An Introduction to Thinking Differently about Technology, Society & The Future

There’s growing awareness that business as usual with tech innovation is heading for a train-wreck — but how do we think differently about tech & the future?

This summer we took my course on socially responsible and ethical innovation (which conveniently uses science fiction movies as a starting point) online.

This is an exciting departure from the in-person course, and one that has led to a number of innovations in how the course is taught. It’s also meant that I’ve needed to capture some of the essence of that course on video.

One of the introductory videos for the new course format is a version of a 20 minute lecture I give on the need to think differently about the intersection between technology, society and the future.

Given how important this is — especially within the context of a college focused on transdisciplinary approaches to ensuring a just, sustainable and vibrant future — I thought it worth posting the video here.

This was recorded for students in the class, and so probably isn’t as entertaining as your average TED talk. That said, I hope that it’s accessible enough that anyone who’s concerned with where we’re heading as a society, and how we can do things differently, can get something.

By way of context, the course itself is based around ten science fiction movies, which are the entry point to discussing the complexities of socially responsible and ethical innovation.

You don’t need to know this to watch the video — but the context may help explain the occasional movie reference!

Originally published at https://collegeofglobalfutures.asu.edu on June 9, 2021.