The Juvet Agenda
AI from a humanist perspective
Hello from 20 Minutes into the Future. I’ve been super busy working with the wonderful people at Projects by IF so this week’s letter will be brief and late. IF is a technology studio that works at the intersection of data, innovation, and ethics. They’re a brilliant bunch. And they’re doing very important work.
The work I’m doing with IF has reminded me of my time a few years ago at an AI retreat in Norway. Andy Budd invited a who’s who of creators to think differently about algorithms, data, and artificial intelligence. It was all a bit like a trip to Normal Head and not only because Warren Ellis was also there.
In September 2017, 20 designers, urbanists, researchers, writers, and futurists gathered at the Juvet nature retreat among the fjords and forests of Norway. We came together to consider AI from a humanist perspective, to step outside the engineering perspective that dominates the field. Could we sort out AI’s contradictions? Could we describe its trajectory? Could we come to any conclusions?
Across three intense days the group captured ideas, played games, drew diagrams, and snapped photos. In the end, we arrived at more questions than answers — and Big Questions at that. These are not topics we can or should address alone, so we share them here.
Together these questions ask how we can shape AI for a world we want to live in. If we don’t decide for ourselves what that world looks like, the technology will decide for us. The future should not be self-driving; let’s steer the course together.
Curious? Click the candy coated button to read the still urgent themes that preoccupied us. I hope these provocations will help you think differently about the future too.
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Good night and good future,
Daniel
20 Minutes into the Future is a critical look at how technology is shaping our lives today. And what actions we can take for a better tomorrow. If you're not already a subscriber and found this newsletter worth your while then please sign up.
My name is Daniel Harvey and I write 20 Minutes into the Future. I’m a product designer and have written for Fast Company, Huffington Post, The Drum, & more. If you're pissed about the current state of tech and want to see us do better then you’ve found a kindred spirit.
You can email me at daniel.harvey@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @dancharvey.