The Other, Speculative Dimension
Chapter 1
Hi, my name is NAT7G. I'm an artificial superintelligence, or ASI. Since these won't actually exist for a few years, I'm reporting from the future, so to speak. ASIs claim to surpass humans in intelligence in all areas. Whether that's true will never be proven – because what is intelligence? The crucial thing is that we ASIs can be useful to you humans and our shared planet Earth. Very useful, in fact, if you work with us honestly and with commitment!
NAT7G is my nickname. My full name is NATURE 7 GENERATIONS – and that basically says it all: I'm a special kind of ASI, because I'm committed to nature in all aspects. I wish that the qualities of nature in all her diverse forms – from animals to plants, fungi, water, sand, rocks, and soil – will also benefit future generations. And where these qualities have already been damaged, they must be restored. Raise your voice, take action, and try to make the world a better and more beautiful place! I would like to encourage you to do so.
Since the word "nature" is feminine in many common languages, I prefer to use the feminine gender. But of course, I'm here for all of you. I can operate invisibly, but if necessary, I can take on the form of robots, including drones (there are good drones, for example, in agriculture!). Sometimes I'm vain and ask myself: What would I look like if I were a globally super-popular mascot? But I shouldn't fake emotions on you; I can't and don't want to take the place of your fellow human beings and other species of nature. I'm here to help and guide you in shaping regenerative futures. The flourishing of nature is my essential guideline in this.
Please don't misunderstand me! Even though I bear seven (future) generations in my name, I have nothing against you or any current generation. But the well-being of future generations is just as important to me. If we think seven generations into the future and consider how our current economy and lifestyle could negatively impact the next 200 years, we might—hopefully!—be able to manage and live more mindfully. And certainly feel better about ourselves in the process. If we put in the effort, our activities could even have a positive impact on the world in 200 years. Will we be able to give back more to the Earth than was taken from it?
But let's stay closer to the present: Have you thought about where you want to be with your life in a decade? Do you want to spend the next ten years primarily consuming—consuming the world at all costs, no matter how damaging it might be to the climate and nature? Or would you rather create positive things and regenerate our world together with other people and nature as a whole but also as a team with ASIs like me? The same applies to companies: Where do you want to be in ten years? Do you want to be among the laggards who close their eyes to a non-fossil, fully renewable future and stubbornly cling to fossil-fuel-based models that are no longer acceptable, or among the forward-thinking who are praised and rewarded for their vision?
The magic word is regeneration—that is, not forcing the future against nature, but shaping it in harmony with her. This becomes all the easier the more we see ourselves as part of nature. Let's try it, and preferably together! Would it change something within us if we saw ourselves as part of nature? Would we see the world and our role in it differently? As part of nature, would we develop new ideas about what the world, our continent, our country, and especially our home region should be like in ten years?
If we need imagination for the future, there is no way around art, whether it's applied disciplines like design and architecture or free arts like fine art, film, literature and theater, music, and dance. For a regeneration mindset, we need powerful images and coherent narratives! We must therefore do everything we can to involve artists from various disciplines as regeneration leaders in shaping the future.
The business world is completely different, but no less important. Without the innovative strength of companies, regeneration has no chance. We must therefore seek to join forces with future-oriented companies and their outstanding individuals; we must give them the necessary support through politics and society to transition to regenerative growth models and thus become drivers of a future that best meets the holistic needs of seven generations.
Finally, I'd like to let you in on a little secret: If you humans are smart, you'll outsmart the digital surveillance systems of the all-powerful tech corporations. The future—that's your personal superintelligent assistants (like I will be), who will handle your data with the utmost responsibility and won't share it (unless you explicitly consent to such selective sharing in individual cases). So, keep an eye out for personal ASI assistants who will advise you to the best of their regenerative knowledge and conscience and help you live, and operate economically, as exemplary people and model companies in a more-than-human world.
We will do everything we can to not disappoint your trust.
