Amy Webb

Amy Webb is an American quantitative futurist whose work sits at the intersection of technology, business, and society. She is the founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute (FTI), a leading foresight firm that serves a global client base including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and non-profits. Unlike traditional "trend spotters" who rely on intuition, Webb is known for her rigorous, data-centric methodology. She emphasizes that the future is not something that happens to us, but rather something we actively build through the decisions we make today. Her work focuses on helping leaders recognize the early "signals" of change before they become mainstream disruptions.

Webb’s academic contributions are equally significant. She serves as a Professor of Strategic Foresight at New York University’s Stern School of Business, where she developed and teaches the MBA course on foresight. Her influence extends into the international policy sphere; she is a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University’s Säid Business School and has served as a Delegate for the United States-Japan Foundation. Her work often bridges the gap between technical innovation and practical application, ensuring that C-suite executives can translate technological shifts into sustainable growth and risk mitigation.

She is the author of several critically acclaimed and best-selling books. In "The Signals Are Talking: Why Today’s Fringe Is Tomorrow’s Mainstream," she outlines her framework for identifying the early indicators of disruption. In "The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity," Webb provides a sobering analysis of the AI industry, split between the interests of Wall Street and the geopolitical ambitions of Beijing. Her more recent work, "The Genesis Machine," co-authored with Andrew Hessel, explores the transformative potential and ethical dilemmas of synthetic biology. These publications have solidified her status as a leading voice in technology ethics and long-term planning.

One of the most anticipated moments in the technology calendar is Webb’s annual release of the FTI Tech Trend Report at South by Southwest (SXSW). This report, which often spans hundreds of pages and covers hundreds of distinct trends, is widely regarded as a definitive guide for industry leaders. Through her research, she has accurately predicted the rise of various technologies, from the evolution of smart interfaces to the consolidation of the cloud computing market and the emergence of "Living Intelligence."

Before dedicating her career to foresight, Webb worked as a journalist covering technology and economics for the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek, based in Tokyo and Hong Kong. This background in investigative reporting informs her meticulous approach to evidence and facts. She holds a B.A. in political science, economics, and game theory from Indiana University and an M.S. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Today, Webb remains a vital voice in global conversations regarding the ethics of emerging tech, ensuring that the human element is never lost in the pursuit of innovation. She is frequently consulted by the World Economic Forum and other global bodies to assess the systemic risks and opportunities presented by the next decade of technological advancement.