You to the Power of Two: Redefining Human Potential in the Age of Identic AI,<\/a> co-authored with Joseph Bradley. The evening will include a keynote address, audience Q&A, and a book signing, but it\u2019s the interactive AI component that sets it apart.<\/p>\n\u201cI have a digital Don,\u201d Tapscott told OrilliaMatters. \u201cI will give a speech, and my agent will answer questions on the screen, and he looks like me … it kind of is me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The globally recognized author and technology thinker says the demonstration reflects a much larger shift already underway in artificial intelligence,\u00a0one he believes will fundamentally reshape everyday life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the biggest innovation in human history,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to affect me profoundly, and I\u2019m going to drive it for myself and my family and not let it drive me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tapscott\u2019s new book introduces the concept of \u201cIdentic AI,\u201d a term describing a new generation of personal AI agents that move beyond traditional tools and act as extensions of human intelligence.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not a tool\u2026\u00a0It\u2019s an extension of your intelligence and your capability,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s your superpower that\u2019s with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
While recent advances in generative AI have captured global attention, Tapscott said the emergence of these personal agents marks an even more significant development. These systems, he explained, can already analyze information, assist with decision-making, and take action on behalf of users,\u00a0and will soon become deeply embedded in daily routines.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Christmas, I started talking about this book, and I said, You get to wake up in the morning, and your agent\u2019s been analyzing your health and sleep overnight,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been analyzing all the news, and it\u2019s got the articles that you actually care about. And it\u2019s reorganized your schedule, and it\u2019s solved a bunch of problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
But that level of integration also comes with trade-offs, including questions about privacy, control, and the risk of overreliance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sees you when you\u2019re sleeping. And it knows when you\u2019re awake,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, this is kind of a big thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tapscott said one of the biggest misconceptions people have about artificial intelligence\u00a0is that it remains simply a tool, rather than something far more transformative.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople think it\u2019s a tool,\u201d he said. \u201cBut what I\u2019m talking about is not a tool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, he believes individuals will increasingly be defined by how effectively they develop and manage their AI counterparts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re looking for a job, will employers look at you and your experience and your resume, or will they want to know about your agent and how well you\u2019ve developed your extended intelligence?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For communities like Orillia, the implications are immediate, not distant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about the future. This is happening right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tapscott points to examples from his own life, including using AI to help manage health challenges within his family and guide recovery following a recent hip replacement. The technology, he said, can also assist with everyday decision-making, productivity, and even personal relationships,\u00a0provided users remain aware of its limitations.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody needs to be thinking about that and developing these things as well,\u201d he said, noting the importance of recognizing misinformation and so-called AI \u201challucinations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the risks, Tapscott believes the potential upside is enormous\u00a0if individuals and communities take an active role in shaping how the technology evolves.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe future is not something to be predicted,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s something to be achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sense of responsibility is part of what motivates his return to Orillia, a city he credits with shaping his early life.<\/p>\n
Though born in Niagara Falls, Tapscott moved to Orillia at age 10 and was part of the first graduating class at Park Street Collegiate Institute. Both of his parents were teachers, and he recalls a childhood that encouraged curiosity and a desire to make a difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up wanting to have a consequential life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As executive chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute and a bestselling author whose TED Talk has been viewed millions of times, Tapscott has spent decades studying the intersection of technology, business and society. His latest message, he said, is both an opportunity and a warning.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can harness these things for our own benefit and shape them with our values, then that\u2019s an extraordinary thing,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if we don\u2019t\u2026 it can become something that\u2019s demonic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tickets for the April 21 event are free, but must be reserved in advance through the Orillia Opera House box office. To learn more or register, visit orilliaoperahouse.ca<\/a> or call the box office at 705-326-8011.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Don Tapscott steps onto the stage in Orillia, he won\u2019t be alone. His ‘digital Don’ will answer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":608968,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[62,276,277,49,48,229659,61],"class_list":["post-608967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-don-tapscott","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=608967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/608968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=608967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=608967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=608967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}