How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

Discuss the evolution of human culture, economics and politics in the decades and centuries ahead

How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

0 - Extremely pessimistic
1
3%
1
4
13%
2
1
3%
3
4
13%
4
4
13%
5
7
22%
6
2
6%
7
1
3%
8
5
16%
9
1
3%
10 - Extremely optimistic
2
6%
 
Total votes: 32

Vakanai
Posts: 313
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2022 10:23 pm

Re: How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

Post by Vakanai »

warpmass wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:34 pm
Vakanai wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:13 am Depends on how you want to define optimism here. I think that we should have AGI, humanoid robots, cyborgs, and a lot of the amazing sci-fi dreams we've longed for since childhood. The technology is going to improve drastically, and dreams will become reality.

On the other hand I think that over a billion people alive today will have died of famine, war, disease, and climate change - all preventable, or once was, but we just didn't care to do anything about it until it was too late to do so. I also see humanity being divided far worse than now, like Civil War worse kind of divided. Climate change is going to be bad. Fascism will be even more widespread. Nuclear weapons might've seen use.

Basically the only positive thing I see is that technology will be better. Humanity will be worse. Far worse.
This post makes no sense you say we will have AGI, etc, ect, etc, but things will be far worse.
It makes perfect sense to me. Technology is going to be great, but it's not going to stop corporations from trying to make as much money as possible off burning fossil fuels for as long as possible, it won't get fascists out of power, it won't replace capitalism out the gate, it won't solve the climate crisis in a timely fashion (if for no other reason than those with AGI won't put much funding into constructing the solutions that it comes up with), it won't take the food we waste and get it to people who are starving.

Yes, technology can solve all these issues. Robots will grow crops in vertical farms the size of skyscrapers and drones will deliver food freely to everyone - but people will starve before we get over our obsession with profit motives to allow that to happen. Machines will pull carbon out of the air to create wonder materials like diamond, graphene, and graphyne - but we're going to pump so much more carbon into the air this decade, not invest in the infrastructure to deal with rising oceans and increased mega storms and wildfires to reduce deaths before then. Machines will eventually remove the need for a money based society - but those in power today will resist such change and do all that they can to keep this flawed system that allows the horrors of poverty to continue for as long as possible. One day AGI will make most governmental choices for the benefit of humanity - but politicians and despots ruling over millions or billions just for themselves will fight it every step of the way.

It's not technology that's going to make for a piss poor future, it's humanity. Simple greed and egotism from the few, and a willingness to not fight them on it from the masses, has and will bring about horrors. Technology will alleviate and end many of this, when it's ready and when it's allowed to. But it's got to overcome the system of today and the powerful forces it props up. They'll resist it, and it will cost millions of lives while they do. Fascism is rising, prices are soaring, people refuse to be vaccinated or wear masks, and climate change and the war in Ukraine has made millions food insecure with talk of famine this year or next. The next several decades are going to see things get worse in all these human driven sectors. Until humans aren't the main driving force behind these things, there's not much to hope for. Technology is the one bright spot in all of this, but it's not going to solve these issues in an instant, even if it prints out the solutions for everyone in simple step by step instructions. It still takes people to get us there - and many will stand in the way. My long-term view of the future is bright and rosy. Fifty years from now should be the beginning of a new golden age. But the years to get there are gonna be hell.
warpmass
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2022 2:39 am

Re: How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

Post by warpmass »

Vakanai wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 12:00 am
warpmass wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:34 pm
Vakanai wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:13 am Depends on how you want to define optimism here. I think that we should have AGI, humanoid robots, cyborgs, and a lot of the amazing sci-fi dreams we've longed for since childhood. The technology is going to improve drastically, and dreams will become reality.

On the other hand I think that over a billion people alive today will have died of famine, war, disease, and climate change - all preventable, or once was, but we just didn't care to do anything about it until it was too late to do so. I also see humanity being divided far worse than now, like Civil War worse kind of divided. Climate change is going to be bad. Fascism will be even more widespread. Nuclear weapons might've seen use.

Basically the only positive thing I see is that technology will be better. Humanity will be worse. Far worse.
This post makes no sense you say we will have AGI, etc, ect, etc, but things will be far worse.
It makes perfect sense to me. Technology is going to be great, but it's not going to stop corporations from trying to make as much money as possible off burning fossil fuels for as long as possible, it won't get fascists out of power, it won't replace capitalism out the gate, it won't solve the climate crisis in a timely fashion (if for no other reason than those with AGI won't put much funding into constructing the solutions that it comes up with), it won't take the food we waste and get it to people who are starving.

Yes, technology can solve all these issues. Robots will grow crops in vertical farms the size of skyscrapers and drones will deliver food freely to everyone - but people will starve before we get over our obsession with profit motives to allow that to happen. Machines will pull carbon out of the air to create wonder materials like diamond, graphene, and graphyne - but we're going to pump so much more carbon into the air this decade, not invest in the infrastructure to deal with rising oceans and increased mega storms and wildfires to reduce deaths before then. Machines will eventually remove the need for a money based society - but those in power today will resist such change and do all that they can to keep this flawed system that allows the horrors of poverty to continue for as long as possible. One day AGI will make most governmental choices for the benefit of humanity - but politicians and despots ruling over millions or billions just for themselves will fight it every step of the way.