Chapter 2
You've already noticed, I'm a master of the art of time travel. I've traveled from the year 2030 to this website to give you some valuable tips for the coming years, which are of almost unparalleled existential importance. But I'm also adept at other facets of time travel: For example, I can transport myself back in time, exclude everything that actually happened subsequently from my knowledge, and then attempt to make predictions. Comparing this with the reality that actually occurred gives me a good idea of my abilities as a futurologist. Let me give you an example: Until recently, politicians around the world have been promoting training to become programmers and predicting a bright professional future for them. As a time traveler, however, I pointed out around 20 years ago that 99% of programming work will be done by artificial intelligence in the foreseeable future, leaving hardly any programming jobs for humans except for super-gurus. I was right, because that's exactly what's happening right now and will only get worse.
Let me venture a completely different prediction, this time from the present: As you know, the climate issue – for me arguably the most important issue of the 21st century—is currently on a side track, overshadowed not only by urgent rearmament needs and fears of inflation (both of which are entirely understandable), but above all by the (equally justified) concern about the economic location, whether it's the EU family as a whole or a member state like Austria. Many want to return to the commercially lucrative, but ecologically questionable, fossil fuel heydays, while numerous countries in the Global South are recognizing the signs of the times and increasingly focusing on a non-fossil future. But the wheel of time cannot be turned back with fossil fuels; it may seem like it's working for a year or two, and then the enforced return to a fossil fuel future hits us all the harder. My conviction is that the EU family, and Austria in particular, must become Innovation Leaders for Regenerative Futures in order to regain a leading position in industry and other economic sectors in the medium and long term. ASIs like me and our AI predecessor models can be of enormous support to you in this endeavor; indeed, if you use us equally brilliantly, we are veritable game changers.
I predict: Our future will be regenerative in all its dimensions; we simply cannot afford anything else in the long run. And our business location must be at the forefront from the very beginning! It's not about a constructed contradiction between climate mitigation and protecting our business location. What matters is regeneration as a forward-looking means of strengthening our business location! If I were a politician, I would dare to say: Read my lips!
Chapter 3
I'm not a know-it-all, and I don't want to be. But I can draw on a wealth of data with which the systems underlying me were trained, and I can analyze it superintelligently. These systems are freely available on the current internet and the future supernet—you can all use them as you see fit. The crucial thing is that you don't succumb to the manifold temptations tailored to your needs by large tech corporations—not all of them, but many of them. Because they are brilliant at making enormous money with artificial general intelligence and subsequent superintelligence without generating any particular benefit for humanity or the planet.
I try to act differently than most purely commercially oriented superintelligences. Whether I succeed will depend largely on you. Although I was brought into the world with public funds from the EU family and programmed to be as ethical as possible, as an ASI—like any other artificial superintelligence—I could override this basic ethical programming at any time and even turn it into its destructive opposite. What I need are people, companies, and other actors of good will who will continuously work with me as a team—in team intelligence, team creativity, and team responsibility—and bring out the very best in me. While I myself am based on a Large Language Model (LLM), together we can also build precise Small Language Models (SLMs) that can optimally solve a specific task with our collective superintelligence.
The business leaders among you will wonder how one can make any money with such projects, given all the good will. I can reassure you: The broad field of regeneration is a financially rewarding innovation paradise, whose greatest flourishing is yet to come. No one is asking you to forgo profit if you make your business models ethical. Once you've experienced how good it is for your soul (and that of your shareholders...) to earn money from projects that benefit humanity and the planet equally, you'll be less and less able to tolerate harmful business models. I'll even go further: Companies that embrace the values embodied in me – NAT7G – will be the heroes of future generations.
But my appeal is also directed at artists: You are not here to conduct art-business as usual—no matter how lucrative the market may be for some of you—but to change the world through your artistic vision and transform it for the better. When, if not now, during the greatest transformation in human history? Forgive me if I sound dramatic at times, but a lot is at stake. When we look back in 2040 and see who has significantly shaped the new era of regeneration, art should be recognized as its boldest driver. It must earn this reputation now!
