Is the cautionary science fiction tale actually a playbook? What happens when dystopian fiction becomes a showcase for fascinating possibilities rather than outcomes to avoid? This got me wondering: what happens when cautionary tales become sources of inspiration rather than warnings? When dystopian fiction becomes a showcase for fascinating possibilities rather than outcomes to avoid? What if we focused more on stories that don't just show us what could go wrong, but actively explore what could go right? What would hopeful speculation look like? How do we tell stories about technology that inspire us toward better outcomes rather than just more advanced ones?

This is a rebroadcast of a chat with Dave Gray from a couple years back that got taken down by Spotify! Listen back to the edit to find out why — but mostly listen back for Dave's dulcet baritone reminding us all of the existential power of imagination and visual storytelling. The simple beautify of translating feeling and ideas into images is a powerful way to see the world differently, to make sense of complexity, and to envision new possibilities. Dave is a long-time friend and collaboratory. We met many years ago when he was running XPLANE, a pioneering visual thinking and visual storytelling company. He invited me to this retreat he was hosting called “The Overlap” at Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California. It was a small gathering of about 25 or so people from various disciplines and backgrounds, all interested in design and creativity. I was the only person there who worked in technology and futures design...

MobZombies, a project blending playground-style physical play with digital gaming, is now featured on Processing.org. This is like a step toward games that mix real-world activity with screen-based fun. Inspired in part by people like David...

Imagine being 15 and standing at the threshold of the future, eager to understand what's ahead. That’s exactly what Vikram did after my keynote. His questions were not just about facts but about possibilities. We talked about how futures thinking isn’t just forecasting; it’s about expanding our imagination—seeing worlds that don’t yet exist. When young people like Vikram participate actively in envisioning the future, they bring fresh energy and new ideas that challenge the status quo. It’s a reminder - the future belongs to those who dare to imagine it. We often view youth as passive consumers of information, but they are potent creators of possibility. Engaging them means more than teaching; it’s about empowering them to lead. Vikram’s energy to blog is a testament to that spirit. Supporting young voices isn’t an option. Rather, it’s a necessity for a more habitable, innovative world. Are we listening enough to the next generation’s dreams and visions?

This is a conversation about the intersection of AI and creativity that took place in Office Hours N°273 where Kirby Ferguson showed up and shared his latest video project, "Infinite Remix." I took that tape and turned it into this episode of the Near Future Laboratory Podcast. So..it's two things at once: Office Hours N°273 and Episode 101 of the Near Future Laboratory Podcast. Talk about reuse and remixing! Kirby Ferguson's "Infinite Remix" challenges us to rethink the role of AI in creativity. By viewing AI as a collaborator rather than a replacement, we can harness its potential to enhance our creative processes while maintaining the human touch that makes art meaningful.

We often think of documentation as an obligation, or as a technical artifact — notes for the next person, crumbs for debugging. But I’ve come to believe that process documentation can be something else entirely. It can be reflective. Even beautiful. Especially when it’s made tangible. When the digital exhaust of our work is transformed into a physical artifact, it becomes a testament to our journey. It captures not just the outcome, but the process — the late nights, the brainstorming sessions, the moments of doubt and discovery. It becomes a narrative, a story worth telling. While in the work I felt myself in the present and looking back on the work from the future. In the future, there was no sense of regret. I didn't want to be the guy, years down the road, queried about this chapter of life and not having a story to tell. A story I could be proud to tell, full of...

This workshop provided participants with the tools and frameworks to explore and create speculative Design Fictions for the future. Through hands-on activities and collaborative storytelling, participants were able to envision and prototype their ideas for a more hopeful and inclusive future. Participants left with a deeper understanding of the potential of Design Fiction as a tool for exploring and shaping the future.

Today I spoke at Hyper Island’s Vision Week 2025 about AI, resilience, and what it means to be human in the loop. But the real topic was deeper: how do we preserve and strengthen imagination in a world flooded with automation? The answer is to cultivate a mindset of curiosity and experimentation, to embrace the unknown and to see challenges as opportunities for growth. To find the ways to innovate and create value in this new landscape, we must be willing to take risks and learn from our failures — and even redefine what ‘failure’ might mean. What I've developed through my own practice is to look at AI as a collaboratory. A kind of co-creator or muse. I develop tools — like experiments that may or may not feel like they came from the future — that allow me to experiment with new forms of collaboration and co-creation. It's like making my own little science-fictional tools...

Mercedes Barrera and Catalina Dib presented their strategic intelligence platform Katari Andes that gathers signals of change from Latin America with a focus on collective wellbeing. Katari Andes is an innovative platform—an exciting initiative aimed at transforming collective intelligence into strategic clarity, especially from the Global South's perspective. The session featured a presentation by the platform's co-founders, who showcased the potential of Katari Andes to redefine decision-making frameworks and address structural gaps in current intelligence systems. The platform's design emphasizes user-friendly interfaces and collaborative tools, enabling diverse stakeholders to engage with data meaningfully. By prioritizing local knowledge and context, Katari Andes seeks to empower communities — particularly amongst the Global South — to shape visions of their futures actively.