FutureSafe AI: Algorithmic control & ethics
FutureSafe AI is a speculative design project exploring a future where the state conditions social benefits on genetic analysis. Through a collaborative workshop and future artifacts, we investigated the thin line between technological aid and authoritarian control.
Category:
Speculative Design
Author:
Pavel Danyi
Read:
11 mins
Location:
Prague
Date:
July 21, 2025
Speculative
Futurism
Design challenge
IKEA
The Spark
The project emerged from a personal curiosity about the intersection of technology, reproductive planning, and ethics. It all started with a simple but provocative question:
“What if the state conditioned access to education, healthcare, and other social benefits on whether parents met certain genetic and behavioral criteria?”
This thought experiment became the foundation of a workshop designed to explore how such a system might shape our future. My goal was to create a space where we could reflect on the societal impact of AI while developing artifacts that would bring these abstract ideas to life.
Scenarios and artifacts
The session culminated in the creation of three distinct future scenarios. We explored an optimistic future, where the technology served as a voluntary support tool for parents, and a reflexive scenario, which highlighted the necessity of strict regulatory frameworks. However, the most impactful outcome was the dystopian vision, which illustrated the misuse of technology for state control.
To make this dystopian vision tangible, the team created a specific artifact: a fictional Police Report. This document detailed the case of a woman who refused to undergo the mandatory FutureSafe AI analysis, serving as "evidence" of a future where refusing data collection leads to the systematic restriction of civil rights.
Reflection
This artifact transformed the workshop. It shifted our conversation from abstract theories to concrete realities, demonstrating how thin the line is between a technology that improves lives and one that enforces control. The "Police Report" sparked an intense debate about data privacy and ethics, proving that the issue isn't the technology itself, but its application within specific legal contexts.
Conclusion
Looking back, the workshop successfully fulfilled its purpose. Under the guidance of Roman Sellner, we utilized speculative design to uncover the double edged nature of technological progress. The process emphasized that as we integrate AI into our lives, we must prioritize human rights and equality. FutureSafe AI was not just a speculative exercise, it was a compelling reminder of the responsibility we hold as creators to shape a future that serves people, not just systems.