It's not technology that's going to make for a piss poor future, it's humanity. Simple greed and egotism from the few, and a willingness to not fight them on it from the masses, has and will bring about horrors. Technology will alleviate and end many of this, when it's ready and when it's allowed to. But it's got to overcome the system of today and the powerful forces it props up. They'll resist it, and it will cost millions of lives while they do. Fascism is rising, prices are soaring, people refuse to be vaccinated or wear masks, and climate change and the war in Ukraine has made millions food insecure with talk of famine this year or next. The next several decades are going to see things get worse in all these human driven sectors. Until humans aren't the main driving force behind these things, there's not much to hope for. Technology is the one bright spot in all of this, but it's not going to solve these issues in an instant, even if it prints out the solutions for everyone in simple step by step instructions. It still takes people to get us there - and many will stand in the way. My long-term view of the future is bright and rosy. Fifty years from now should be the beginning of a new golden age. But the years to get there are gonna be hell.
So what does this golden age look like to you?
Vakanai
Posts: 313
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2022 10:23 pm

Re: How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

Post by Vakanai »

warpmass wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:50 pm
Vakanai wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 12:00 am
warpmass wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:34 pm

This post makes no sense you say we will have AGI, etc, ect, etc, but things will be far worse.
It makes perfect sense to me. Technology is going to be great, but it's not going to stop corporations from trying to make as much money as possible off burning fossil fuels for as long as possible, it won't get fascists out of power, it won't replace capitalism out the gate, it won't solve the climate crisis in a timely fashion (if for no other reason than those with AGI won't put much funding into constructing the solutions that it comes up with), it won't take the food we waste and get it to people who are starving.

Yes, technology can solve all these issues. Robots will grow crops in vertical farms the size of skyscrapers and drones will deliver food freely to everyone - but people will starve before we get over our obsession with profit motives to allow that to happen. Machines will pull carbon out of the air to create wonder materials like diamond, graphene, and graphyne - but we're going to pump so much more carbon into the air this decade, not invest in the infrastructure to deal with rising oceans and increased mega storms and wildfires to reduce deaths before then. Machines will eventually remove the need for a money based society - but those in power today will resist such change and do all that they can to keep this flawed system that allows the horrors of poverty to continue for as long as possible. One day AGI will make most governmental choices for the benefit of humanity - but politicians and despots ruling over millions or billions just for themselves will fight it every step of the way.

It's not technology that's going to make for a piss poor future, it's humanity. Simple greed and egotism from the few, and a willingness to not fight them on it from the masses, has and will bring about horrors. Technology will alleviate and end many of this, when it's ready and when it's allowed to. But it's got to overcome the system of today and the powerful forces it props up. They'll resist it, and it will cost millions of lives while they do. Fascism is rising, prices are soaring, people refuse to be vaccinated or wear masks, and climate change and the war in Ukraine has made millions food insecure with talk of famine this year or next. The next several decades are going to see things get worse in all these human driven sectors. Until humans aren't the main driving force behind these things, there's not much to hope for. Technology is the one bright spot in all of this, but it's not going to solve these issues in an instant, even if it prints out the solutions for everyone in simple step by step instructions. It still takes people to get us there - and many will stand in the way. My long-term view of the future is bright and rosy. Fifty years from now should be the beginning of a new golden age. But the years to get there are gonna be hell.
So what does this golden age look like to you?
I don't know, that's why it's called the Singularity. Technology we might not even be capable of dreaming of or could ever believe could happen in a million years might come true. But I'm hoping for sustainable agriculture that supplies local fresh and healthy food for everyone, taking the carbon out of the atmosphere back to pre-Industrial levels, and peace around the globe with the end of dictatorships and fascism if we are extremely lucky. But those last things might be too hopeful.
Nicknano
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:12 pm

Re: How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

Post by Nicknano »

I am in politics and the millennial generation that is now coming up has a firm grasp on what is coming. This realization that our future is constantly threatened by polices is seeing a movement. We know our only hope is science and helping them progress and not get in their way. I'm interested in how the Hydrogen energy is going to take off in the near future.
User avatar
sm_max
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:26 pm

Re: How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

Post by sm_max »

I'm optimistic about the near-term future. Of course, there are always challenges and setbacks, but I think we're moving in the right direction. The main thing is that there should be no war in the world. To overcome covid, and that everyone be alive and well :!:
User avatar
bretbernhoft
Posts: 112
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:23 am
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

Post by bretbernhoft »

"The year is 2040 and the world is a better place. Everyone is more accepting of one another and working together to make the world a better place. Technology has advanced, making life easier and more enjoyable. Even though there are still challenges, people are more optimistic about the future and are working to make it a better place for everyone."
I am a JavaScript Developer, who loves learning; especially when solving challenges as part of making unique applications for Internet users throughout the global Web. I began my journey in technology with WordPress and Web Analytics. More recently I've been working with React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, JavaScript, Vite, Node, Git, Netlify, Quickbase and RESTful JSON APIs.
FrancisJacobi
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:15 pm

Re: How optimistic are you about the near-term future? [2021 - 2055]

Post by FrancisJacobi »

I try to be optimistic. On the one hand, I think that there will be a lot of positive changes and progress in technology, medicine and so on. And I hope that it will make our live better. But on the other hand, the situation in the world ( wars, conflicts, fires, hurricanes) make me very afraid about our future.
But I try to be positive and optimistic, and believe in better things
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