Future Now

IFTF Executive Director Marina Gorbis and acclaimed science fiction author David Brin discuss the future implications of artificial intelligence (AI). The conversation centers on how to regulate and direct AI in positive directions for humanity's benefit. Topics include opportunities and risks inherent in AI. the need for regulated competition, ensuring equitable access to AI, funding "public good" AIs, and fostering agility and innovation in steering our AI future.

Mentioned in this episode:

* "True Names" and "Rainbow’s End" by Vernor Vinge - Cited as examples of science fiction that understands accountability online. https://www.fantasticfiction.com/v/vernor-vinge/

* "Give Every AI a Soul—or Else," by David Brin, Wired, 2023 - "To solve the 'crisis' in artificial intelligence, AI beings must say, 'I am me.'" https://www.wired.com/story/give-every-ai-a-soul-or-else/

* Ecologically oriented novels of Nancy Kress. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future

* "Yuval Noah Harari argues that AI has hacked the operating system of human civilization," The Economist, 2023. https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2023/04/28/yuval-noah-harari-argues-that-ai-has-hacked-the-operating-system-of-human-civilisation

* "The Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanley Robinson - Influential novel from 2020 that covers similar territory as David Brin's "Earth" novel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future

* "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace" poem by Richard Brautigan - Mentioned as an optimistic piece of literature amid the bleak 1960s. https://allpoetry.com/All-Watched-Over-By-Machines-Of-Loving-Grace

* Isaac Asimov's "Robot" series - Discussing the limitations of Asimov's three laws of robotics for embedding ethics in AI. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/RBS/the-robot-series

* "The Blob" (1958 movie) - Cited as a historical parallel for the fear that AI will spread uncontrollably. https://archive.org/details/turner_video_247

* "Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny," by Robert Wright - Recommended book from 2000 on positive-sum games and regulated competition.

* "Vivid Tomorrows: On Science Fiction and Hollywood" by David Brin - His nonfiction book from 2021 discussing the impacts of science fiction on the real world.

* "Impromptu: Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI," by Reid Hoffman. https://medium.com/muthoni-wanyoike/book-review-impromptu-amplifying-our-humanity-through-ai-by-reid-hoffman-and-gpt-4-d3f121d08044

* "Polemical Judo," David Brin’s book from 2019 of “memes for our political knife-fight.” https://www.davidbrin.com/polemicaljudo.html

IFTF executive director Marina Gorbis talks with Alison Lingane, co-founder of Project Equity, a nonprofit working toward a future where employee ownership is a highly utilized business model that promotes equitable enterprise, maintains thriving local economies, and creates quality jobs that help workers advance their goals and increase their wealth.

Mentioned in this episode:

* Employee Ownership Equals. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://employeeownershipequals.org/

* Project Equity. (n.d.). The Case for Employee Ownership. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://project-equity.org/about-us/publications/the-case-for-employee-ownership/

* Ownership Works. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://ownershipworks.org/

* Ownership America. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://ownershipamerica.org/

* The Kendeda Fund. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://kendedafund.org/

* Living Cities. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://livingcities.org/

* Beyster Institute at the Rady School of Management, UCSD. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://rady.ucsd.edu/why/centers/beyster/index.html

IFTF Executive Director Marina talks with Bill Shields, the retired head of the Labor and Community Studies Department at the City College of San Francisco. They shed light on the history of the California Labor School, the subject of Bill’s book, "Free City.” Stay tuned as they unpack the profound influence of the California Labor School on San Francisco's labor movement and its community fabric, offering a rich perspective on labor and community studies.

IFTF Research Director Toshi Hoo interviews Ethan Mollick, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a leading researcher in entrepreneurship and innovation. Join them as Ethan shares his fascinating and provocative insights on generative AI, its practical implications, and how it can transform teaching and learning at scale. Get ready for an engaging conversation that will leave you with new perspectives on the future of work and education.

Shownotes:

- Ethan’s Twitter feed is one of the most interesting of incredible AI signals and forecasts. (https://twitter.com/emollick)

- Ethan’s substack newsletter “One Useful Thing” shared provides thoughtful analysis of the intersection between technology and the future of learning. (https://www.oneusefulthing.org/)

- Ethan’s official faculty profile at The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania (https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/emollick/)

In today's episode, IFTF's Executive Director Marina Gorbis talks with Jon Shelton, Associate Professor and Chair of Democracy and Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Vice President for Higher Education of the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin. They discuss Jon’s new book, “The Education Myth,” which challenges the idea that education is a solution to all economic and social inequalities in society. Instead, Jon argues that we need to focus on other policy levers and reforms in addition to education. We hope you'll enjoy this conversation.

