Debunking doomerism: 4 futurists on why we’re actually not f*cked | Kevin Kelly & more

Four visionaries—Kevin Kelly, Peter Schwartz, Ari Wallach, and Tyler Cowen—share their insights on the future, urging viewers to consider the impact of their actions on future generations.

Explore the future with visionaries Kevin Kelly, Peter Schwartz, Ari Wallach, and Tyler Cowen.

While each is looking into the future through a different lens, they all share a belief in the power of optimism and proactive engagement as essential tools for overcoming today's challenges.

Wallach introduces "Longpath," urging long-term thinking, while Kelly advocates for "Protopia," emphasizing gradual progress. Schwartz highlights scenario planning's importance, emphasizing curiosity and collaboration. Cowen reflects on America's progress and calls for urgency.

Together, they stress empathy, transgenerational thinking, and diverse futures to collectively build a better tomorrow. The message: the future is a continuous creation requiring proactive, collective action.

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► About Kevin Kelly:
Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at WIRED magazine. He co-founded WIRED in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. His newest book is The Inevitable, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. He is founder of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily for 20 years. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a subscriber-supported journal of unorthodox conceptual news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers’ Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985.

► About Peter Schwartz:
Peter Schwartz is an internationally renowned futurist and business strategist, specializing in scenario planning and working with corporations, governments, and institutions to create alternative perspectives of the future and develop robust strategies for a changing and uncertain world. As Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning for Salesforce, he manages the organization’s ongoing strategic conversation.

Peter was co-founder and chairman of Global Business Network. He is the author of several works. His first book, The Art of the Long View, is considered a seminal publication on scenario planning. Peter has also served as a script consultant on the films "The Minority Report," "Deep Impact," "Sneakers," and "War Games." He received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering and astronautics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.

► About Ari Wallach:
Ari Wallach is an applied futurist and Executive Director of Longpath Labs. He is the author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs by HarperCollins and the creator and host of the forthcoming series on PBS A Brief History of the Future, which is being executive produced by Kathryn Murdoch and Drake.

He has been a strategy and foresight advisor to Fortune 100 companies, the US Department of State, the Ford Foundation, the UN Refugee Agency, the RacialEquity 2030 Challenge and Politico’s Long Game Forum.

As adjunct associate professor at Columbia University he lectured on innovation, AI, and the future of public policy. Wallach's TED talk on Longpath has been viewed 2.6 million times and translated into 21 languages. Ari was the co-creator of 2008's pro-Obama The Great Schlep with Sarah Silverman.

► About Tyler Cowen:
Tyler is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University and serves as chairman and general director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is co-author of the popular economics blog Marginal Revolution and co-founder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University.

He graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor's degree in economics and earned a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. He also runs a podcast series called Conversations with Tyler. His latest book Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives and Winners Around the World is co-authored with venture capitalist Daniel Gross.

[lillianbarker]

It seems that futurists look at life in a very materialistic way—robots, flight, space. I think instead we’ll be looking at creating satisfying lives for everyone through better distribution of education, wealth, more justice, safety and peace. We have lagged behind socially for far too long. Time to catch up.

[freebornjohn]

One of things that I find deeply troubling is the loss of the natural world and biodiversity. Where I live birds and insects that were abundant 75 years ago are extinct now and you have to travel a long way to see them. Even back in the 70s when you drove your car on a nice summer's day it would be covered in small insects now there are none. I also fear the loss of open free democratic countries as people in their desperation and frustration to turn to strongmen politics. These strongmen always fail, close down ideas and debate, and succumb to infighting and corruption.

[mrdeanvincent]

These 'debunking doomerism' types of videos always feature corporate futurists with extremely narrow perspectives, so they always completely fail to debunk anything noteworthy. We've heard all this before. It doesn't answer the questions.

Having said that, doom & despair is not a final state. Don't get stuck there. You can move on to purpose and meaning or whatever works for you.

