Prospective Talk 2037 – all about Me
Prospective Talk 2037 – all about Me
Organised annually by Club Open Prospective and Futuribles International, the ‘Prospective Talk 2037’ meetings are designed to stimulate forward thinking and discussions among participants from diverse horizons.
This year’s edition focused on the individual & his/her future, or ‘Me in 2037’.
Following introductions by Thierry Bardy, founder, Club Open Prospective, and François de Jouvenel, delegate general, Futuribles International, the agenda centred around four round tables, dedicated respectively to My body – diet – private life – work.
- My body
Through the history of plastic surgeon Dr Thérèse Awada gave a thought-provoking overview of the ethical questions raised by our relationship with the body
What are the foundations of our identity? “Is the body is just a carrier for the brain?” Is the body delimited by its envelope, as it the case in French law today?
Research shows that human skin contains a multitude of neurones capable of making ‘pre-calculations’ prior to sending messages to the brain. They also emit a kind of ‘aura’ around our body, which explains our instinctive need for ‘personal space’. Can we use our own body like a ‘commodity’? This is currently not the case in French law – the principle of the inalienability of the human body means it is illegal to sell our organs. Note, this is not the Anglo-Saxon approach.
There is also a broad vision of opportunities for enhancing/regenerating (beyond basic repair) the human body through future surgical procedures and cognitive technologies/artificial intelligence (AI).
On the impact of technology – “With assistive technologies, will we run the risk of undermining human capabilities?” For instance, our ancestors were able to anticipate the weather.
“In itself, technology is not a good or bad thing. It is a tool whose significance lies in intentions and how we use it.”
- My diet
Today, more than just a source of pleasure, food is also viewed in terms of ‘health and well being’ and ‘bearing one’s beliefs’. An era of transparency is emerging, followed by personalisation, then convictions. A 100% vegetal ‘Laughing Cow‘? Food for thought…
- My private life
Discussions on data protection and the trend of taking back control of one’s personal data.
- My work
Talk centred on the shift away from the ‘job’ towards ‘work’. The emergence of ‘guilds’ outside of the traditional company structure to support people adopting this new approach, e.g. by linking them up with projects, helping with social security, training, and other related tasks.
Cover photo: Flickr/cc/poolski
