Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson Discusses Technology, ‘Edible Drones’ in TED Talk
Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson appeared on a different type of stage this week as the heavy metal singer led a TED talk about his journey “from rock star to businessman.”
Dickinson’s wide-ranging, 20-minute presentation — made in collaboration with TEDxMalmö — finds the Iron Maiden vocalist discussing a post-pandemic world where we’re “together” again, his entrepreneurial endeavors, and the impact on technology on society.
“We think that the future is technology; the future is humanity, and technology has to be our servant,” the soon-to-be-Rock and Roll Hall of Famer says. “We are not slaves to technology, and we will need to deal with those problems as they come up, with A.I. and everything else. It’s important to remember: You’re the boss here. Technology is here to serve us, to make our lives better.”
In addition to fronting the legendary metal act, Dickinson’s love of air travel — he often pilots the band’s plane from gig to gig — resulted in his founding of Cardiff Aviation in 2012, which has since entered into a partnership with the Djibouti government to help re-launch their national airline.
Dickinson also discusses his investment in the Airlander 10 — a hybrid of a plane, balloon, and hovercraft, the world’s largest aircraft — as well as the “world’s first edible drone” that is made of biodegradable material and is like “a zero-carbon flight Amazon warehouse,” Dickinson said.
“Honestly, the mind is a limitless thing. One of the things is, of course, you have to have the vision to imagine it,” Dickinson added before discussing his latest line of craft beer.
“An inspiring and motivating speech on how you can be creative in the modern business world,” the TED organization said of Dickinson’s talk. “Dickinson’s list of accomplishments seems endless and are continuously growing. He has been described as a polymath and now brings together all his creativity and experiences to share with audiences around the world.”
