For the latest info:
- London Futurists Podcast
- London Futurists newsletters
- Forthcoming events
- Delphi Survey on the Transition to AGI
For the activist wing of London Futurists:
For our project to collect, curate, clarify, and (where necessary) create educational resources:
The next few years are likely to bring unprecedented change. Humanity is facing:
- Accelerating changes in numerous fields of technology
- Deepening impacts of technologies into many new areas of life and society
- Stresses and strains of rapidly increasing resource usage
- Untested ideas and fads, often with little substance, spreading like wildfire
- Swiftly changing lifestyles, with unforeseeable consequences
- Gridlock in the mechanisms for international collaboration, being challenged by intense pent-up pressures.
As covered in the attached video, major developments are gathering speed in fields such as nanotechnology, genomics, regenerative medicine, brain sciences, ubiquitous computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, and geo-engineering. These developments are going to be very exciting – but also potentially very dangerous. At one extreme, we might witness a “singularity” convergence of new technologies, via the emergence of networked artificial intelligence that significantly exceeds human capability and comprehension.
Thanks to technology, we seem poised to gain god-like powers, such as super-intelligence and super-longevity. But at the same time, we risk losing sight of our humanity, and destroying everything that we used to hold dear.
There are many interconnections between technologies, economies, the environment, politics, cultures, and philosophies. We cannot predict with any certainty how these interconnections will unfold. We must consider, not just one possible scenario for the future, but many.
Hence the mission of London Futurists:
Serious analysis of radical scenarios for the next 3-40 years.
London Futurist meetings and projects explore both the potential upsides, and the potential downsides, of these scenarios.
We aim to set aside hype and sensationalism, over-optimism and over-pessimism. We want to explore and highlight information about future scenarios that is trustworthy and clear. This information can guide our actions, individually and collectively, as we seek to find our place in the future, and even to help create that future.
So, let’s pool our best insights into what’s technically feasible, and what’s desirable. Given the gravity of the changes that may soon befall us, it’s well worth debating, beforehand, what we can do so that technology deeply enhances humanity rather than deeply diminishes humanity.
To contact London Futurists
To join the group online, see http://www.meetup.com/London-Futurists/.
You can also email the chair, David Wood, on davidw AT deltawisdom DOT com.
See also:
- About London Futurists
- Information for Speakers
- The lead up to the Singularity
- Technoprogressives and transhumanists
- Introducing London Futurists Academy
- Forthcoming events
- Archive of previous events
- Archive of London Futurists newsletters
- Video recordings of previous events
- The “Vital Syllabus” education initiative
Find us on our Facebook Page.
>>> Civilisation’s path from yesterday to tomorrow passes through London <<<
London Futurists 
Hi London Futurists,
We are a small team within our firm that look at Healthcare and where it might be heading in the future (especially in the digital space). We have found some of your ideas really interesting and wondered if there was any scope for someone from London Futurists to attend a small breakfast event we run a few times a year (usually 10-20 people) to provoke discussion/give a presentation.
Thanks
Sam
Hi Sam – If the timing works, that’s something I’ll be happy to look into. Please drop me an email – davidw AT deltawisdom DOT com
Dear London Futurists.
I am a film producer currently researching transhumanism (ie specifically the transformation of the human condition through technology) for an upcoming project. I was wondering if I might be able to meet up with up one of your experts to discuss the idea and so further my research.
Thanks
Charlie
Hello,
Please can you let me know the best email address to contact the organisers of London Futurists?
Thank you
Kitty
Hello Kitty – You can reach me at davidw AT deltawisdom DOT com
Would love to join your podcast. Our new book with MIT Press on Embodied Learning.
https://tinyurl.com/MovementMattersMIT
I wrote a book about Control Problem and the Potential Capabilities of AI. Below is the link. Kind Regards. Ass. Prof. Hüseyin Gürkan Abalı
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30966273719&searchurl=an%3Dhuseyin%2Bgurkan%2Babali%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title1
Thank you, David, for organizing such a prestigious event at teh Bletchley Park yesterday, on the eve of the Global AI Safety Conference, shich starts there today.
Dear David, you mentioned a few days ago that you had been informed that some of the speeches at the summit would be live streamed. You offered to provide details as soon as you get them. Do I gather that whilst there may be recordings, there will in practice be no live streaming today?
The link for the livestream from the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (though it seems only two sessions will be streamed today, and only one tomorrow) is https://www.aisafetysummit.gov.uk/live-stream/
Dear David,
I am Mina, a doctoral researcher focusing on transhumanism, and the philosophical discourse related to the body. I am deeply passionate about engaging in future-oriented studies. I admire your expertise in these fields and seek your guidance to enrich my scholarly pursuit. I would greatly appreciate your advice, suggested readings, or any insights you could offer on this topic through a brief discussion or correspondence. Your consideration of my request is sincerely appreciated, and I eagerly await your response at your earliest convenience.
I am also keenly interested in becoming a member of The London Futurists. It would be an honor to actively engage in discussions and contribute to the futuristic discourse within the community. Could you please provide guidance on the process and requirements to become a member?