Our Centaur Future - A RADAR Report

As Kevin Abosch, the Irish conceptual artist and pioneer of blockchain art, aptly put it: “The wise artist doesn’t fear emergent technology, but rather asks, ‘How can I use this tool in a meaningful way?’” Asking the question, ‘how might I empower, scale, or otherwise supercharge my creativity by experimenting and engaging with the technology befor... See more

In a digitally decentralized world where generative AI can lower the barriers of creation even farther than ever before, and bots can be trained under the perspective of your choosing, an already fractured reality becomes at risk for disintegration. Or, as science-fiction writer and professional futurist Madeline Ashby told us in a recent interview... See more

the disintegration of shared narratives may risk a loss of collective memory and identity, but it also opens the door to a broader and more equitable representation of diverse histories and experiences. In recognizing the historical context of centralized narratives, we understand that while the scale and impact of narrative fragmentation are novel... See more

What strikes us, though, is the seemingly reactionary nature of this human-made movement, when it could, instead, represent a pivotal moment of re-evaluation.

In a world of very capable technological tools, what sits at the center of our identity if not our production? What might happen if we untethered our value from our outputs as a matter of cour... See more

“Repair occupies and constitutes an aftermath, growing at the margins, breakpoints, and interstices of complex sociotechnical systems as they creak, flex, and bend their way through time. It fills in the moment of hope and fear in which bridges from old worlds to new worlds are built, and the continuity of order, value, and meaning gets woven, one ... See more

As Brian Merchant argues in his book, Blood in the Machine , the rebellion was more nuanced than we realize, standing “not against technology per se but for the rights of workers above the inequitable profitability of machines.”

And more than anything, it feels particularly, uncomfortably, acutely uncertain.

As we grow accustomed to the empathetic nuances of AI companionship, our capacity for cross-species empathy may also deepen. AI-guided programs could facilitate animal-assisted therapy, integrate biophilic design into our living spaces, and help us interpret and respond to the needs and signals of the natural world.

Imagine a world where AI not only... See more

Just as factory owners of the 19th century dismissed the skills of their workers in favor of profit and productivity, so do the tech leaders of today dismiss human craft in favor of what they believe is “good enough” productivity. It’s telling that in the development of AI, tech companies often use the term “ median human ” to describe the aspirati... See more

as Dr. Eleni Papadnoikolaki, architect, engineer, and professor of integral design & management at TU Delft points out, “We typically don’t discuss how we can make human lives better. Despite all of the technology around us, we don’t understand how we can improve the quality of human life – only how we can make it more efficient.”