Thomas Friedman, a journalist for The New York Times and seven—soon to be eight—time published author, joined the Baruch community on Feb. 19 to share some of his most impactful writing experiences, preview his upcoming book and reflect on current events.
The event, which took place in room 14-220 of the Newman Vertical Campus, was titled: “Big Trends Shaping the Future with Thomas Friedman” and invited students to join in a discussion on “the big trends shaping the world today, economics, technology and geopolitics.”
Friedman was joined by Carla Robbins, the Marxe School of Public Affairs faculty director of the Master of International Affairs.
“We are here for a promethean moment. Like the invention of the printing press, the industrial and scientific revolution. You are here for something really big,” Friedman said.
Friedman also explained his belief that “our moment is unique, that we are in a technology super cycle where everything is amplified by AI, and we are accelerating at a nonlinear pace.”
He announced to the world and about 100 people who attended the talk that he believes they must act with moral clarity when utilizing this “revolutionary technology.”
“We set off the second big bang. We created an artificial brain larger and faster than the one we were endowed with by our Creator!” Friedman said.
Friedman continued by explaining to the audience that “we are godlike in cognition, connectivity and climate…[and that] we have the power to part the red sea, but we don’t have the ten commandments.”
In terms of economics, Friedman spoke about how, with a hyperconnected global society, everything is made by systems and that no one country can own the whole ecosystem.
He asserted that complex devices are created to solve complex problems and raise the collective standard of living.
Friedman also claimed that humanity made it through the industrial revolution with the invention of the welfare state.
“The main differences in the politics of the Left and Right is how high the walls, ceiling, and floors of our economy should be. Through complex coalitions, our societies can make it through governing the new world,” Friedman said.
Friedman explained that he got his start by writing for his high school and college newspapers.
In 1975, his girlfriend at the time—now wife—sold a piece that he wrote in London for $50.
Friedman credited his upbringing in 1950s Minneapolis with its culture of moderation, starting him on his journey to learn the “language of moderation.”
He implored everyone to learn to speak the language of moderation again because, as he put it, “everyone has something to teach you.”
Regarding his work as an opinion columnist, Friedman said, “it’s not because I haven’t made up my mind. It’s because I have.”
Friedman’s new book will discuss how to write a column and what Friedman has seen throughout his time as a journalist.
The event was co-sponsored by the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, the Journalism Department, the Harman Writer-in-residence Program and the Wasserman Jewish Studies Department.
