Toby Ord's background combines theoretical computer science with analytic philosophy. He is especially interested in how certain key future technologies may seriously affect society for good or ill, on a timescale of around thirty to a hundred years. Examples include the risks and opportunities surrounding artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, geoengineering, and nanotechnology. Toby is interested in both how these technologies could impact our future, and in what ways we could realistically steer a course to avoid the harms without sacrificing the benefits.