Session type:

Talk

Presented by:

Kevlin Henney

Independent

James Lewis

Thoughtworks

Session time:

14 May 11:15 — 12:15

Session duration:

60 minutes

About the session

Themes: Dealing with change | AI and beyond | Responsible, sustainable working

The future is not what it used to be. 

From the end of the 19th century, through the dawn of the Atomic Age and past the rush of the Space Race, the future was painted as a place of possibility and optimism.

The future was bright. But now? Not so much. 

Our view of the future lies somewhere between neutral and gloomy. Why the change? How did the imagined future turn into our present? And what next?

If the future is not what it used to be, what is it? In this session, Kevlin and James will look at the future seen through the eyes of the past.

Participant Takeaways:
  • There used to be an optimistic vision of what the 21st century would look like, an optimism that no longer seems to hold for the remainder of this century
  • When looked at from the right angle, the present we live is still impressive, and how it came to be has much to teach us
  • To bring a return to optimism, it is less about technical progress than about who drives technical progress and who it's for

About the speaker(s)