Peter Diamandis - My Conversation with XPRIZE's Founder & Noted Futurist

The world's greatest problems.  Climate change, longer human lifespans testing the limits of society's resources, the downside risks of artificial intelligence (machine v. man).

"All of these things are engineer-able, fixable."

So says Peter Diamandis -- entrepreneur, author, thought leader, visionary, futurist and one of the world's great minds.  "The number of people solving these things has exploded" -- as a result of the pace of new technologies enabling mass, democratized participation.  That's why Diamandis is an eternal optimist who preaches his thoughtful, inspiring -- and frequently convincing -- gospel to the world (literally) via an endless string of ambitious, audacious and passion-fueld mega-endeavors.

After all, Diamandis is Founder and Chairman of the XPRIZE and XPRIZE Foundation, to which he devotes about 30% of his time.  But, when he's not sleeping (which I can't imagine he does much), he today also splits his time with (1) Singularity University (which he co-founded with noted futurist Ray Kurzweil), (2) Human Longevity, Inc., a company he also co-founded that focuses on extending the healthy human lifespan, (3) Planetary Resources, Inc, yet another company he co-founded that has the simple "everyday" ambition of mining asteroids via spacecrafts that also have earth-based agricultural applications, and (4) journalist (he has written multiple best-sellers), speaker (he travels the globe), advisor (serving on boards of some of the most innovative society-engagement technology companies in the world, including virtual reality (VR) companies Oculus and Magic Leap), and educator (he runs and leads executive thought leadership courses).  This is just a partial list of his endeavors.

And, I thought I had a lot on my plate!

Yesterday, I had the special opportunity to sit down one-on-one with Peter at his offices at the XPRIZE Foundation.  I had no agenda (both figuratively and literally).  No script.  Just wanted to learn more about his views on these massive, daunting global issues.  And also get his views on the new world of media, story-telling, and increasingly immersive and virtual social engagement and interaction.  He was engaging, generous with his time, charming, convincing.  I hopped from topic to topic during this hour -- and we touched upon all of these issues and more.  One of the most thought-provoking discussions I have had in my life.

And, here it is -- Peter's thoughts on those subjects.  All sentences with quotation marks and that are  italicized and in bold are direct quotes (I frantically took copious notes).  I'll start with the brave new -- and frequently daunting -- digital media world (especially focusing on VR's total immersion and what he calls today's "Hyper Connectivity").

I.  ON VIRTUAL REALITY

-- VR "will lead to brand new virtual worlds, virtual communities, across all ages."

-- Second Life (the virtual world global game phenomenon) pointed the way to VR, but "VR is fully immersive.  You will feel."

II.  ON THE DOWNSIDE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH VR, TOTAL IMMERSION & TECHNOLOGY-CHANGING HUMAN INTERACTION

-- I asked him about the deep societal risks of VR's total immersion, some of which include (1) feeling too much (imagine your kids playing "Call of Duty" in a VR world where the combat (and killing) become real to your brain and body, and (2) being used in the wrong hands (imagine terrorist groups like ISIS leveraging VR as core components of their engagement and intimidation strategies).

-- His responses: "You can't change it" (i.e., the reality of new technologies).  It changes you."  "It changes social norms -- how we interact."  Technology "re-wires how society interacts, even how our brain interacts, even the plasticity of the brain."

"Whether it is good or bad.  It just is."

-- And, that thought -- i.e., "It just is" -- is at the core of Peter's mind-set.  There is no judgment about how things are today in the world across all issues.  "It just is."  So, he concerns himself with thinking about how societies can mitigate those risks -- and "fix" the world -- and "better" the world.

-- After all, Peter underscores that "technology has always done these things."  "And what's to say that our interactions 50 years ago were better?"  "They were just 'different.'"  He "is absolutely positive that the same conversations would have taken place in the age of the Gutenberg Press."

-- He cites Steven Pinker's book "The Better Angels of Our Nature" that concludes that -- contrary to widely-held ... and media-propagated global belief (he doesn't watch traditional news outlets) -- we are living in the most peaceful time in human history.  He points out that in medieval times, different tribes essentially thought of others as being non-human -- which enabled violence and killing with emotional detachment.  "But communication has made us understand how inter-related we are."

-- I asked him about the transformational nature of our increasing virtual social interaction and "always on" information exchange via social media that has inundated our lives and the lives of our kids.  What he calls "Hyper Connectivity."

-- He underscored that Hyper Connectivity leads also to what he calls "Hyper Transparency" -- "the ability to know anything, anytime, anywhere" -- which, he believes, ultimately is a good thing and leads to a safer world (even amidst its frequently seeming daunting and brain-altering impacts).

