Larry Downes
Larry Downes is an American author and analyst specializing in the technology and media industries. He is best known for his books "The Laws of Disruption" and "Unchained: Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Humanity." His work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Atlantic.
Downes was born in Wisconsin in 1961, and grew up in California. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Stanford University, and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University.. He began his career as a technology journalist in the 1990s at CNET, where he specialized in writing about technology based legislation and regulation. After five years at CNET, he moved to the technology consulting firm Gartner. It was at Gartner where he went to his first tech conferences and first encountered the concept of “disruption” the way he defined it in his book “The Laws of Disruption.” He left Gartner in 2008 to focus on writing and researching technology and its effects.
Downes’s most famous book, “The Laws of Disruption,” was originally published in 2008 and received wide acclaim for its clear and perceptive insight into the impact of technology on society. In it, Downes outlines his concept of “disruptive technology,” which means technology that forces radical, unanticipated changes in an industry, resulting in disruption. He then outlines eight “Laws of Disruption” that are used to evaluate the impact of a particular technology when evaluating the potential disruption it has the potential to cause.
In his most recent book “Unchained: Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Humanity,” Downes examines the current state of artificial intelligence and big data technology and how it is being used by governments and corporations to control populations and markets. The book not only serves to examine the issues, but also provide strategies to harness technology’s growing power to achieve greater social and economic benefit. He has said that he wrote the book in response to what he has observed as “the rejection of reason” and the way that artificial intelligence and big data technology “demands a new approach to the way we think, and live, and interact with each other.”
Downes’s work has appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Wired, and MIT Technology Review. He has served as a panelist and lecturer on technology and its impacts on business, government, and society. He served as the editor-at-large of the online quarterly publication Technovations and has also collaborated with PwC to publish research reports on digital business trends. He has been featured as a guest on National Public Radio and the BBC, discussing issues related to technology and its effects on society.
In addition to his books, Downes is an avid blogger, writing about technology and its impacts on industry and society. He is active on Twitter and Facebook, and also writes for related outlets. He is a contributing editor for Harvard Business Review and a columnist for CNN’s website, discussing technology and the economy, with a focus on digital business strategies and trends.
Larry Downes is an excellent source of insight, analysis, and thought-provoking opinions on the technologies and trends that are shaping our world. His books provide insightful and informed perspectives on the impact of technology on our lives and our economy, as well as strategies to harness it for greater economic and social benefit. His blogs and columns also provide timely and incisive commentary on issues of technology and the implications they have on business, government, and society. By remaining at the forefront of emerging technologies and trends, Downes is sure to remain a thought-provoking and relevant source of information and advice.