Quote: “The ‘education myth’ is the idea that education and, more specifically, investment in human capital can magically overcome all of the other economic and social inequalities that exist in our society.”

Mentioned in this episode:

The Education Myth, Jon Shelton (https://bit.ly/3LrBJAP)

The Fantasy Economy, Neil Kraus (https://bit.ly/3Nixitk)

The Education of Blacks in the South 1860-1935, James D. Anderson (https://bit.ly/3ouAGaf)

Teacher Strike! Public Education and the Making of a New American Political Order, Jon Shelton (https://bit.ly/3V6cCHe)

Thinking Like an Economist, Elizabeth Popp Berman (https://bit.ly/3LbY3xg)

Knocking on Labor's Door, Lane Windham (https://bit.ly/3V0uwel)

Don't Blame Us, Lily Geismer (https://bit.ly/41BmQBM)

The Race between Education and Technology, Claudia Goldin & Lawrence F. Katz (https://bit.ly/3LpnVaa)

The Meritocracy Trap, Daniel Markovits (https://bit.ly/3L8pkQW)

The Tyranny of Merit, Michael Sandel (https://bit.ly/3N5JgGR)

In this episode, Marina talks with Cory Doctorow, a longtime journalist, science fiction author, and IFTF advisor, who co-authored the new book Chokepoint Capitalism. Marina and Cory explore the problems with the existing creative labor market and discuss systemic solutions to distribute wealth and resources in ways that will benefit creators and audiences alike.

Today, we're exploring an intriguing question: How did we become a society of household CFOs? With the recent failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Marina Gorbis, IFTF Executive Director, and Jerry Davis, University of Michigan Professor of Management and Organizations, dive into this phenomenon and its implications for our society.

Marina opens the discussion by highlighting how people in the US have become chief financial officers of their households, managing their investments and financial futures. She then introduces Jerry Davis, who takes us on a journey through the history of American society, illustrating the shift from a corporate-centered society to a market-centered one.

Jerry explains how finance has become the primary lens through which we view the world, influencing our language, culture, and even our political landscape. He takes us back to the post-war era and traces the decline of manufacturing and the rise of retail, noting how this shift has created a society of investors.

With the prevalence of stock ownership, financial markets have infiltrated our daily lives, turning us all into portfolio managers. Jerry warns that this is not a neutral metaphor, as the pervasive nature of finance can have corrosive effects on our lives and the way we view the world.

Join us for this captivating episode as we delve into the historical and societal impacts of financialization, and consider the future of our world as we continue to navigate through this financial lens.

In this episode, we explore economic models that prioritize collaboration over financialization. The conversation is led by Douglas Rushkoff, host of the Team Human podcast, and features IFTF Executive Director Marina Gorbis and University of Michigan Professor of Management and Organizations Jerry Davis. They examine the systemic and structural problems of the current economic model and the challenges of transitioning away from shareholder capitalism towards a more inclusive and collaborative way to create and share value. Join us for this thought-provoking conversation to gain a deeper understanding of the need for change in our current economic system.

This episode originally appeared on the Team Human Podcast. Subscribe at teamhuman.fm.

This is an excerpt from noted IFTF futurist Bob Johansen's book, Full-Spectrum Thinking, which goes beyond skills and competencies to propose five new leadership literacies—combinations of disciplines, practices, and worldviews — that will be needed to thrive in a VUCA world of increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

This book shows how to (1) forecast likely futures so you can “look back” and make sure you’re prepared now for the changes to come, (2) use low-risk gaming spaces to work through your concerns about the future and hone your leadership skills, (3) lead shape-shifting organizations where you can’t just tell people what to do, (4) be a dynamic presence even when you’re not there in person, and (5) keep your personal energy high and transmit that energy throughout your organization.

To learn more about Full-Spectrum Thinking, visit: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/617262/full-spectrum-thinking-by-bob-johansen/

Sam Woolley recently joined Institute for the Future as a Research Director and was previously the Director of Research at the Computational Propaganda Project at Oxford University. We asked Sam to share highlights of his research showing how political botnets—what he calls computational propaganda—are being used to influence public opinion.