Select Page

Co-futuring with CHAI

(‘Collective Human-Artificial Intelligence’)

“1000 days after ChatGPT’s release, how can AI help to study the future, when it is trained on data from the past??”  We put that question to ChatGPT… which says – “AI studies the future the same way humans do—by learning from the past and applying those lessons to anticipate, simulate, and prepare. The difference is that AI does it with superhuman speed, scale, and consistency.” (see full response – 1000 days after ChatGPT) – So can we look forward to a future planned with superhuman speed, scale, and consistency????

Next meeting – ‘FS-CHAI #3’: 

26th January 2026 1200 GMT

signup on https://tinyurl.com/5du4sfyk – (iCalendar comes with email confirmation)

Material from meeting 23rd October–

Upcoming events –

(all times in GMT)

  • 19th November 1400: U4SSC (‘United for Smart Sustainable Cities’) – ‘Social-cultural sustainability theme’ – https://u4ssc.itu.int/thematic-groups/ :  I will discuss Foresight-CHAI ideas &  work in progress – welcome to join https://itu.zoom.us/j/91279005120  
  • 28th January 2026, 1300: ‘Cities of Tomorrow: mapping a dynamic and dangerous future’. Seminar with Urban Geography Research Group – Details (shortly) https://ugrg.co.uk/

 

Chinese FS-CHAI collaboration update

This China-UK Foresight 3.0 exchange https://tinyurl.com/4rwrudx2 – has so far resulted in a practical collaboration with Beijing University of Technology: work in progress includes –

  • China pilot case study, looking at ageing population
  • UK pilot case study, looking at net-zero / circular economy
  • Kolkata pilot case study, looking at climate adaptation 
  • Each focuses on the ‘CHAI combination’ – where the CHI (collective human intelligence) is enabled by AI inputs
  • In the centre is a joint framework for review, inter-connections, mutual learning and evaluation –
  • from the results we then prepare for a larger scheme with full funding.
  • In Manchester we are planning – (a) dry run with academics, (b) initial test with Manchester Climate Change Partnership

Details in the draft version – Foresight-CHAI – pilot outline -v0.3 (not for circulation but comments welcome)   

 

General notes from previous FS-CHAI #2

The AI frontier accelerates…  the humans will need to run faster to keep up…

  • many pressures which push beyond ‘AI-input to human process’ – towards ‘AI-delegation’ or maybe ‘AI-colonization’ of wider strategic thinking & decision-making
  • However AI also has potential to enable new levels of CHI, especially at the larger scales (see working paper).
  • A practical approach, as in the China-UK case studies, starts with thehuman side….
  1. Get the CHI (collective human intelligence) process into practical focus
  2. Select AI inputs which can clearly enable & promote the CHAI
  3. Focus on the CHAI combination – i.e. inter-connection of CHI with AI
  • (This is not so easy and we are all beginners…)

 

Review of platforms

very interesting & still in progress – we need more of a framework of analysis, if anyone can provide…

  • Preempt – powerful interface with many modules & interaction routes: general arrangement is not far from the Pathways approach: whole system in one piece could get ‘black box syndrome’
  • Signals – powerful functionality & visualization of scans & trends, system still in development
  • Next-Atlas – powerful scanning functionality & practical focus, well suited to corporates
  • Algorithm – powerful scanning functionality & practical focus, with simple reporting, less overload & maybe less black box syndrome.

Other platforms to follow, hopefully 26th January – any others which are relevant, please let us know –

 

 FS-CHAI community

Following discussion, the general approach here is 2-track–

  1. FS-CHAI forum: open community for exchange of ideas, shared learning, pool of expertise for publications, funding bids etc. Suggested meeting every 3 months.
  2. FS-CHAI working group: for the pilot case study project/s, on practical issues of program, resources etc. Meetings to be confirmed.
  3. Ideas, resources, links etc all welcome for the folder on https://tinyurl.com/2ah752sc
  4. For updates check project page https://tinyurl.com/yr6dsa8w

‘CO-FUTURING with  CHAI #2’

23rd October 13-1500 BST (note change from 12-1400) 

We live in dangerous and dynamic times, and foresight & futures thinking has never been so urgent…

  • AI can provide foresight-related content, seems very fast & efficient
  • Our focus is then on the context – the CHI or ‘collective human intelligence’ – how does foresight enable the social learning, insight & synergy needed for transformational change?
  • the combination of AI with CHI is explored in this Mind-lab as CHAI (Collective Human-Artificial Intelligence

This agenda is essential for those on the frontiers of futures & foresight / circular economy / systems transformation / ‘collective human-artificial intelligence’ (CHAI)

Project resources: – 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

‘CO-FUTURING with  CHAI #1’  – 24th July:  

Program: Co-futuring with CHAI workshop – program for 24-07-25

Workshop aims: review & compare alternative AI-based platforms with practical demos on foresight applications:  set out ways forward.  Overall this agenda is essential for those working at the frontiers of futures & foresight / circular economy / systems transformation / ‘collective human-artificial intelligence’ (CHAI). Platforms include: 

  1. Pre-empt: https://www.preempt.life/
  2. Next Atlas: https://www.nextatlas.com/foresight/why
  3. 4Strat: https://www.4strat.com/
  4. 4CF Sprawlr: https://4cf.eu/sprawlr/
  5. (Algorithm: https://thealgorithm.me/ )

User platforms include

  1. The Futures Toolkit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/futures-toolkit-for-policy-makers-and-analysts
  2. (Futures Diamond: https://www.futuresdiamond.com/

Background on Foresight 3.0 – https://tinyurl.com/5cwjwyaw:   chapter on Technologies-III from the Deeper City book

Previous meeting: 

FUTURES 4 EUROPE WORKSHOP: 

Building the Future-Oriented Collective Intelligence 

16th May 2025, Vienna

interactive workshop at the Futures4Europe Conference 2025.   This workshop was based on the FOCI principles, and our experience of Foresight 3.0 at the Mind-Lab – Foresight-3-0-Theme/  Foresight 3.0 aims to mobilize the FOCI or ‘collective forward intelligence’:  (a) within the foresight team, and (b) externally in the communities and societies around it. Aiming beyond the typical ‘report on the shelf’, Foresight 3.0 engages with a wider community of interest, deeper layers of meaning, and further horizons of transformation.

Background – special issue on Foresight 3.0 – https://tinyurl.com/5cwjwyaw

A draft workshop report is on FOCI workshop – co-futuring – report JR – v1 – 25-05-25

The University of Manchester