General Seminar is Back!

Check this out: That AI Futures Model from the AI 2027 project?

Well..yeah..it’s back too!

And it’s got predictions..and it’s got some issues.

In this General Seminar, we won’t treat the model like prophecy—or like a punching bag. We’ll use it as a creative constraint: a way to surface hidden assumptions and open up alternative futures.

We’ll break down the model's key predictions, analyze the underlying assumptions, and discuss the potential real-world impacts of these forecasts. We'll also consider alternative scenarios and what they might mean for various stakeholders.

No forecasting credentials necessary! Curiosity and imagination required!

In this episode of General Seminar, we dig into the assumptions behind the model — but we're not going to pontificate about AI timelines. Instead, we’ll explore how to think critically about such models and their implications for our understanding of AI's future. Join us as we unpack the nuances of AI forecasting and discuss what it means for technologists, policymakers, and society at large. But here at General Seminar we actually get super tangible. Rather than arguing whats real, what's hype, and what’s WTF..we imagine into the near future of AI by conjuring the scenarios, experiences, and artifacts we might find there.

Here's what we'll do: we'll break down the model's key predictions, analyze the underlying assumptions, and discuss the potential real-world impacts of these forecasts. We'll also consider alternative scenarios and what they might mean for various stakeholders.

Whether you're a technologist, policymaker, or just curious about the future of AI, this episode promises to provide valuable insights and provoke thoughtful discussion.

The way we do this is unique to General Seminar: we focus on tangible experiences and artifacts that help us imagine the near future of AI, rather than getting lost in abstract debates about what's real or hype.

Here's how it's going to go down:

1. I'll dissect the AI 2027 model's predictions and assumptions.

2. I'll create a handful of scenarios anchored to the model’s various conclusions, predictions, and prognostications of their forecast and model.

3. We'll explore these scenarios through imagined experiences and artifacts that illustrate what life might be like in these futures.

4. We'll discuss the implications of these scenarios for technologists, creatives, policymakers, culture, and society at large.

Here’s the move: instead of arguing about whether a forecast is right, we’ll ask: what kind of world would make this forecast feel normal? And what kind of world would make it feel wrong, or even undesirable?

We’ll work with a simple card system:

TREND (a claim pulled from the model / discourse: jobs, research acceleration, human-made prestige, enforcement, scarcity, abundance…)

PERSONA and/or PLACE (who/where this becomes everyday)

..and then we'll create the EVIDENCE/ARTIFACT — you might actually find there (a sign, receipt, policy notice, label, UI screenshot, union flyer, product packaging, school memo, service invoice, badge, menu, etc.)

If you’ve been to General Seminar before, you know the drill: we get hands-on and imaginative, creating tangible artifacts that help us explore and understand the near future. This time, we're diving into the world of AI, using the AI 2027 model as our springboard.

This is the Design Fiction approach — taking on the role of a time-traveling archeologist, piecing together the everyday objects and experiences that define a future world. Adding texture and nuance to our understanding of AI's trajectory.

Whether you're deeply involved in AI development or just curious about its trajectory, this episode will offer a grounded and imaginative exploration of what lies ahead.

So join me for an engaging exploration of AI's future, grounded in practical scenarios and imaginative thinking.

Get your ticket now!

Produced by Near Future Laboratory

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