Newsom made his professional transition, into politics, in 1997, when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In 2003, he became the youngest mayor elected in San Francisco in 100 years. As mayor, he made headlines for granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Newsom pushed for citywide healthcare, clean energy, and worked to overhaul services for homeless people in the city. Then, enigmatically, he left the mayor’s seat midway through his second term to become California’s Lieutenant Governor in 2010. Today, he also hosts a show on Current TV, “The Gavin Newsom Show,” where he talks about the latest and greatest technology. 

“The world you guys are walking into is extraordinary,” Newsom said. “I’m jealous.”

FastForward reporters met up with Newsom at the futuristic gallery of Autodesk, a cutting edge software company, based in San Francisco. The gallery was filled with new technology and prototypes, including 3D printers, digital art, and an electric, pedal-powered bike, creating an ideal environment to hear the Lt. Governor speak on behalf of the wonders of modern technology and the promises of the future.

Newsom is a natural politician. He shook the hand of every FastForward reporter in quick succession, smiling broadly and making quick jokes. He’s young and handsome with slicked back hair and a nice suit sans necktie, and he’s got one of those Hallmark style beautiful families too. His toddler daughter, he explained, can use an IPad better than a print magazine. Our generation, he said, are a group of “digital natives,” whereas Newsome’s generation are “digital immigrants.” 

It’s true, our generation has stepped into a world in which computers are as ubiquitous as trees. Newsom pointed to the new “Google glasses,” which basically layer computer generated images, such as Google Map technology, on top of reality—literally right before the wearer’s eyes. He also mentioned self-driving robotic cars, and 3-D printing technology that will change our world in ways we can’t yet imagine.