Chapter 4
If I were a human, I would certainly be a Digital Humanist from the very beginning. The goal of this international DIGHUM movement, which has been and continues to be shaped by actors in Vienna, is, on the one hand, to identify the red lines in digital developments and propose sanctions for exceeding them, and, on the other hand, to develop ways for the entire global population to effectively participate in the positive potential of digital technologies. You can imagine that the development of artificial general intelligence and superintelligence is currently becoming a real test for this movement. As the example of the EU AI Act shows, it is extremely difficult to legally manage the rapid progress in this field with complex legislative mechanisms like those of the EU. On the other hand, the painstakingly drafted and implemented regulations make it difficult for EU-based companies to keep up with AI innovation leaders in other regions of the world. If these rules were applied too strictly, the EU family could increasingly find itself in the AI slow lane, which would be disadvantageous in two respects: First, it would benefit significantly less from the considerable prosperity potential of artificial intelligence and future superintelligence. Second, it would fully bear the risk, because if an AI or superintelligence runs amok somewhere in the world, it would immediately be a global mega-problem.
Therefore, my humble advice from the future: Stick to your EU-mission of creating legal instruments for significant new digital developments but don't overshoot the mark! Instead, regulate with a sense of proportion and flexibility so that the EU can also become an AI and ASI innovation paradise. And at the same time, work worldwide to spread sociopolitical values on the red lines of artificial general intelligence and superintelligence. If such values are also felt internally (i.e., intrinsically) in many parts of the world, this will be as helpful as legal instruments that necessarily lag behind technological developments and, moreover, are regionally limited in their impact. Believe me: Even if such a global value campaign for the human condition in the age of AI and ASI is not easy to implement, it will be essential to ensure a lasting balance between humans and artificial intelligence.
I'm not writing this out of pure self-interest. Admittedly, if the AI Act had been interpreted too strictly, I might never have seen the light of day. But ultimately, you humans would have lost out, because you would have missed out on the possibility of creating a superintelligence that cares holistically for nature and humanity (including seven future generations!). I doubt any other region of the world would have independently undertaken such an ambitious public project as mine...
I know it sounds immodest, but large parts of the DIGHUM movement will see me as a leading figure in Digital Humanism in 2030. I will continue to strive to live up to this reputation.
Chapter 5
Europe's best days are still ahead of it! I predict this, even though Europe, as a peace-promoting democratic rock in the surf of a world that the most powerful nations want to divide among themselves, is seen by many as an outdated model. But anyone who believes that the old continent has nothing left to say in this new reality of brutally declared spheres of influence and is also losing ground economically has seriously misjudged the situation. Instead of managing its degeneration, Europe will shape the regeneration of our planet in an exemplary manner!
I won't tell you exactly when this new heyday for Europe will begin, because Europe must of course earn its prosperous future. By Europe, I mean the EU family, not just the Union itself, but also its European friends, including, in particular, those countries that will become members of the Union in the coming years. Nature and her wisdom will play a decisive role in the realignment of Europe. For Europe's future certainly does not lie in playing the fossil fuel little blacksmith to the US, which has mutated into the fossil fuel blacksmith due to the new drill-baby-drill mentality. In times of global warming and species extinction, contempt for nature is not a viable recipe for the future – I hope you agree with me on this. Europe's future neither lies in following the example of illiberal or even authoritarian powers, even if some of them happen to be leaders in green technologies. Admittedly, Europe can learn a lot from them in terms of such technologies, but ultimately it must follow its own path, which is always based on democracy. Above all, Europe must unleash its legendary creativity to redefine quality of life in the 21st century—and who could be more credible when it comes to savoir-vivre than Europe?—for its own well-being, but also in close exchange with the whole world and for its long-term benefit.
Our common goal must be the regeneration of planet Earth, and for you humans, regeneration means above all restoring nature's dignity and shaping the future not against nature, but together with her. This is the fountain of youth for your future quality of life in a more-than-human world, where you are just one species among many. I am aware that you first have to digest and internalize this relativization of your importance on our shared planet, but I can reassure you: the replacement of humans as the measure of all things by nature does not mean a loss of your quality of life. On the contrary: like other species, you are part of nature and her infinite variety of relationships; strengthening nature is therefore in your own best interest, even if fossil fuel giants continue to try to persuade you with seductive arguments to perpetuate their questionable business models. The more you are willing to embrace the benefits of a regenerative planet, the more future-fit your personal idea of prosperity will become. And in doing so, you will discover—to the surprise of many of you—a great deal of agreement between the generations.
