize that, while there are negative cases, there are also a lot of benefits. Many people are benefiting from the current wave of AI innovation, and it’s a way to improve our lives and our trajectory into the next generation.

For example, there’s a startup I work with that uses AI for wealth planning, helping the older generation understand and manage their needs. Another example is a retirement home that uses AI assistants, like little robot helpers, to assist their patients who might feel lonely. There are many great use cases, but, as you say, The Terminator is the one that everyone knows about.

Yeah, I hear that. I mean, I think that those examples you cited, once people adopt them, they’ll be a bit more comfortable with the idea. I’m really interested in the wide variety of use cases you mentioned. On the one hand, you have wealth planning, and on the other, you have nursing homes.

Just out of my own curiosity, we have a small to medium-sized company with 200 employees. It’s in the medical space, but realistically, it’s just clinics. I haven’t found any beneficial artificial intelligence offerings that would help us, and I feel like we’re in that in-between space. We’re using Microsoft products, and maybe something like Copilot could make us more effective. That being said, do you know of anything that would help a small company like ours be more competitive? One thing I worry about is that AI advancements might primarily benefit larger companies that don’t need the advantage, like JPMorgan. I want AI to help companies of my size, and I’m not sure if that exists yet. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Now, you brought up a good point because the wrong people are going to keep doing the wrong things with it, right? Like, those bad actors, such as Anonymous, sometimes work in our favor, but other times they go off the wall.

Regarding a company of the size you’re referring to, they have so many products that you can think about. We don’t have to go too deep into the use case, problem, or business specifics. One thing I noticed that works very well for customers is from a marketing perspective. It can help with generating content for social media, pictures that relate to the content you’re creating. There is even a service you can have that acts as a lead generator, physically reaching out to people, like a bot, and funneling them into the next chain of events, which is more on the sales side of things.

Another instance where AI can be very beneficial is in collaborations between teams. Sometimes teams can’t necessarily get to customers, so they use AI customer bots, both vocal and text-based, for communication. Additionally, AI can assist in communication between team members. If I’m unable to answer or describe a problem, an AI assistant can diagnose the situation and provide a report to someone. I can also list specific products, but not knowing too much about the business, these are just a few things I can mention.

Yeah, no, I can see the fractional CTO coming out in that response, which I really appreciate. Just describe a fractional CTO for people who might not be aware of what that is, if you don’t mind, just for a few seconds.

So, a fractional CTO is no different from a regular CTO; it’s just that their time is fractioned, so they’re not necessarily too vested in the future of the company. Although we want to see you guys do your best, it’s more about solving the immediate-term problems. So if your immediate-term problem is finding candidates for building an app, building an app, or assessing the reliability and cybersecurity of a solution, those are some of the things they look out for. Generally speaking, we’re technical people for the non-technical.

Yeah. The reason why I was asking is because I guess my question is, like, when do you become involved in a company? Like, is a fractional CTO really for companies my size, or can a restaurant chain that owns, like, three restaurants be gaining some value from someone like yourself?

Yep, it could be any size. It could be small or medium. I usually see interim positions more at the enterprise level, but generally speaking, small and medium are usually the best. Especially for smaller businesses like those in healthcare, which constantly need a technical leader. However, you may be building a product that doesn’t necessarily require constant technical assistance. In that case, you can leverage someone who can come in at certain hours or peak points when you need them, and then you can scale them accordingly.

Cool. Well, I mean, it’s certainly something that we’re looking at, and I was just wondering about your take on it. We haven’t made the jump quite yet, but I feel like it’s coming. Everybody has a CTO these days. Even McDonald’s has a CTO. It’s something that is increasingly necessary in the technological age that we are in because technology is very difficult to keep track of. It’s always expanding. Someone like you might be on the cutting edge of it, but someone like me is not. And so that is something that I think is really valuable for any company. I just don’t know where to start, you know? So thank you for sharing that insight with us.