[twilight]

*Four passengers on the Titanic tell us why we're totally not about to hit an iceberg.* _Iconic._

[matthewhoopes]

I have been traveling for work for almost 30 yrs in different capacities. While I'm not someone who is pessimistic or conspiratorial, i can't help notice the increase in drugs, homelessness, and decline in mental health. The extreme division in politics and increasing gap between have and have nots. I believe too much is focused on technology and not enough on just the well being of people.

[meandyouagainstthealgorith]

Let me give you what is missing. It's the element that will make everything right. I can give it to you in one word. PARTICIPATION. People don't want to be nothing more than a variable in the algorithm that must be canceled. At best, many people see their influence diminishing against a background of machines, AI, and multi-billionaires that imagine that it is their job to know everything and direct everyone. People are smart. People want to participate. People want to feel their influence. People want to retire to a life they feel they have made better.

[Amazology]

I don't think malignant optimism which licks the corporate boot like this is a solution to anything at all.

[gorgeousguerilla]

Cool video, but still shows only one perspective of middle-aged, well-established men earning money in service of big business and the government. I would say that the impact of my actions means nothing compared to that made by the top 1% of beneficiaries of the global economic system.

[waltermeerschaert]

Last fall I walked through Cheesman Park in Denver and there were several people, obviously volunteers, all doing one thing, planting trees. Most of these folks will never experience these trees in all their magnificent mature glory. I congratulated and thanked them for their acts of optimism.

[djohnspangler]

The problem with corporate visionaries is that they look to a world where there are more consumers living longer lives and disregarding that even through all of their past technological breakthroughs, we live in a world that is closer to the brink. The balance of nature is antithetical to human conquest.

[ivanfreely]

A meager attempt at instilling optimism into the viewership (for those that can afford to be connected to the internet) and it certainly didn't debunk _doomerism._ One comment I read identified the main problem to be _private finance._ Basically the wealthy decides what our future is going to look like and attempt to make it happen. Everything they do is about accumulating more wealth and will go to any lengths to achieve it. *Wealth* brings about *power* which in turn allows one to *control* society. Collective action is great and all but, it requires a leader. Pay attention to who that leader is and more importantly, who the leader's benefactor is. You may not like what you discover.

[djeang]

I wanted to be convinced but was not one bit. Surprised and appalled that these smart individuals in their positions could be so narrow-minded. By "we" they really refer to the top echelon of society who hold power. The rest of us are f*cked unless something is done about the imbalance and inequality.

[lzrhwk]

Telling us what we should do doesn't prevent what's actually happening from happening

[christophercelmer]

So the capitalist system isn't creating problems, its creating opportunities out of the problems they created... Sounds about right😂

[---Dana----]

Bigger is not better. Some countries are too big. Many companies are too big. Many religions and institutions are too big. Things get impersonal, people become unimportant and change cannot take place in a reasonable time frame. It's like turning an aircraft carrier. It takes forever. We cannot help ourselves from repeating our past. We are doomed by our very nature. Some will survive and then we'll start over again. It's what we do.

[craigmerkey]

I always enjoy your videos. What I have learned in my 35 + years employed in the same industry is that people and corporations most often have very different values! The pursuit of profits as the primary goal and commoditizing basic needs is at odds with supporting workers/people.

[CyanCooper]

Pro tip: if you want to solve the problems being created by unregulated capitalism, don’t ask someone in love with it.

[Allenmarshall]

Came here to see people pretending to be experts...

Was not disappointed.

[armandbourque]

Watching members of the most protected, prosperous and privileged generation of humans trying to convince themselves and us that the titanic isn't sinking, or if it is, there is enough lifeboats, and if there isn't enough lifeboats, all the right people will have a place. And that the tools and concepts of people who have never been without options will solve the problem of overpopulation and overconsumption.

[abody]

These are more "visionaries" who ignore or have limited understanding of the physical reality we live in. I think the correct word is "charlatan".