A selection of 18 posts from the Democracy archive, presented newest first. Historical forecasts reflect the views expressed at the time. Click each heading to read the original post. You can also review all DEMOCRACY posts from FuturistGerd.com on this… fairly large page:)
1. AI and Democracy — Bruce Schneier
14 February 2025
Bruce Schneier examines how AI could transform campaigning, legislation, public administration, justice and citizen participation. The central issue is how these changes reshape democratic power: AI could improve access and accountability, but also amplify surveillance, manipulation and existing inequalities. Security, transparency and public oversight will shape the outcome.
2. From Doom and Gloom to Optimism and Hope — William E. Halal
6 January 2023
William Halal argues that overlapping global crises could eventually trigger a shift from pessimism to constructive action. His TechCast forecast anticipates a possible turning point around 2027, followed by greater global consciousness. The article presents hope as a practical condition for change, while acknowledging uncertainty and disagreement among experts.
3. Why Inequality Is Corroding Democracy
12 May 2022
This short video identifies extreme income inequality as a major reason people lose faith in democracy. When economic gains concentrate at the top, confidence in political institutions weakens. The post asks how societies can address this widening divide and links to the broader GerdTalks discussion on democracy’s future.
4. The Democratic Enterprise — William E. Halal
21 March 2022
Drawing on Halal’s Fortune article, this post argues that corporations should evolve into more collaborative, democratic institutions. Concentrated wealth and shareholder priorities are contrasted with an economy increasingly dependent on knowledge, creativity and cooperation. The proposed direction gives workers, communities and society a stronger role in business decisions.
5. The Future of Democracy — GerdTalks #5: Video and Slides
16 March 2022
This post collects the recording, audio versions and presentation slides from GerdTalks #5. The episode explores democracy’s global decline and the threat posed by autocrats, asking what comes next. A presentation followed by audience questions provides the basis for examining democracy’s challenges and possible renewal.
6. Rekindling Democracy — GerdTalks #5 Announcement
10 March 2022
Written following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this announcement frames democracy as essential to the Good Future. It asks how democratic systems can be redesigned and strengthened, and what role technology and social media play in their deterioration or renewal. The post invites public contributions ahead of the discussion.
7. Facebook: The Largest Autocracy on Earth
7 October 2021
Highlighting Adrienne LaFrance’s Atlantic essay, this post presents Facebook as an immense private power operating with limited democratic accountability. Its influence over information, elections and public discourse raises questions about corporate sovereignty. The excerpts explore whether regulation, collective action and pressure from employees could meaningfully constrain that power.
8. The Good Future — A New Film
3 June 2021
This film announcement challenges the dominance of dystopian stories about the future. It argues that human ingenuity, science, technology and cooperation can help solve our greatest problems, provided we make the right decisions. The message combines optimism with urgency: a desirable future requires deliberate choices and action now.
9. The Fork in the Road Project
6 March 2021
Launched with fellow futurists Glen Hiemstra and David Houle, this initiative uses foresight and storytelling to accelerate debate on climate, sustainable economics, exponential technology and human enhancement. Its central argument is that scientific tools alone are insufficient: humanity also needs purpose, wisdom and the collective will to use them well.
10. The Great American Pivoting
10 August 2020
This article forecasts a major American change of direction following the 2020 election and the failures exposed by COVID-19. It calls for better healthcare, renewable energy, human-centred education, technology governance and sustainable capitalism. The underlying argument is that America’s technological strength must be matched by investment in humanity.
11. Congress Challenges Big Tech — Regulation and Digital Ethics
30 July 2020
The post highlights congressional questioning of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google as a potential turning point in technology regulation. Alongside the hearing, it sets out humanist principles: technology should serve human purposes, efficiency should respect humanity, and technical capability must be guided by ethical judgment.
12. Why the United States Is Falling Behind Other Rich Countries
8 July 2020
Highlighting New York Times analysis, this post contrasts rising American incomes with unequal distribution of economic gains and comparatively weak improvements in life expectancy. It questions whether prosperity is translating into better lives for the wider population. Gerd adds his contemporary expectation that new political leadership could enable an American renewal.
13. The Great Transformation — Life After COVID-19
2 April 2020
This film presents the pandemic as a profound reset that could accelerate remote work, scientific collaboration, energy transition and political change. It anticipates significant hardship alongside opportunities for reinvention. The central appeal is to use technology wisely, cooperate more deeply and make care for other people a guiding priority.
14. COVID-19 as Nature’s Wake-Up Call — George Monbiot
25 March 2020
This post highlights Monbiot’s argument that affluent societies had developed a false sense of insulation from nature and physical vulnerability. The pandemic exposes the limits of wealth, technology and comfortable routines as protection against natural hazards. It invites readers to reconsider civilisation’s dependence on the material world.
15. The Future of Conferencing Moves Online
5 March 2020
As COVID-19 forced event cancellations, this post proposes fully online conferences as a viable way to continue public discussion. It introduces an interactive event on sustainability and capitalism, using live debate, questions and polling. The broader themes include responsible investment, carbon taxes and the sustainable use of technology.
16. Digital Disruption Could Weaken Democracy — Pew Research
23 February 2020
This post highlights a Pew Research report in which roughly half of surveyed experts expected technology to weaken democracy by 2030. Their concerns included distorted information, declining journalism and surveillance capitalism. A substantial minority anticipated democratic benefits, suggesting that reform and institutional responses could still influence the direction of change.
17. Technology Out of Control — Douglas Rushkoff
11 January 2020
Rushkoff’s critique describes a feedback loop between surveillance, predictive algorithms, behavioural manipulation and human activity. Platforms increasingly show people incompatible versions of reality, undermining shared understanding and encouraging extremism. The post argues for reclaiming human agency and connection from systems that reduce people to profitable behavioural profiles.
18. Practical Wisdom: A Core Principle for Futurists
10 January 2020
This post explores Aristotle’s concept of practical wisdom: the ability to make sound moral judgments in real situations. It emphasises empathy, experience, perception and balancing competing aims. For futurists and leaders, navigating complex choices requires cultivated human judgment, supported by rules but sensitive to circumstances and consequences.
