BE (BITI)

Iwould like to have a future, just a future. Nowadays we cannot be sure if we are going to be alive by 2040 because so many wars are taking place all over the world and global warming issues are starting to restrict the way we live in cities and towns. Having said that, peace and environmental awareness are the cornerstones of my ideal future in which people should put the survival of humankind first. There is one thing we can all agree about, there is no future without people and nature.

Previous generations finally assumed that they have to stop caring about themselves and more about their children and the world they are giving us. The new PM of United States is in their 40's, the half of European Commission is made by people younger than 45 years old. We transitioned to a capitalist pension system where each one pay for his pension. Scientist are telling us that the effects of climate change are getting under control at the end. UK celebrated another referendum where the votes of young people were more valuable and they rejoined the EU. Youth Unemployment is for first time at the same level as general unemployment. There's gender equality and fertility rated increased. The public debt of EU member states decreased to a sustainable point. In 2040 we finally can say again that our children will have a better life than ourselves.

Who decides if we are hired? Who decides if we get a loan? The answer is simple, an algorithm. Many people still ignore this aspect, but the reality is that more and more algorithms make decisions for our lifetime. Of course, technology is fundamental in our lives, and I could not imagine a life without it; but its development without control could bring us many social and ethical issues. Firstly, an algorithm works from all the data that all the users from the media provide, and then, taking all this data, the system learns to pull out its conclusions. This process is known as machine learning. Imagine an algorithm that it's learning through social media, for instance, Twitter. The algorithm takes many tweets from different users and analyzes them, but what happens if one tweet is homophobic? The algorithm won't know that, and it will think that insulting gay people is right. This is just an example, but there are plenty of cases like this and even more complex ones. In 2040 I imagine a future where the development of technology is under control and whose progress is taking part at the same time that human evolution. A future where people of all knowledge branches (philosophers, engineers...) are working together to solve all the social dilemmas and to improve the citizen's quality of life through the right improvement of technology.

A city without cars. A city where pedestrians are the center of the urbanism. A city where I can stay without breathing polluted air. Or, at least, if this is not possible, a more walkable cities. Nowadays, cars not only pollute a lot, but also occupied much space. A space that we can enjoy, for walking, for sports, for talking, etc. Banning cars in the cities and encourage a real connected public transport is how I imagine my future city.