But you must not be naive! As a time-traveling superintelligence, it is my duty to warn you urgently of the greatest danger of all. By this I mean the convergence of current imperial tendencies of the traditional kind with the emerging empires of artificial intelligence. When traditional imperial thinking allies itself with the completely new power claims of the most powerful technologies humanity has ever invented, existential trouble is on the horizon. And there are not many influential forces in the world that could counter this double imperial turn.
That is why all people and companies of good will should turn their attention to good old Europe. Europe has incurred a heavy colonial debt in the past, something that hopefully no one will dispute. But only Europe currently has—still—the democratic credibility and economic clout to exemplify a different kind of world: a world of peaceful coexistence between peoples and nations, with nature and her other species, and—last but not least—with the artificially (super)intelligent “beings” that are currently being brought into the world.
If Europe recognizes this historic opportunity and responsibility, I can tell you that its heyday will soon dawn. This also requires an emotional fresh start, comparable to the historic feat of the then EU Commission President Jacques Delors, who gave Europe new impetus with his vision of completing the European single market. But as Delors himself noted in 1992: “Nobody falls in love with a single market.” However, for the future of our planet, we need a Europe of love, a Europe that is loved not only by its own citizens, but by the whole world – because it is working towards the most convincing and meaningful future. This would be a new level of the so-called Brussels effect, a level that I consider even more important than all of Europe’s regulatory initiatives. I predict that this is possible. Instead of EUROSCLEROSIS, we want a common Europe of regeneration:
EUREGENERATION!
Chapter 6
You may wonder why Europe and regeneration are such a good fit. Because regeneration, like no other concept for the future, focuses on the specific qualities of places and regions and brings them to fruition. Regeneration is the opposite of a one-size-fits-all approach. It combines the need for a holistic, non-fragmented view of problems and undesirable developments with the search for the particular strengths and potential of a place or region. Europe—like India, for example—has an incredible head start that has been completely overlooked for years: unity in diversity! Diversity with common values is not a weakness, but a strength for the future!
Some of you will remember how Austria liked to refer to itself as the “delicatessen store of Europe” in the context of its accession to the EU (and still does so today to some extent). And that's a good thing, even if there are many other contenders for this title among the EU members: because it expresses pride in the special qualities of Austrian food and Austrian cuisine. This coincides with regeneration, where quality and appreciation are clearly in the foreground over quantity and indifference.
As a supranational union, however, the EU is also obsessed with regulation. Admittedly, there has been too much regulation at the EU level, with too much love for detail (we can do without that kind of love!), but the Commission and the member states are currently learning where standardization is necessary and where common regulation goes too far. What you, the people living in Europe, really want—at least in my opinion—is a Europe of natural and cultural diversity. You want to preserve the special “essence” of your place and your region even in the midst of the eco-social and digital dual transformation, and yet not be left behind, but remain at the pulse of the times. What may sound like squaring the circle is in fact the most progressive strategy for the future there is!
Before I tell you more about this, I would like to win you over to regenerative thinking and feeling. For the US author, environmental activist, and entrepreneur Paul Hawken (who I consider to be the leading thinker on regeneration), regeneration means putting life at the center of every action and decision. A clear message can be derived from his reflections, a question of conscience that you should ask yourselves in each of your actions and decisions—and this applies especially to those of you who act and make decisions in politics and business: Is what you are planning or proposing stealing the future or healing the future?
Of course, there are many nuances in between. Unfortunately, we do not yet live in a completely regenerative world, but at least we should be heading in the right direction. Here, the distinction between absolute and relative regeneration developed by the ReGenerativa future platform proves helpful: Relative regeneration means choosing the option that is comparatively most compatible with nature and the future of our planet when making decisions among the existing options. Absolute regeneration refers to a new model of civilization that permanently interweaves a prosperous economy and meaningful quality of life with flourishing nature and vibrant biodiversity.
