World Traders' Tacitus Lecture
22nd February 2018Guildhall
The Mistress, Learned Clerk and I took our seats for the 31st Annual Tacitus lecture with around 1,000 others, representing the great and the good of the City. It is a remarkable evening and congratulations to the World Traders for maintaining the momentum of this highly anticipated event. The Master World Trader, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli, introduced his speaker as one of the world's great polymaths. Indeed, Dr Nathan Myhrvold, is a remarkable man with an incomparable academic record. He was Chief Strategist and Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft. During his entertaining and engaging 50 minute speech, he sought to reassure members of the audience who may have beed rattled by Elon Musk's views that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to humanity. I haven't lost too much sleep worrying about AI, so I was content to accept Dr Myhrvold's reassurance that cyber trade and AI can enhance our work and lives. I would add the proviso that Apple must get Siri to work before that can happen. In addition to his career in technology, Dr Myhrvold is also an award winning photographer, a highly acclaimed chef and the principal author of Modernist Cuisine. After the lecture, we enjoyed some reassuring wine and canapes in the Guildhall library.