III.  ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND MACHINE V. MAN

-- I asked about his concerns about AI-driven machine turning on its human creators via the not-too-distant expected singularity (which media recently depicted in the excellent "must see" movie Ex Machina).

-- That is a Hollywood sensationalist myth, in his view.  He is an optimist that AI will be harnessed for good.

IV.  ON CLIMATE CHANGE

-- He is absolutely certain that we have the ability to solve climate change.

-- As an example, he says we have the technology today that can block a certain percentage of the sun's rays.  "Structurally, that is not difficult to do."  The real question is rather whether society has the will to implement such technologies.

V.  ON EXTENDING HUMAN LIFESPANS AND AN AGING AND EVER-GROWING GLOBAL SOCIETY THAT TAXES THE LIMITS OF EARTH RESOURCES

-- First, he points out that his friend Elon Musk is actually concerned about long-term shrinking global population numbers.

-- The goal of new life extending technology (including his company's) is not simply to extend life.  Rather, it's about extending the quality of life, without over-populating the planet.

-- "The goal is not just living older.  It's living better."

-- As an example of his optimism about technology's potential with human lifespans, he points out that many humans retire at the peak of their professional lives.  And, he asks me to imagine if that wasn't the case.  "That would increase the GNP of a nation substantially."


After all, "all of these things are engineer-able, fixable."

Jaunt, VR & The Future of Media & Entertainment

Whirlwind trip to the Bay Area this week -- highlighted by my jaunt down from SF to Silicon Valley a few hours ago to visit VR company Jaunt.  I knew I would be impressed, because my friend and visionary Steven Rahman at Samsung told me about this "must see" company.  But, "impressed" is not the right word or impact.  More like "blown away," as in mind-blowing experience.

CEO Jens Christensen immediately sat me down in the Jaunt demo studio (pictured here to the left) -- and I sat through and experienced 4 different demos.  First demo -- on the stage at a recent Paul McCartney concert (yes, these will sell big time).  Second demo --extreme climbing and parachuting off cliffs in Yosemite and other extreme lands.  Third demo -- immersed as a character in a horror movie (complete with a blanket thrown over my head by one of the demons that made my entire body flinch).  And, fourth demo -- a CGI EDM-driven segment.

How do I describe the impact?

I smiled throughout -- no, grinned throughout -- no, could barely contain myself.

I have been in the media and entertainment world for 25 years and have seen many many things and many many demos.  But, today's demo was unlike any other.  This certainly is the future of media and entertainment.  It ain't no gimmick.  And, VR ain't just for gaming anymore.  Music, travel, story-telling ... all are open to Jaunt ... and, therefore, to you.  The world is now open and fully accessible.  That's why blue chip investors have lined up to invest in this company.  And, that's why you soon will be investing in Jaunt content.

Here's another mind-blowing thing -- how fast this all happened.  Jens told me this:

-- he had previously built and sold several other companies
-- after his last sale, he joined VC firm Redpoint as an EIR (entrepreneur-in-residence)
-- that's where he tried on his first Oculus -- which he actually purchased through Craigslist
-- and that's when he had his epiphany -- whereas Oculus was then game-focused, Jens immediately focused on media and entertainment -- that is the fundamental difference
-- and, within just a few months (since Jens is a technical magician), he and his partner at Redpoint created their first prototype (pictured in the picture above to the right) ... and, now, they are on the second prototype (which is pictured below to the right).

Get this -- this all happened in 2 years!

Jaunt's content is already available -- at least most of it is free for now.

But, with the inevitable meteoric rise of VR, that "free" won't last long -- and Jaunt's business model is to monetize that content.

I have talked about VR for a long time, and I have written about VR for months.  But, experiencing Jaunt today changed everything for me.

VR for media and entertainment is not just the future.  It is absolutely here and now ... with compelling, extremely compelling, content produced by Jaunt ....

Oculus' "LOST" VR Cinematic XP Debuts - Its Pixar "Luxo Jr." Moment?

Yesterday may have represented a momentous and landmark day in the annals of cinema.  Just yesterday, VR powerhouse Oculus premiered its first VR cinema "experience" titled "Lost" at Sundance.  Up to this point, most in media and entertainment have viewed Oculus and its VR technology to be gamer-focused.  But, cinematic story-telling -- on a wholly immersive new plane -- has always been a central part of the plan.  And, yesterday may have marked that moment in time ...

Oculus' premiere of Lost has shades of Pixar's 1986 landmark release of "Luxo Jr." written all over it.  Remember that one?  That's where papa lamp, son lamp (Jr.) and a ball made cine-magic -- transforming movies forever via CGI (here is the link to that classic cinematic moment in time for those of you with nostalgia).  And, how about this?  Pixar's pedigree is all over Oculus' Lost as well.  One year ago, Oculus pilfered a peck of Pixars to lead its cinema efforts under the "Story Studio" banner.  So, did Oculus' "first-of-its-kind" cinematic VR "moment" deliver yesterday at Sundance?  Mixed reviews -- with content-focused pub The Verge excitingly calling it "the future" of cinema, whereas tech-focused TechCrunch giving it a more tepid review of being "cute, immersive, but hardly interactive."

