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The newest issue from the Near Future Laboratory newsletter.

A compact entry point into notes, signals, artifacts, and dispatches that move alongside the commissioned work.

Most recent / Sep 30, 2026

W40-Y26: The Imagination Asymmetry

This edition explores the gap between AI capabilities and human imagination, highlighting the concept of "Imagination Asymmetry" as articulated by Mike Cannon-Brookes. It examines the implications of delegating creative processes to AI and the potential loss of discovery and insight that comes with it. The newsletter reflects on the historical context of OMATA, a project that embodies the intersection of design and technology, while also addressing the importance of curiosity and wonder in a culture increasingly focused on optimization. Upcoming events, including the Calgary Futures Forum, are featured alongside discussions from recent Office Hours, where innovative ideas and projects are shared. The content emphasizes the necessity of imagination as a strategic advantage in navigating future challenges.

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101 issues across 2024-2026.

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Holiday Inn offers complimentary compute with your overnight booking

Explore a future where household inference and mundane intelligence form the backbone of daily life, as policy evolves into legislation, creating regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms. This edition examines the intertwining of consumer culture and computation, highlighting how the Consumer Price Index now accounts for a range of computational resources. It features the Charms candy company's transformation into CharmsLabs™, an AI lab focused on luck and superstition, and discusses the implications of Turing cops in policy debates, referencing...

newsletter speculative

Warning sign for an automatic door, with the word "Nice" and "Home Automation" on a gray wall.

This edition examines the Yershov diagram, highlighting the balance between human oversight and autonomous systems, as first presented in a 1963 seminar in Kiev. It reflects on a Waymo depot worker's insights into the realities of preparing self-driving cars for passengers, connecting this to a past workshop on the “ReFresh™” feature for self-driving taxis. The discussion emphasizes the importance of addressing human experiences and bodily functions in the design of autonomous systems. It also revisits the Quick Start...

newsletter discovery

A photograph of the printed Hello, Skater Girl book.

Explore the transformative power of perspective in this edition, which emphasizes the importance of questioning assumptions and cultivating fresh eyes. It highlights the photography project "Hello, Skater Girl," documenting the overlooked energy of women skateboarders while challenging entrenched narratives. The newsletter also introduces the Social Speaker, a speculative prototype designed for shared listening experiences, and discusses the evolving rituals of intimacy and presence in audio consumption. Additionally, it examines the rise and fall of AI agent civilizations at...

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A Design Fiction Dispatch image of an opinion column about AI agents and digitwins.

This edition explores the intersection of vintage artificial intelligence and modern autonomous vehicle innovation. It highlights the Internet Archive's curated collection of "Vintage Artificial Intelligence," featuring notable software from 1972 to 2024, including classics like "Eliza" and "SimLife." The newsletter also investigates Ryan Norton's home-built autonomous 1980 Ford Fairmont, which successfully navigated Route 66, showcasing the potential of DIY autonomy kits expected to hit mainstream retailers soon. Additionally, it presents a speculative job opportunity for an OpenAI Speculative...

newsletter speculative

This edition presents a collection of speculative artifacts from plausible near futures, emphasizing the importance of applied speculation as a policy laboratory for cultural R&D. It explores the implications of synthetic selves, particularly focusing on SameSame® digitwins that are beginning to exhibit independent behaviors, raising questions of responsibility and agency. The newsletter also highlights the J.D.M. Leno Museum of Steering Wheels, showcasing the evolution of driving and the cultural significance of steering wheels amidst the rise of autonomous...

newsletter speculative

This edition explores the significance of gathering and engaging in design, reflecting on the Design Engaged 2008 event in Montréal and its impact on fostering creativity and collaboration. It highlights the recent Imagine Harder Summit 2023 held at the Affleck House in Detroit, where diverse creative minds convened to discuss innovation and futures-oriented thinking. The newsletter also examines the Social Speaker, a functional prototype developed in 2012 that aimed to enhance social listening experiences. Additionally, it investigates the...

newsletter discovery

This edition examines the nuances of problem framing in organizations, inspired by Ken Anderson's post “A Better Noun.” It discusses the role of prototypes in facilitating exploration rather than merely solving problems, emphasizing the importance of expanding the terrain for unexpected opportunities. The Design Fiction Product Design Work Kit is highlighted as a tool for imagining near futures through creative combinations. A workshop on AI in learning, proposed for SXSW 2026, is introduced, focusing on speculative artifacts that...

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Near Future Laboratory Short Takes lockup for Agentic Awareness Week, showing Space Ghost at a desk and O.W.L. in a television set beside the Office for Watchful Living announcement.

Agentic Awareness Week prompts reflection on the implications of increasingly intelligent machines in our lives. The newsletter discusses insights from the OpenAI Black Hat presentation, highlighting the complexities and potential dangers of agentic systems. It draws parallels to childhood safety lessons, questioning what equivalent guidance exists for a world filled with machine intelligences. The concept of applied speculation is introduced, emphasizing the creation of tangible artifacts—such as PSAs and maintenance protocols—that help us understand and navigate the consequences...

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