Futures Studies
Description
Futures Studies is the study of technological progress and other rapidly changing trends, with the purpose of exploring changes that are likely to take place in the future.
This should be a key part of every modern education, because the acceleration of technological progress is introducing profound changes in the way we live and work. The decisions that the generation currently in high school will make about AI, climate change, genetic editing and other emerging issues will have a profound effect on the future of humanity. Learning about the future is also essential to making good choices in planning one's career.
Futurists have written so many fascinating books that it was difficult to choose which to include in this course. The final selection encompasses books on climate change mitigation, space exploration, AI development, genetics, nanotechnology, and more. Though you may not agree with all of the predictions, these readings are excellent frameworks for thinking about the implications of transcending humanity's current limitations.
Course components
The Singularity Is Nearer
By Ray Kurzweil
AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future
By Kai-Fu Lee
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