Dear Futurists,

The weekend of 25th and 26th of November is your chance to gather with other people interested in future opportunities and risks, at the Future Impact Summit that is being held on the LSE Campus in Central London.

Read on for details of this Summit, how to obtain a 15% discount when booking tickets, and about several other matters of general futurist interest.

1.) Early bird tickets still available

London Futurists is pleased to partner with the London Alumni Association of LSE to support this year’s Future Impact Summit. Over two days, the Summit includes:

• 4 Panels – Exploring key trends in AI, Climate Change, Technology and Geopolitics
• 6 Deep Dive Impact sessions – You can choose from focused sessions deep-diving into AI’s impact on careers, industry and society, global healthcare, housing, and food.
• Impact Expo – A two-hour curated exhibition showcasing organisations in the AI, Climate Change, Healthcare, Future of Work, Global Cities and Space sectors
• Food Fair – Delicious lunch and snack options from LSE Alumni food and beverage providers
• AI Games Crisis Simulation – Explore the future of global digital diplomacy: Join in as part of a country or private actor team, to react in real-time to crisis updates around global trade, technology, and real-world conflict.

The Summit will be held at the Cheng Kin Ku Building of the LSE Campus, in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LJ.

You can find all the details online – including a variety of different ticket options. At the time of writing, discounted early bird tickets are still available.

Whichever ticket option you select, friends and members of London Futurists can supply the code FUTURISTS15 to receive an additional 15% discount.

I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Those of you who are festively minded could consider this gathering to be like an early “Pre-Christmas Party” for London Futurists!

2.) Supporting the Existential Risk Observatory

Members of the Existential Risk Observatory (ERO) deserve huge thanks for all the work they put into planning and organising the two AI Summit Talks that took place, on 10th October and 31st October, ahead of the Global AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park.

You can read more about their projects on their website.

For example, here’s the recording of the 31st October event:

Fresh from the success of these two events, the ERO are now considering plans for 2024. The scale of what they can accomplish, in line with their declared mission “reducing human extinction risks by informing the public debate”, hinges on ongoing financial support.

If you are interested to discuss possible for support for ERO projects, please don’t hesitate to contact them via the “Contact us” page on their website. Alternatively, I can put you in touch with members of their executive team.

3.) The politics of transhumanism

The most recent episode of the London Futurists Podcast covers the fascinating subject of the history and politics of transhumanism, viewed from the technoprogressive perspective. The guest is James Hughes, Executive Director of the IEET (Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies). As you’ll hear, James has been a vigorous champion of technoprogressive ideas.

The episode also asks questions about a conference that took place in Boston at the start of this month, co-hosted by the IEET: “Emerging Technologies and the Future of Work”.

The episode contains lots of fascinating insights. Let me know if you agree with the points raised!

// David W. Wood
Chair, London Futurists