How does VR for cinema "work" from a story-telling perspective?  Hard to imagine for sure, especially since normal notions of film simply don't work in the virtual world.  As an example, Oculus Story Studio's Creative Director Saschka Unseld recently told Techcrunch that VR-driven narratives flow very differently than more linear-flowing movie streams -- with myriad rivulets that reveal themselves only when you look at particular elements.  My "experience" -- as a result -- may take 4 minutes whereas yours could be 2X or 3X longer.  There is no one story.  It's a layer cake.  Think the movie Inception -- but, YOU are the Inceptee.  And you aren't just watching (with VR goggles on at this point).  You are experiencing.  Wow!

I have spoken with many insiders in the media business who have had glimpses of Oculus in the story-telling context -- experiencing cinematic moments.  And they have told me that, without question, it's a game-changer in every sense of those words (which really don't do justice to their reactions, since their minds were almost literally blown).  We have entered the "great unknown" of future cinema, whatever that word means in this context.  And, yesterday's premiere of Lost at Sundance was just the beginning.

So, while CEO Brendan Iribe underscores that gaming is still the company's immediate focus, make no mistake.  It's showtime.  And, while your mouth may be agape the first time you experience Lost, it won't be due to a hunger for popcorn.

It likely will be a reflection of shock and awe.

Happy Birthday Manatt Digital Media -- Our First Year ... And The Long-Awaited Promise of “Convergence” ...

Today we celebrate the first anniversary of our launch of MDM (Manatt Digital Media).  And, what a year it’s been.  Yes, I am proud of our accomplishments in Year 1 (click here or see the full press release below).  But, even more exciting to me is the passion of those on the MDM team.  For MDM’ers, it’s not just a job.  That’s why we blog at 4 am.  That’s why we finalize pitches at 2 am.  That’s why we enthusiastically make business introductions and connections.  That’s why we host Digital Media Meetups in LA, NYC, and SF.  That’s why we invest our own cold hard cash in innovative startups like DanceOn, MovieLaLa, Ninja Metrics, Trailerpop, Adomic, StrikeAd, Vadio and eXacly.me (all of these were made in the past 12 months).

Most significantly, however, is how much the digital media landscape has changed this past year.  Think about it.  Not a week goes by without some massive billion dollar plus deal (or rumored deal) in the world of convergence -- where the promise of content meeting technology to create “magic” is finally coming of age.

Facebook/Oculus Rift.  Disney/Maker Studios.  Apple/Beats.  Google/Twitch.  Yahoo!/RayV.

Who has time to sleep?

But, that’s the point!  All of us in the midst of this maelstrom should feel energized to be in the midst of it all -- not knowing exactly where it is going, but adding our own individual ingredients to push it slightly more this way than that.

We are in the midst of transformative engagement.

That’s our Year 1.

So, it's not so much that we are celebrating ourselves (although, it’s always good to fete landmark occasions).  Rather, think of it more like we are celebrating the fast-transforming eco-system all around us.  The transformative eco-system that, yes, can be daunting at times -- but which, at the same time, is full of massive opportunity with active engagement, experimentation and good old-fashioned creativity, innovation, tenacity and hard work.

(But, for those of you who want a more “traditional” Year 1 anniversary pronouncement, here it is ....)

MANATT DIGITAL MEDIA MARKS FIRST YEAR WITH SIGNIFICANT GROWTH, ENGAGEMENTS WITH LEADING INNOVATORS, EXPANDED BUSINESS CONSULTING TEAM AND RECOGNIZED THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

·       Firm Emerges as Innovative Market and Recognized Thought Leader in Providing Diversified Professional Services and Deep Industry Connections With Growing Client Base of Innovators

·       Manatt Digital Media Demonstrates Industry Expertise and Commitment With Significant Strategic Investments And Leadership in Prominent Digital Media Events

LOS ANGELES, CA — May 21, 2014 — Manatt Digital Media, a fully-integrated professional services division within Manatt, Phelps & Philips, LLP, today announced that within its first year, it has established itself as a leader in digital media and technology through the growth of its client base, strategic expansion of its business consulting team, and by providing overall thought leadership and connections in the worlds of media, entertainment, advertising and technology.

Since May 2013, Manatt Digital Media has engaged with and invested in high-visibility digital media and technology companies, including leading multichannel network DanceOn; innovative content-driven and social media-focused companies MovieLaLa, If You Can and Vadio; market-leading ad-tech companies Ninja Metrics, Trailerpop, StrikeAd and eXacly.me; and data-driven company Adomic.

