Frank Astor: Stay Positive in the Era of Digitalization

In this exclusive interview, veteran entertainer and keynote speaker Frank Astor shares the inspiration behind his successful shows Future Now – the future is now! and The Human Program, insights into the latest tech trends and innovations, and advice to business leaders on how to embrace digitalization.  

Tell us about your shows, Future Now – the future is now! and The Human Program.

I’ve been a keynote speaker for 25 years and I’m always looking for new themes for my shows. I’ve spoken about motivation, finance, work-life balance, and corporate happiness. In the last 20 years, I’ve been a specialist for keynote shows about digitization, trends, and innovation called Future Now – the future is now! The show lasts an hour and is very intense, followed by 20 to 25 minutes for audience discussion.  

I also have a keynote show dedicated to robotics and AI called The Human Program. There are a lot of fears and risks associated with AI and in my show, I have a discussion with my robot, Torbi where I share my fears about AI, and Torbi tells me that AI can solve all our problems. The shows have been very successful.  

What are three emerging trends or tech innovations that will affect business leaders in the next five years?

Firstly, the metaverse as it merges the virtual and real worlds. Leaders have to investigate this development, especially with the creation of the recent Apple Vision Pro headset. Next is ChatGPT and other AI solutions. We have noticed how quickly AI has developed in the last few months. Everybody is still talking about ChatGPT and using it. So, it’s important to be well-informed about AI possibilities. Lastly is the management of resources and green tech as they are very important for environmental purposes. Leaders have to focus on the development of green tech, especially with e-mobility and batteries. 

What are the biggest threats or challenges in the current era of digitalization?

 We have to be careful not to spend too much time in the virtual world. Every day we have to remind ourselves that we are humans, and we are part of nature. Now we are spending 8 to 12 hours on computers and smartphones and in the virtual world. Isolation is also a problem because there are a lot of people, especially young people who grow up in the digital world who are unable to have relationships with real people. Digital devices also drain a lot of energy, and we have to be healthy to manage that. In addition, we have to be careful not to be controlled or manipulated by information on the Internet. We have to be able to identify what is fake news and what is real information. This will be a big problem in the near future.  

What is your advice to business leaders on how to respond to those challenges, especially those who are afraid of digitalization?

It’s never good to follow your fears. Digitalization is here and we have to confront it and not only look for potential risks, but also opportunities. Every manager is responsible for getting the information they need to improve their processes and create good frameworks for employees. Be aware that these developments are very quick nowadays. For example, the smartphone has only existed for 13 years and changed the world. I also think the metaverse and ChatGPT will move faster than smartphones, so you have to stay very well informed. Be open to the chances and risks and manage them. ChatGPT and other AI solutions also open up more job opportunities for consultants, developers, and instructors who can show us how to deal with these AI inventions.  

How can business leaders embrace and utilize the rapid pace of digitalization today?

Be honest and open-hearted about the problems and the skepticism of your employees. You have to confront the problems now before they become bigger in the future. Also, you have to look at the positive aspects and be very careful about what systems you use. As a leader, you have to decide what is the best solution for the future, what is easy to handle and manage, and not to jump on the train too fast. Have a very good view of the work-life balance of your employees as they are spending 9 to 10 hours in Zoom meetings on the Internet, computers, and smartphones. That drains a lot of energy, and you need healthy employees.  

What are the three things you hope Aurora Live members will take away from your show?

Be ready for the digital world and digital developments. Stay positive, look for opportunities, and always have a good balance between the digital and the real world. And don’t lose your humor!  

*The interview answers have been edited for length and clarity.