Empowering citizens lost in opaque governance
Democracy in the Uncanny Valley: When AI Rewrites the Social Contract
In 1920, Los Angeles installed its first automated traffic light — a modest step toward machine-guided governance. Today, the logic controlling that single light has evolved into vast digital systems that authenticate identities, craft legislation, guide policing, and distribute social benefits.?We now inhabit a political "uncanny valley" where democratic institutions retain their familiar structures (elections, laws, courts), but their inner workings are increasingly alien, driven by opaque algorithms that operate beyond public scrutiny.
In this issue's feature, we ask:?Can democracy evolve to survive its own automation?
IFTF’s Strategic Foresight in the Global Spotlight at Davos 2025
How is AI reshaping our ability to envision the future? What happens when futures thinking becomes democratized??
The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently turned to IFTF futures experts to help create their?first-ever Transformation Map on Strategic Foresight which debuted recently at Davos 2025.?This latest addition to WEF's Transformation Maps series examines the six critical forces revolutionizing how organizations and leaders think about and plan for the future — from the impact of machine learning on forecasting to the rising importance of climate imperatives in strategic planning.
Explore the map now on the Global Foresight Network website and discover the emerging tools, methods, and mindsets shaping the next era of strategic futures work.
Signals from the Future
These signals from?IFTF's Future Factors?platform reveal emerging shifts in governance — from who leads to how rules are made and enforced.?
Indonesia’s influencer politicians
Over 20 social media stars entered Indonesian parliament last year, trading policy expertise for viral charisma. As the line between entertainment and governance blurs, a potential shift in political landscapes may emerge, prioritizing emotional resonance over substantive policy debate.
How could the trend of influencer politicians redefine voter engagement and political campaigning?
Ammo vending machines: guns & groceries
U.S. Americans can now pick up bullets and apples in the same trip, because?ammunition vending machines are proliferating in grocery stores throughout the U.S.?While proponents argue they provide convenience and accessibility, critics fear that these machines may contribute to increased gun violence. The accessibility of ammunition in ordinary shopping locations could normalize firearms access in family-friendly spaces.
How will communities respond as ammunition sales enter everyday retail environments?
New York’s $75 billion climate reckoning
New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act forces fossil fuel companies pay $3 billion annually for 25 years?— a model for holding polluters financially liable for emissions. Following a similar law passed in Vermont, the law aims to fund infrastructure repairs and climate adaptation measures.?
How might corporate behavior shift as more local governments demand compensation for environmental damage?
UK bans prime-time junk food ads?
Starting October 2025,?the UK will ban junk food advertisements on television commercials before 9 PM?in order to limit children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing and lower childhood obesity. As the government implements a more hands-on public health policy through similar restrictions in other advertising mediums and spaces, we might see a wave of regulatory changes aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles.
As health-based marketing restrictions expand, what ripple effects might we see across industries and consumer behavior?
IFTF FEATURE
The Uncanny Valley of Governance: When Participation Breeds Powerlessness
Digital platforms promised to revolutionize civic engagement, yet citizens are increasingly powerless to effect real change. A new IFTF report explores this democratic paradox, examining how nations and communities are responding — from the rise of ethnonationalist movements to emerging experiments in subnational cooperation and collective knowledge-sharing.
Read a forecast brief about our new perspective piece, The Uncanny Valley of Governance.?It's the third in a multipart series exploring uncanny valleys across society, culminating in a full anthology for IFTF Vantage Partners in July 2025.
If you are already an IFTF Vantage partner,?read this full Perspective on IFTF Vantage Point.?
To learn more about accessing these forecasts and/or joining the IFTF Vantage partnership,?contact our team?to explore how we can help your organization navigate the critical transitions ahead.
IFTF INSIGHT
Four Futures for Oregon: Scenarios for Climate, Tech, and Community
IFTF and 1000 Friends of Oregon have unveiled a provocative new film series that asks: What happens when climate refugees flood Oregon's cities and tech moguls buy up entire rural communities? Four futures — from unchecked growth to system collapse, from collective constraint to technological transformation — challenge us to confront critical choices ahead. Developed collaboratively by policymakers, local leaders, and IFTF futurists, the scenarios address urgent challenges:
Watch the series?to see how policy, technology, and cultural values might reshape Oregon’s communities by 2035. As Sam Diaz, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon notes, "It's not enough to hope, we need to plan."
