Parents' Guide to What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates

What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates TV show poster: oBill Gates in front of colorful background

Common Sense Media Review

Joly Herman By Joly Herman , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Pioneers in tech ask big questions in fascinating series.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In WHAT'S NEXT? THE FUTURE WITH BILL GATES, tech pioneer and philanthropist Bill Gates asks colleagues and experts about the direction tech is taking in a time when AI is becoming more of a presence in peoples' lives. Innovators and experts talk about the ethics of regulating an evolving force that has potential to do great good—and great harm. What will humans do when machines can outthink them? Where do humans fit into the next phase of technology?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

Computers are getting smarter, while conspiracies about their biggest advocate clog the internet; important topics abound in this smart series. In What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates, the people who share conference tables with the founder of Microsoft defer to this enigma of a man because they value his opinions about the future of technology.

Gates finds that even he is being eaten by the tech beast. He admits to being confounded that he's at the center of wild social media conspiracies. At one point he's schooled by his college-age daughter, who urges him to be careful about what he says, lest he unwittingly unleash another seismic conspiracy in a world of digital misinformation. It's a fitting documentary for a plugged-in world, and parents and teens will have lots to talk about while watching this informative series.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about communication in What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates. Gates admits that he's baffled by conspiracy theories being circulated about him on social media. What does it mean to communicate truthfully or ethically?

  • Curiosity drives explorers and inventors to discover the next great thing. What happens when the thing that's been discovered runs amok? How do humans control something bigger and potentially smarter than themselves?

  • Even a tech mogul like Bill Gates gets ripped by trolls on social media. How can teens navigate a shiny world of haters and scammers? What are signs that social media is affecting someone you love?

TV Details

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What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates TV show poster: oBill Gates in front of colorful background

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