Solidarity Academy 2016

I really enjoyed my trip to Gdańsk in February to host a training for Solidarity Academy.

I am really inspired by the team of Polish, Czech, Slovakian and Hungarian bloggers and journalists who worked with such commitment through a week of theory and practice and ended up with four great mini-projects. The panel discussion also prompted a great conversation between my friend and myself, later joined by Zbigniew Machej on the future of print. I know that writers and pets are not too keen to think about it. I know we all welcome the come back of printed books (US sales stats recently) but I still think it is crucial that we do consider the future of be-booksooks and printed books in our discussions. Let me explain why. It is not just my love for Lem and Gibson that defines my fascination with the future of storytelling and tech, but the actual reality of our times. We have to start making really smart choices about the way we ALLOW tech shape the future of all industries. Please don’t get me wrong – I do love progress, and I love the social web. I just fear that sometimes it is ‘not cool’ or ‘not fashionable’ to question it. But why not? Who is going to ensure that the legislations follows and protects the smart use of our inventions if not us, this generation? Who is going to decide how drones, AI and robots are going to be used? To protect or to spy on, to educate or to kill? I am not saying I have all the answers – none of us does. But we need to dare to speak up and ask those questions today and embed it within the bones of research and innovation. Today.