This course covers the next several years of evolution in technology, culture, and other trends. It uses scenario planning, a technique for considering complex interrelationships that can’t be predicted, distinguishing predetermined elements from critical uncertainties, and exploring the underlying patterns that influence events. Students will conduct original research on significant trends, use those trends to develop compelling, sophisticated, plausible stories about possible futures, and present the futures – and the strategies they suggest – to a public audience. The course will take place at a pivotal moment of historical uncertainty: recovering from a global pandemic, with AI and other digital technologies crossing a threshold, and dramatic political and economic tensions. All of these, and more, affect media development – and are deeply affected by them. The goal of the course is to enable you to make more robust decisions now in the face of uncertainty — applicable to planning for technological change, starting a business, plotting a career or making major life decisions. This class has developed a longstanding following at ITP because it helps us make sense of complex issues without oversimplifying them. In a climate of candid, respectful discussion and debate, the class explores theories about system dynamics, long-wave organizational and societal change, and economic and technological development.
Addendum from former student:
As I wake up to the serious news of Ukraine, I am reminded of the prediction that I and my classmates Jerllin Cheng and Susanne Forchheimer made while taking a class at NYU-ITP called “Future of New Media,” taught by the great Art Kleiner , which is easily one of the most important classes I’ve ever taken in my life. In this class, Art taught us the craft of prediction in order to make tech art/products that speak to the near future.
It was 2014, and using his strategic workflow, he asked our class to predict what would 2020 be like. Although no one predicted a pandemic, some did predict things likes smart homes etc. But our group was bold enough to predict a “Cyber Cold War,” given Russia’s annexation of Crimea and other developments in China going on during the time of the class. Our presentation went into interesting detail that speculated the end of an open internet, and a further lockdown of borders and increase in video chats for that reason (which did happen in 2020 but for the pandemic), but let’s hope that is not the case now!
Certainly no fear-mongering happening here- just wanted to share that we made a pretty good prediction and that Art Kleiner’s method is incredible (buy his books). Our hearts are with Ukraine and the world.