2020 Theory
2020 Theory is a three-stage approach to changing the world. The genesis is that year 2020 was the moment when exponential technologies got “smart,” and we now have the choice to teach them to perpetuate human kindness, moderation, and symbiosis with nature; or instead to teach them to make material excess a priority. Simultaneously this decade, ecological thresholds will be surpassed, humanity will be fully connected via the internet, and social inequalities will reach critical mass.
2020 Theory begins with four basic assumptions:
1. Humanity is on a path of self-destruction but it’s not too late to course correct.
2. The human drive to innovate and progress should not and cannot be stopped, it can only be stalled.
3. There will always be extreme views for and against any new idea. We must carefully embrace new ideas but find a compromise to allow opposing forces to tug and pull in balance.
4. Most humans must undergo stages of experiential failure in order to accept that actionable change is necessary. So, we cannot skip pain and failure as a society, but we can plan for it, mitigate, and safeguard the desired results.
STAGE ONE: THE ALPHA BET
Altering individual behaviors.
Stage One begins before year 2030, but after individuals have the ability to mobilize (peacefully) on a global scale, such as 80% or more of people on Earth having access to the internet. Stage One is about working within the boundaries of our current systems and constructs.
The objective is to challenge people to consciously change their normal routine and take action to change the world. Specifically examining personal perceptions, finances, lifestyles, surroundings, workplaces, and citizenship behaviors in a way that diverges from 20th century concepts. The primary purpose is to break the old constructs and influence observational artificial intelligence technologies (such as business marketing, intelligence, and analytics A.I. software) to adapt its algorithms accordingly.
The three “D”s to start changing the world is DEMAND (such as at retailers, on social media, and at work); DECLUTTER (such as reducing waste, blocking advertisements, and spending less on new products); and DEMONSTRATE (such as contacting leaders as a united front, volunteering more, and making wellness a priority). If 20% of consumer behaviors shift toward equitable and sustainable purchases, then businesses and governments will begin to adapt.
Toward the end of Stage One, philanthropic causes will have greater financial and human capital; however, it will become apparent nonprofit systems need to be repaired with increased virtual volunteering, administrative restructuring and supply chain improvements. Specifically, nonprofits catering to the reconstructing of health, food distribution, affordable housing and education models will need the greatest concentration of efforts as many antiquated societal constructs continue to fail. These nonprofit oriented support programs will need to be tailored to the individual with a preventative and long-term sustainable strategy.
A key component in the transition to Stage Two is when consumer pressure causes the majority of for-profit businesses to halve their environmental impact, their profits, marketing budgets, and executive pay scales. These behavior changes will have to begin with bold early adopters among consumers and businesses (one Harvard study found that societal change often occurs after just 3.5% of a population leads the way).
STAGE TWO: HINDSIGHT 2020
Building new institutional constructs.
Stage Two could begin before year 2040, but after enterprise, economics, and governance models break due to a global scale catastrophe such as a pandemic, pervasive environmental disasters, inequalities reaching critical mass, automations eliminating more jobs than creating new ones, or a combination of massive disruptions.
Year 2020 was the year everyone in the world felt the cracks in our institutional constructs. It’s a natural entropy; these systems will continue to breakdown, but new solutions will gain traction. Particularly, Virtual Nations (V.N.) will arise offering guaranteed basic needs. These V.N.s will essentially be online groups utilizing currencies such as “Proof of Stake blockchain” for greater Social Capital (or smart phone distributed blockchain social capital). Many of the major social media platforms are positioned to evolve into effective V.N. systems. True V.N.s must be not-for-profit. Its governance can be augmented with artificial intelligence and includes ways to participate as a citizen, such as voting tokens for establishing policies and rules. Some current day V.N.s include: Bitnation, Asgardia, Sovereign Peace, The Good Country, and Republic of Estonia.
The general ethos for this Stage Two rebuilding period must be biomimicry, digital security and ethical automation. This is a time to increase technology usage, meanwhile taking the time to audit everything to ensure things like implicit bias, cyber threats and profit-as-purpose motives are removed from any system. A.I. with quantum computing power will be available to assist.
Toward the end of Stage Two, extreme poverty will be eliminated. Democracies will emerge where people truly have the power (rather than plutocracies or corporatocracies in which wealth and businesses hold the power). Some countries will be governed by technology as in a A.I. noocracy or technocracy.
A key component in the transition to Stage Three is an agreement between nation states to congruously and multilaterally reduce military might. The purpose will be to transition those funds to ensure maintainable health, education and infrastructure improvements at home, and afar in places prone to crime, suffering or war.
The only way to transition to Stage Three is a general higher level of empathy and consciousness brought about by medical breakthroughs, along with noninvasive brain-computer-interface technology. These technologies will have to be as globally acceptable, inexpensive and widely used as smartphones. Altering the human condition with technology has never been an ideal solution, but we will reach the point when we must choose to evolve, hide, or die.
STAGE THREE: ENTER THE FRINJA
Refine with gamification.
Stage Three could begin before year 2050, but after planetary resources are fully measured, managed and sustainable for all life on Earth.
The objective is to examine what we’ve learned from the massive transformations that have taken place during Stages One and Two, then streamline with “first principles thinking.” The focus is on reducing complexities and maximizing resource regeneration (such as mastering zero-point energy).
At this stage, every person will have their basic needs met and environmental adversities will be under control. Global debts between nations will become a “sunk cost” and will only weigh down human progress. Economics and politics will be so intertwined and interdependent across the globe that human progress becomes a shared effort. Financial debts and business proprietary rights become a thing of the past. Every business tool and method is open sourced in order to achieve the most efficient and highest quality products and services for every human. Banks will become artificial intelligence hubs, storing data and managing energy distribution.
Money and property will no longer be top of mind, but there will be new issues to contend with. There will be too much dependence on technology, and we must quickly scale back where possible. Transhumanism will cause a rift in society. People will live longer, happier and healthier lives; but we must consider what are the consequences if we “cure” aging?
Overall, life on Earth will be better than ever in Stage Three. Everyone in the world will be invited to take part in an experiential gamified method to create the future to get input from multiple experiences, and “multiple intelligences.” A set of Artificial General Intelligence machines will aggregate the data from the human input to help define and augment a new social contract as the foundation for the new societal constructs that maintain global peace and balance. Ideas from the mainstream, to the regressive, to the progressive, all the way to the fringe will be important in refining the path forward. This is the end of the Anthropocene Epoch as we transition to a Civilization Type One (CT1).
Entertainment will rule many people’s lives and the ethics of various new forms of entertainment will often be challenged. A key component of Stage Three will be an existential threat of World War between all “good” A.I. and all “bad” A.I. Humanity as a whole must join forces and band together against a common enemy in order to survive.
Near the end of Stage Three, prior to CT1, we will be systematizing the ethical policies, politics and economics of two imminent evolutions: the advancement of artificial super intelligence, and also terraforming other planets.
- More information and resources at www.2020theory.com