We are coming close to the end of our time, and I did want to ask you the three questions that I ask all of my guests, which are really general questions and definitely interesting when I hear different perspectives from someone like you versus a biologist or someone who is making robots. The one question that I always start with is, where do you gain your inspiration from? The reason why I wanted to bring it up is that science fiction is something that you highlighted. I do want to talk a little bit more about science fiction because it’s something that I’m obviously super interested in. So, tell me a little bit about the science fiction that inspires you.

Absolutely. And, you know, I grew up kind of liking anime, like Gundam.

I love Gundam, such a great series. And such a great commentary on the evils of war. Right?

Yeah.

That philosophy behind it all was really powerful, I thought. 

Yeah. And there are so many I can list, but some that come to mind, like Ghost in the Shell, which you mentioned, were big ones. Cyberpunk was a huge one, especially the book. I’ve always been really focused on technology to the point where I literally have dreams about inventions and ideas, and I think and write them through. One thing that got me into programming was when I saw Iron Man in theaters. Jarvis came up on the screen, and I was so intrigued by how he interacted with it.

I went to a school that wasn’t very technically focused. It really inspired me when a teacher of mine helped me learn Java, which was my entryway into this field. Combined with all the cool anime, like Outlaw Star and Ghost in the Shell, there are so many…

No worries. I was mainly interested in, like, which ones were the most influential for you. And it sounds like the ones that first came out were really important to you.

Yeah.

I love Gundam, and I feel like not only is it a great commentary on war, but it’s the type of future where I can see elements of things that I would want to have. For example, I would want to have satellite colonies in space. I think we’re limiting ourselves by staying on this planet. If we don’t have a viable method for living outside of Earth, it’s very limiting. One meteor strike could destroy the entirety of our species. Another aspect I really liked was the idea of augmenting human capability while still looking human. Mechas still resemble humans.

As someone always interested in increasing my performance, I was shown early on that I was limited by my genetics. There’s no way I can lift a car or fly through the air. If you do have the ability to lift a car or fly, it doesn’t come in a human form. You need a crane to lift heavy objects, for example. I think exoskeletons will be a revolutionary moment for us. We don’t have technology that looks human. What we’ve been doing is augmenting humanity’s capabilities in forms that are easy to manufacture or that serve a specific function. An airplane looks like an airplane because it’s aerodynamic and has physical aspects essential for lift-off and propulsion, but it doesn’t look human. It would be nice to fly or have the experience of flying while still looking and feeling like a human being.

Exactly. Or like a Gundam plane.

I know. Well, they had the transforming ones, right? They had, like, Macross, I think, was the one that had phases. They had an airplane, an in-between phase, and then the final form.

Yeah, yeah, that was good. Macross. Robotech.

Exactly. Yeah, yeah. That was my first introduction to anime. It was a VHS tape that a friend who lived in the same neighborhood let me borrow. He said, “Dude, I just saw the best movie I’ve ever seen. You have got to see this.” So I biked over to his house, picked it up, put it in, and my life was changed forever after that. It was a really interesting view of what we are capable of as a species if it comes to that.

The second question, which I ask everybody: What are some other technologies, aside from artificial intelligence, that you’re interested in and see coming down the pipeline? I mean, there’s so much advancement happening in various industries, right? Medicine, robotics, and more. What are some things you’re seeing as a fan of futurism and science fiction that you just can’t get enough of? Like, you’re like, “Oh my God, another one!” “They just made a breakthrough in this”. Like, “I can’t believe that we’re so close to this.”

I keep an ear out for news about space because I love it. In Chicago, we have the Adler Planetarium, which hosts different events. I’m generally interested in learning about various clusters of constellations and things like that. So any type of space tech or deep space tech that comes out is pretty awesome. Quantum technology is another one I mentioned. And then, smart homes, especially off-the-grid homes that are fully functional, sleek, and modernized, are great. There’s one more that I’m excited about: nuclear fusion.

Yeah. They have a fusion plant just a few blocks from me in Cambridge. They’re closer than they’ve ever been, but I don’t know. Everybody says fusion is another ten years away, but I’ve been getting a lot of news about it relatively recently. I don’t know how real it is, but I agree with you. If we were able to produce clean energy at that scale, it would open up so many other technologies. We wouldn’t be limited by power consumption anymore. 

