Imagining better futures in the age of AI

Are we really living through the worst moment in history, or are we actually in the best position ever to build a better future?In this episode of Education Futures, we welcome Beatrice Erkers, Existential Hope Program Manager at the Foresight Institute.Beatrice works at the intersection of technology, long-term thinking, and societal progress, helping people move beyond doom narratives to imagine desirable futures — and take responsibility for shaping them.Together, we explore:Why pessimism about the future is historically misguidedHow “existential hope” differs from blind optimismWhy agency matters more than prediction when thinking about the futureHow world-building and scenario planning can help rethink educationWhy education may be the most powerful lever for long-term changeHow AI could make learning more humane — not lessWhat skills and mindsets future education systems should prioritizeWhy plural, diverse futures matter more than one “perfect” visionBeatrice also shares inspiring examples — from AI tutoring models like Alpha School to progress-oriented movements — and explains why hope is inseparable from action.This episode is an invitation to stop asking “what will happen?”and start asking “what future do we want to build — and how do we begin now?”