IFTF SPOTLIGHT
Activate Your Foresight Practice This Spring
IFTF Foresight Essentials — Live in Palo Alto, March 25-27
New session added! Ready to shape tomorrow? Join IFTF's renowned futurists for an immersive three-day journey into strategic foresight. You'll master 24+ practical tools to:
"The IFTF Foresight Essentials training transformed me from 'future-frantic' to 'future-ready.'" — Riz Angeline De Guia Mapa, Senior Economic Development Specialist
Our comprehensive toolkit includes everything you need to launch your foresight practice, plus exclusive access to IFTF's global alumni network. Early bird pricing ($500 off) available until February 8. Special rates for nonprofit/government/education professionals.
Reserve your spot today at IFTF's Palo Alto campus.?Space is limited.
Can't make March? Check out our Live-Online sessions starting February 19 (only 2 seats left) or May 7.
The Future of Leadership is Augmented — Make Sure You’re Ready
How will you lead when AI becomes your everyday partner? The stakes have never been higher — or more exciting.
领英推荐
Leaders Make the Future, Third Edition, arrives March 4, with ten groundbreaking skills for AI-augmented leadership. IFTF's Bob Johansen teams up with GenAI expert Jeremy Kirshbaum and IFTF foresight director Gabe Cervantes to deliver a radically expanded playbook for the next decade of leadership.
Think "augmented clarity" sounds intriguing? Wait until you explore "smart mob swarming" and "bio-engaging." This isn't just another AI book—it's a practical guide to amplifying your human leadership qualities in an AI-enhanced world.
Whether you're curious about "futureback thinking" or need to master "human calming" in turbulent times, this radically revised edition draws on IFTF's latest research to help you thrive in the GenAI revolution.
Explore Tomorrow Today: IFTF Launches WhatIFpedia
Step into 2035 with WhatIFpedia, IFTF's new world-building platform that transforms how we imagine possible futures. Unlike traditional AI chatbots, this collaborative tool creates interconnected visions of tomorrow that build on each other, powered by IFTF's strategic forecasting expertise and advanced AI.
Developed in partnership with AI consulting firm Handshake and building on Sawyer Hood's open-source project, WhatIFpedia expands on IFTF's Ten-Year Forecast program by enabling users to explore and build upon each other's contributions. Each search generates new scenarios that maintain consistency with previously created content, building a coherent vision of 2035.Try it yourself:
Visit WhatIFpedia.org?to start exploring tomorrow's possibilities today.
Upcoming IFTF Foresight Essentials Trainings ?
IFTF Foresight Awareness for Philanthropy
Live-Online | March 21,?2025, 11am-12:30pm PDT | Learn more?here?? ?
IFTF Three Horizons of AI
Live-Online | 3 Sessions | June 3, 10, 17, 2025, 8-10am PDT | Register here?? ?
IFTF Experiential Futures
Live-Online | 3 Sessions | July 17, 24, 31, 2025, 9am-12pm PDT | Learn more?here?? ?
Upcoming IFTF Foresight Talks ?
Artifacts from the Future for a Post-Human World, with Jessica Charlesworth and Tim Parsons
February?27? |? 9am PST | Register here?? ?
Save the date! Zach Smith & Claire Thomas, FEMA
April 9? |? 9am PDT | Register here??
Upcoming IFTF Vantage Partner-Only Events ?
Q1 Futures Research Meetup: WORK — The Future of the Creative Economy
February 13? |? 10:00am PST |??Register here?? ?
Q2 Futures Research Meetup: POST-SLOP INTERNET — The Future of Digital Information
May 7? |? 9:00am PDT |??Register here?? ?
Q3 Futures Research Meetup: RELATIONAL HEALTH — The Future of Wellbeing
September 17? |? 9:00am PDT ?|??Register here??
RESOURCES
Tools for Tomorrow: The Futures Workshop Podcast
Need practical ways to think more strategically about the future? New Zealand futurist?Victoria Mulligan?hosts?The Futures Workshop podcast, where she talks to fellow futurists about tools and methods they use to support their work as leading foresight practitioners. Mulligan, co-Founder of Auckland's Speculative Futures chapter, interviews creators of essential foresight frameworks about how to put their methods into practice. Recent episodes feature:
While strategic futures thinking may not come naturally, these expert conversations provide practical tools to help anyone begin exploring tomorrow's possibilities. ?
(We?welcome recommendations?for any recent futures thinking resources you'd like to share with readers!)
CONSIDER THIS
The New Irrelevance: How Big Data Could Replace Exploitation with Irrelevance
“Big Data algorithms might create digital dictatorships in which all power is concentrated in the hands of a tiny elite while most people suffer not from exploitation, but from something far worse – irrelevance.”
― Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Navigate the Future with IFTF
IFTF offers a range of services that combine cutting-edge research, practical training, and collaborative partnerships to foster strategic foresight and build future-ready capabilities across various sectors and industries:
If your organization is seeking to build a robust future-ready strategy, IFTF has the expertise and tools to guide you through the complexities of a fast-changing world.