You’ve got quantum, nuclear fusion, and space… man, it’s looking good.

Yeah. Space technology is something that I feel would be great for your parents to see, right? That’s something that would raise the consciousness of everybody, I think. If we land on the moon again, that would be a great moment for humanity. I think they have another mission planned for next year, so hopefully that will be interesting to watch. But, yeah, man, I agree with you. All those things you mentioned, I’m really following. I can’t wait for that co-robot that is able to fold my laundry, that’s something I’m really excited about.

So, last question. You’re in the artificial intelligence space. What do you see the industry being like in ten years? Do you think it will be permeated throughout our lives by then? Will everybody have access to artificial intelligence, or do you think it will be realistically limited to certain entities? By that, I mean companies like Microsoft, Google, or OpenAI—will they be the ones with AI, and then just give it out to the masses, or will it be much more democratized?

Yeah, it’s definitely going to be more permeated. For example, Mercedes-Benz has talked about integrating ChatGPT into its smart solutions. So, when you say, “Hey, Mercedes,” it will use ChatGPT as an assistant. However, the interface will utilize it but not rely solely on it. It will be smart, integrating various technologies. So, yes, it will be more integrated, with smart, compatible solutions and ambient computing. For instance, if I’m on the phone and move into another room, the conversation could continue seamlessly.

Regarding whether it will be gatekept by major players like Microsoft and Google, that’s a good question. Right now, those companies are leading because they have the financial resources to invest heavily in the infrastructure needed to support AI. I don’t know the specific dollar amounts, but Microsoft has spent a significant amount on electrical production just for training for Copilot, which raised concerns about its water cooling system.

Yes, the technology will improve in terms of efficiency and interfacing. However, there will likely be some level of gatekeeping by major companies. We also haven’t seen a major lawsuit or issue that could impact this. For example, if I come up with a great idea and use ChatGPT to develop it, who owns the rights—me or ChatGPT?

To answer your question, I think it will be somewhat gatekept, unfortunately. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be more projects introducing open-sourced AIs. The challenge isn’t just in execution but in training, which can take months, weeks, or days depending on the level of contribution.

Yeah, I learned about that in my AI and healthcare class, and I think that it really matters just the amount of data that you can feed to it and how fast it learns. But let me ask you just a quick follow-up question. Do you think, like, the big bottleneck is power, or do you think the big bottleneck is compute?

It’s healthy two. If it were faster computationally, then, yes, it would use less energy and be quicker. So I would say, in a way, it is computational, because traditional computers will only get better by scaling horizontally—more computing power—versus vertically, which involves just beefier hardware and electricity usage.

We’re starting to use neural chips now, whereas before, ASIC chips were used for tasks like crypto mining. This remains a concern. Generally speaking, I don’t know where it stands, but computational requirements are expected to double in the next two to three years. I’m not sure where that article is from, but imagine needing double the electricity and double the computational power. It’s almost a hand-in-hand relationship: the more computing power needed, the more electricity required.

You can see your point about quantum computing being such a game changer, that it goes hand in hand with that, correct?

Quantum is going to change everything.

Quantum is going to change everything.

Man, I would love to have another conversation just about that because I still don’t really feel like I fully understand it. I think it’s this ethereal thing. For my idea of quantum computing, I’m thinking of Schrödinger’s cat. So you have this box with a cat, is it alive or dead? You don’t really know. At one point in time, it’s alive, and at another point in time, it’s dead. It’s kind of this weird in-between. That’s really my extent of quantum—I don’t understand too much beyond that.

Unfortunately, we are out of time. I would love to have you back to talk more about science fiction and anime. Maybe you could give me some watch lists or something like that. I would really appreciate that for the next opportunity to speak with you, William. But thank you so much for coming on. It was really interesting to me, and I’m sure it’s going to be impactful for our audience.

To our audience members, thank you so much for tuning in. I always really appreciate having you. Please like and subscribe so we can keep this going and continue spreading an optimistic view about the future. Thanks again, William, and thanks again to our audience. We’ll see you in the future. Have a great day, everybody.

Important Links

• William Smith – LinkedIn
• The Future of Tech

About William Smith