Futures
The Futures program aims to guide humanity towards the beneficial outcomes made possible by transformative technologies.
Introduction
Guiding humanity towards beneficial outcomes
The Futures program aims to guide humanity towards the beneficial outcomes made possible by transformative technologies. By employing tools like storytelling, worldbuilding, scenario planning, research, and forecasting, we explore possible futures and determine actionable pathways. We then pinpoint the essential policies, decisions, and institutions needed to navigate these paths, and how best to deliver them. The program seeks to engage a diverse group of stakeholders from different professions, communities, and regions to shape our shared future together.
Our work
Futures Projects
The Elders Letter on Existential Threats
The Elders, the Future of Life Institute and a diverse range of preeminent public figures are calling on world leaders to urgently address the ongoing harms and escalating risks of the climate crisis, pandemics, nuclear weapons, and ungoverned AI.
Realising Aspirational Futures – New FLI Grants Opportunities
We are opening two new funding opportunities to support research into the ways that artificial intelligence can be harnessed safely to make the world a better place.
The Windfall Trust
The Windfall Trust is an ambitious initiative aimed at diligencing and establishing a robust international institution that could provide universal basic assets in the event of a windfall generated by advances in AI.
Imagine A World Podcast
Can you imagine a world in 2045 where we manage to avoid the climate crisis, major wars, and the potential harms of artificial intelligence? Our new podcast series explores ways we could build a more positive future, and offers thought provoking ideas for how we might get there.
Worldbuilding Competition
The Future of Life Institute accepted entries from teams across the globe, to compete for a prize purse of up to $100,000 by designing visions of a plausible, aspirational future that includes strong artificial intelligence.
Future of Life Award
Every year, the Future of Life Award is given to one or more unsung heroes who have made a significant contribution to preserving the future of life.
Our achievements
Some of the things we have achieved
Existential Hope Transformative AI Institution Design Hackathon
FLI co-hosted a two day hackathon inviting leading researchers, funders, and builders across a range of disciplines to prototype new institutions and coordination mechanisms for transformative AI.
See the Hackathon
Blue Sky Scriptwriting Contest
FLI partnered with 'Hollywood, Health and Society' (HH&S) to co-found the Blue Sky Scriptwriting Contest which saw almost a hundred screenwriters compete to create stories set in future worlds that incorporate social equity, peace, sustainability, and beneficial AI.
AI Pathways Workshop with Metaculus
Over a two-day workshop, FLI worked with Metaculus Pro Forecasters and subject-matter experts (SMEs) to evaluate policy directions for reducing AI risk using scenario planning and forecasting methodologies.
Read the Workshop Report
ATX Festival Panel "AI&Us"
Our Director of Futures, Dr. Emilia Javorsky, appeared on a panel hosted by 'Hollywood, Health & Society' to discuss the topic "Artificial Intelligence & Us" on ATX TV in June 2023.
Listen to the live recording