Designing the technological futures we aspire to
Why transformative technology demands responsible innovation — and the critical questions we need to be asking before it's too late
Last summer I published an article on “Why all undergrads should take at least one course where they watch sci-fi movies in class” — some of you will remember it. In it I wrote about Arizona State University’s Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future class, and how it equips students to think about technology innovation and the future in ways few other classes do.
I’m beginning to gear up to teach the class again this fall (it’ll be for the 9th time I believe). And as I was preparing, I was reminded of just how relevant the class’ trailer (because every movie class has to have a trailer!) is to how anyone might approach the benefits and risks of transformative technologies — not just my students.
This “trailer” was a short video I put together to give prospective students a sense of what the course is about. It was shamelessly inspired by some work I did with a couple of producers. But it also captures the essence of the questions we address during the course.
I remember thinking when I made the video that the themes it touches on transcend the course. And revisiting it, I was struck by how it’s more relevant than ever to the questions all of us should probably be asking about transformative technologies, from AI and gene editing to brain computer interfaces cloning, and much more.
So I thought I’d share it again here:
Of course, I’m well aware that not everyone who sits down to read this Substack appreciates multimedia segments when they were simply hoping for a quiet read. And so I’ve also included the transcript below.
It’s a little basic without the news clips, AIs, dinosaurs, and fantasy nanotech — but you get the gist:
CLIP: “Elon Musk's company Neuralink implanted a chip in a human brain for the first time.”
NARRATOR
We're living through one of the most incredible times in human history.
CLIP
“A Texas-based company is spending millions of dollars to try to bring back the Tasmanian Tiger.”
NARRATOR
Our technologies are advancing at a thousand miles an hour.
CLIP
“The FDA appears ready to green light the first treatment using gene editing.”
NARRATOR
We're transforming the world we live in faster than ever before.
CLIP
“The kind of video that you might see in a travel video, right? Except it's not real.”
NARRATOR
And we're on the edge of being able to redesign the very essence of what it means to be human.
CLIP
“Tonight we're learning about a medical milestone — new surgery that uses genetically modified animal organs to save the lives of humans.”
NARRATOR
But too few people are asking where we're going and how we get there.
CLIP
”What if the biggest AI threat of all, is to human relationships.”
NARRATOR
Here, there is an incredible role of cinema. Sci-fi movies shine a light on our relationship with the future.
They kickstart conversations on what it means to innovate responsibly, and ethically.
And they open up pathways in our imagination to build the futures we want, while avoiding those we don't.
CLIP: “Ava, I said stop!”
CLIP: “We're a minute to midnight.”
CLIP: “RUN!”
NARRATOR
What are the technologies we want in our lives?
Where do we want these technologies to take us?
And how do we spot the dangers before it's too late?
We have an incredible responsibility to get this right.
Otherwise we risk losing everything, in our pursuit of technologies we do not understand, and cannot handle.
[Dramatic music — at least this is what the closed captions say!]
Again, it’s short, and it’s not that deep. But those closing thoughts should be on everyone’s mind as we push the bounds of what’s possible.
So here they are again:
What are the technologies we want in our lives? Where do we want these technologies to take us? And how do we spot the dangers before it's too late?
We have an incredible responsibility to get this right. Otherwise, we risk losing everything in our pursuit of technologies we do not understand, and cannot handle.
As one of the most intellectually valuable courses I could have taken as an undergraduate, this class was the best way to learn (in an organized, guided way) which topics specifically excite me, and how I should think critically about the emerging technologies. It is a hidden gem at Arizona State University! Even if the future holds unpredictable realities, learning from films (or books) to analyze how events can play out is more useful than most practices for understanding and preparing for the future to be shaped in an ethical, responsible manner.