Imagined Future Scenarios
Ethics in Technology, Plausible Futures, Medium Term (3 - 5 years)
Scenario Generated from 'Beyond The Illusion - The Real Threat Of AI: WEF Global Risks Report 2025' - Forbes
Future Arc and Implications
Grow Arc
Social Impact: Existing inequalities deepen as biased AI-driven education reinforces socioeconomic divides and limits social mobility.
Technological Impact: AI-driven educational platforms become ubiquitous, but their underlying biases remain largely unaddressed due to profit motives.
Ecological Impact: Indirectly, biases in career paths could lead to imbalances in environmental fields, hindering sustainable development efforts.
Economic Impact: Increased productivity from personalized learning is overshadowed by stagnation in certain sectors due to skewed career choices.
Political Impact: Governments prioritize economic growth, overlooking the ethical implications and potential for social unrest from biased AI.
Narrative: The system grows, but with inherent biases baked in, exacerbating existing societal inequalities under the banner of efficiency.
Collapse Arc
Social Impact: Widespread distrust in the education system leads to social fragmentation and a decline in overall educational attainment.
Technological Impact: The AI educational platform becomes a symbol of societal failure, leading to its abandonment and discrediting of other AI applications.
Ecological Impact: A disillusioned populace is less likely to engage in environmental stewardship, resulting in increased ecological degradation.
Economic Impact: The labor market suffers from skill mismatches, leading to economic instability and widespread unemployment.
Political Impact: Political instability arises as citizens demand accountability for the biased AI and the resulting social and economic consequences.
Narrative: Trust in institutions crumbles as the biased AI education system fails, leading to societal breakdown across multiple fronts.
Discipline Arc
Social Impact: Strict regulations and oversight are imposed on AI educational platforms to mitigate bias and ensure equitable access to opportunities.
Technological Impact: AI algorithms are rigorously audited and corrected for biases, with standardized protocols for development and deployment.
Ecological Impact: Education is restructured to include mandatory sustainability training, addressing potential imbalances caused by previous career guidance biases.
Economic Impact: Government intervention ensures fair access to career paths, potentially stifling innovation but promoting greater social equity.
Political Impact: A centralized authority manages and controls AI in education, prioritizing social stability and equality over unchecked technological advancement.
Narrative: A highly regulated and controlled system emerges, aiming to correct the biases in AI education through strict governmental oversight and standardized processes.
Transform Arc
Social Impact: A new educational paradigm emerges, emphasizing critical thinking and personalized learning paths not dictated by algorithms but guided by human mentors.
Technological Impact: AI is used not for career steering but to provide personalized learning resources and identify individual strengths, fostering self-discovery.
Ecological Impact: Education cultivates a deep understanding of ecological interconnectedness, fostering a generation committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Economic Impact: A diverse and adaptable workforce emerges, empowered by critical thinking skills and driven by a sense of purpose beyond traditional career paths.
Political Impact: Education empowers citizens to critically evaluate information and participate actively in shaping a more just and sustainable society.
Narrative: A shift in values leads to a transformed education system, emphasizing holistic development, critical thinking, and ethical use of technology for empowerment.