“Manatt Digital Media is servicing players who are redefining the space through innovative technology and entirely new digital media business models,” said T. Hale Boggs, chairman of Manatt Digital Media. “We are gratified that in the course of a single year, Manatt has built a strong name for itself and emerged as a formidable influential player in Los Angeles — the entertainment and digital media center of the world — as well as other key digital media and investment hubs, such as New York City, San Francisco and Palo Alto.”

“Our aim is to disrupt the traditional professional services approach to bring differentiated real-world entrepreneurial and operational digital media and technology insights to our clients through our wealth of expertise, relationships and venture capital experience,” said Peter Csathy, CEO of Manatt Digital Media. “We embrace disruptive new technologies and seek to empower our clients to be market leaders who further differentiate themselves from competitors by leveraging their innovative ideas as significant new business models and revenue streams.”

Key to its innovative approach, Manatt Digital Media has built a uniquely diversified team to provide its clients the industry’s most comprehensive and meaningful digital media professional services. As one example, the firm recently deepened its business consulting team by hiring leading consulting expert Eunice Shin, who brings more than 18 years of experience and deep relationships and connections in the media and entertainment industries. The firm’s expertise in content and intellectual property at the heart of digital media also separates it from all other consultancies, along with its unique combination of expertise in social media policy, privacy and data security.

“Today’s digital media world is interconnected and incredibly fast-paced, and it demands a bold and creative approach to professional, business consulting and legal services,” said Boggs. “With the growth of our client portfolio and the widely specialized executive team across legal, business and venture capital, we are building on the firm’s recognized legal experience to offer a full spectrum of world-class professional services, and we’ve seen that model benefit our clients of every size and every stage of development. We are not aware of any other organization that coherently ties together these capabilities in the digital media, entertainment or tech worlds.”

In addition to its growing team and clientele, Manatt Digital Media is widely recognized by top-tier media for its thought leadership and industry expertise. The company has hosted a number of high-level industry meet-ups and participated in several key industry events in the past year:

·       Manatt Digital Media Meet-Up — As part of Manatt Digital Media’s focus on supporting innovative entrepreneurs in digital media companies big and small, elevating new ideas, and creating a network of beneficial relationships in the digital media industry, the company hosted a number of exclusive Digital Media Meet-ups in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. The events brought together a select mix of entrepreneurs, media company executives, artists, financiers, and key industry press and thought leaders.

·       UCLA Entertainment Symposium — Csathy participated as a moderator at the March 2014 UCLA Entertainment Symposium on its multichannel networks panel in the days preceding the recent acceleration of M&A activity in that space. The panel, titled “Multi-Channel Networks & Other New Premium Video Players — Their Impact on (& Opportunity for) Hollywood,” featured high-level executives of major players in the field, including Machinima, ICM Partners, Fox Networks and YouTube.

·       Siemer Summit— In October 2013, Manatt Digital Media sponsored the Siemer Summit, an invitation-only event that drew more than 500 of the most influential leaders in digital media and emerging technologies from around the world. Manatt Digital Media also provided joint funding to the winning startup of the Siemer WaveMaker Award’s Best in Show, which awarded the startup with the most innovative platform that was most poised for growth. The company will return as a leading sponsor in 2014.

·       Digital Entertainment World Expo — Manatt Digital Media sponsored Digital Entertainment World Expo in February 2014. The company served as the main sponsor of the 2014 DEW Startup Competition. Of the total prize, the winner received a $25,000 investment from Manatt Digital Media in the form of a convertible note, as well $25,000 of professional and business services from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP.

“Our active involvement in the digital media space keeps us attuned to the leading ideas and technologies that drive the industry forward,” Csathy added. “As we continuously deepen our relationships among key digital media players and develop, sponsor and participate in major events — not just at the heart of content creation in Los Angeles, but around the world — we are ensuring that our clients are the first to know about critical trends and disruptive, innovative technologies and how they can positively impact their business.”

About Manatt Digital Media

Manatt Digital Media is a full-service digital media platform created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, whatever the size or stage of the company, from startup to growth-stage to mature public companies. Manatt Digital Media uniquely offers a one-stop shop of professional services that is grounded in the legal and business experience of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, one of the world’s most respected law firms in the media, entertainment and advertising industries. Manatt Digital Media offers its clients differentiated value and impact in multiple forms and across the life span of their companies — from venture capital to strategic relationship building and artist access to business consulting and creative deal-making, including content licensing, distribution and M&A. For more information, visit www.manattdigitalmedia.com.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is one of the nation's leading law and consulting firms, with offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents a sophisticated client base — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.