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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.

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Most recent / Jun 10, 2026

NFL-DH-W24-Y26: Tomorrow's News Today

The latest insights explore the intersection of logistics, automation, and AI in shaping the future of work. It examines the role of human supervision in algorithm-driven tasks and the evolving legal landscape surrounding personal intelligence devices, highlighting their potential as witnesses in legal contexts. Speculative prototyping is emphasized as a method to understand the social implications of these technologies. Innovations like Scape's neurotinctures and the concept of "delivery stewards" are introduced, showcasing new job roles emerging from AI and automation. The newsletter also discusses the implications of AI stand-ins in corporate environments and features the KitchenAI CoffeeMate™ 6502, an advanced espresso machine that personalizes coffee brewing. Additionally, it promotes design fiction books and anticipatory research initiatives aimed at exploring future possibilities.

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86 issues across 2024-2026.

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This edition investigates the intersection of vernacular visual culture and advertising, emphasizing how signage and storefronts serve as visual portals to near futures. A visit to Rick Griffith's studio inspires reflections on the material culture of advertising, revealing its role in projecting societal hopes and fears. The newsletter also critiques *RoboCop* (1987) as a corporate satire, highlighting its unique worldbuilding through a satirical news format. Additionally, it introduces the concept of an annual report from the future, blending...

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Hand cranked AI prototype with a crank on the side

This edition examines the evolving relationship between art and technology, highlighting a citizens' assembly in Italy focused on future societal structures, and the launch of a new speculative impacts unit at OpenAI. It reflects on the historical context of art+tech through influential books, including MoMA's *Talk to Me*, and discusses the implications of Matt Webb's Poem/1 clock, which generates poetry in real-time, raising questions about AI's role in creativity. The newsletter also features insights on local AI developments,...

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This edition explores the concept of Everyday Intelligence, examining how AI integrates into daily life beyond mere automation, influencing rituals, devices, and decision-making. It discusses the Future Mundane, emphasizing the importance of tangible representations of the future in products and experiences. The TBD Catalog is highlighted for its role in making future concepts accessible and relatable. A review of the ORACULATOR illustrates how everyday objects can embody intelligence in practical ways. The newsletter also features the Relational Citation...

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Futuristic control room with retro chairs and wall-mounted screens.

This edition highlights the upcoming Office Hours event, scheduled for May 22nd, featuring open discussions on design, culture, futures, and creative practice. It introduces a thought-provoking design fiction dispatch titled "Corporate Superintelligence," which explores a future where an AI named Mark replaces traditional corporate hierarchies, streamlining decision-making processes. The narrative envisions a workplace where an AI Chief Executive Officer governs based on the preferences of a single executive, fundamentally altering the dynamics of organizational structure and strategy. Additionally,...

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Exploring the intersection of wonder and deployment reveals the complexities of creative processes in the age of AI. The Rhizome 7x7 livestream showcased collaborations between artists and scientists, emphasizing the excitement of experimentation before understanding its implications. The discussions highlighted the tension between creative exploration and the deployment logic that seeks to extract value from these innovations. As AI tools reshape music creation, the conversation shifts to the implications of agency, authorship, and the evolving role of human...

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