How Will We Live?

Opening Keynote by Anab Jain, Superflux

The sudden death of her professor made Anab contemplate her own mortality. She decided to write a letter to her three year old son, that he could read if she died. But what world will he live in? What future are we building for our children? How are our visions shaped – and what power do we have to implement them?

The term is “selective exposure” – we pay attention to information that confirms our beliefs and ignore things that don’t. We’re becoming chunkers, a data producing workforce that find it easier and easier to buy what they liked yesterday.

We’re heading to a world where you can forget, get lost – or be anonymous. This seems dystopic, but it’s a realistic part of our technology landscape. A technology’s true impact will only be determined by those who use it, not those who make it. And it will always be used in ways we don’t expect.

Advocate data ownership for consumers. Make friends with climate scientists – and spread their knowledge. Challenge politicians. Hack company roadmaps. Gossip about potential. And that’s just a start. Use creativity and innovation to leverage power.

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