Where are we going from here?

The below is one of countless ways to map AI Futures in terms of two dimensions: the degree of human agency they will facilitate or diminish and the overall outlook from catastrophic to hopeful. This graphic invites you to imagine the possibilities in different locations upon the map: Will AI empower individuals, communities, and institutions to flourish?Will AI contribute to a world where human decision-making is sidelined or eclipsed entirely? Some locations on the map suggest AI could be a force for collective liberation; others warn of extraction, control, or disconnection. Thinking - and most importantly - critiquing received AI futures - can help surface the assumptions, hopes, and fears that shape how we think about and move towards what’s coming next—inviting us to notice who benefits, who decides, and who is left out.

While no single perspective can tell the whole story, journeying through this landscape with our full human capacities and senses attuned can help us reflect—both critically and creatively—on the paths we may be taking. If we want to shape technologies that are just, inclusive, and aligned with human and planetary wellbeing, we must actively participate in imagining—and steering towards—these futures.

As you develop your AI literacies and cultivate your own use of these tools, ask yourself:

1. 1. How is human agency portrayed across different AI futures?
    Are we the designers, co-creators, or subjects of our technological systems?
  2. What might meaningful, beneficial integration of AI into society look like?
    How can we ensure that AI supports collective wellbeing rather than concentrating power?
  3. Who gets to shape these imagined futures—and who is often excluded from the conversation?
    How can we widen participation in the design and governance of AI?
  4. One person's utopia is another person's dystopia... Can we imagine AI futures that hold space for multiple, conflicting experiences of what’s “good”?

🌍 NOTE: I intend to add many more perspectives to the below graphic.... perhaps even your own. Please reach out to me, Dr. Rachel Horst, MET Instructor and creator of this AI Literacy Hub resource, if you would like to contribute your thoughts on where we are or should be headed.

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What is Generative AI?

Institutional Policies

Navigating AI

Building Skillset

Ethical Considerations

Pedagogical Considerations

Cultivating Literacy

AI Futures