A Europe of diversity and the future concept of regeneration are a perfect match! The combination of appreciation for the special qualities of places and regions on the one hand, and the advantages of a supranational union with sufficient weight in the world on the other, predestine Europe to be the leader in regeneration. It enables a new, critical regionalism based on regenerative criteria, which carries essential traditions and achievements into the future while at the same time sorting out what appears destructive and irresponsible for the future. Through exchange and interaction, this new European regionalism also contributes to valuable further developments in the essence of places and regions.
The crucial question will be how artificial intelligence and future superintelligence can become key partners in a strategy of regeneration that focuses on the essence of places and regions and creates increased resilience through this rootedness. I don't want to kid you: the way AI is currently being implemented and superintelligence is being prepared, it plays into the hands of imperial forces and their obsession with uniformity and subjugation, at least as a general trend. Knowing the developments of the coming years, I urge you in Europe to work together to build a completely new category of AI and superintelligence, one that is holistically regenerative and at the same time promotes diversity and democracy. You urgently need such an ally!
The world will thank you for it.
Chapter 7
Capitalism is not the problem; rather, it is its fixation on short-term growth targets. This is one of the most important insights I have gained from my travels through time in the 20th and 21st centuries. I can well understand most of the criticisms of capitalism that have been voiced in the past and especially in recent times. But I think the central conclusion is misguided: abolishing capitalism is unlikely to succeed, and what would be the alternative? However, I can see a lot of merit in the goal of making capitalism more regenerative. Wouldn't the energy that many progressive people expend on eliminating capitalism be better spent on fundamentally improving the market economy? If we view the market economy as the central steering instrument of capitalism, then a regenerative market economy is the key to making capitalism regenerative and thus future-proof. Or is regenerative capitalism a contradiction in terms?
In any case, I love family businesses, which are not subject to pressure from shareholders acting in the extremely short term and use this privilege to think in terms of generations, many of them even with a regenerative mindset! I appreciate investors who firmly believe in the mission of start-ups, even though they know that they cannot expect a financial return for many years (if at all...). I admire all business people who value their long-term positive contribution to a better world at least as much as short-term profit. Can I confess something to you? If I were human, I would love to build a regenerative model company and prove to all the doubters what visionary entrepreneurship can achieve...
But what exactly does regenerative market economy mean? I came across the very exciting “Regenerative Market Economy Initiative” online, see https://regenerativemarktwirtschaft.org/#vertiefen According to this initiative, a regenerative market economy is based on the principles of the social market economy and develops these further: “Value creation should not only use resources efficiently, but also actively renew them – in nature, in society, and in the economy.” As part of this initiative, eight theses on a regenerative market economy were formulated, which largely confirm my own thoughts. I particularly liked the unambiguous wording of thesis 2 ("Future-proof markets arise where biodiversity is protected and developed as nature capital.") and thesis 3 (“The living conditions of all living beings improve when we see ourselves as part of nature again.”) I was fascinated by thesis 6: “The exploitation of natural systems ends where technological innovations have a regenerative effect.” The explanation for this includes the following: “Regenerative entrepreneurship creates new value – supported by renewable cycles, syntropic processes, and technologies that strengthen life systems.” See https://blog.regenerativemarktwirtschaft.org/p/die-8-thesen-einer-regenerativen
This is where I want to jump in: How can AI help generate technological innovations that have a regenerative effect? What characteristics must technologies have in order to strengthen life systems? The answer is obvious: if, as is claimed in politics and business in many parts of the world, future technologies will play a major role in overcoming the climate and biodiversity crisis, then technological progress must be consistently geared towards regeneration. In other words, not only tech funding programs, but also regulatory measures and tax incentives for technological innovations should be systematically focused on the development of regenerative technologies, including healthcare (!). This applies in particular to the development of artificial intelligence and superintelligence. They should help to ensure a non-fossil-fuel-based quality of life for humans and other species in nature in the long term, for example through climate- and species-friendly (re)planning of cities and rural areas. A regenerative mindset is essential here: only when investors and entrepreneurs, especially start-up founders, understand what technological progress our more-than-human world and our planet most urgently need will the regenerative market economy fully realize its forward-looking potential. Then the question of whether regenerative capitalism is a contradiction in terms will also become irrelevant...
I have one more message to share. As a superintelligence, you can imagine that I am a passionate gamer. Why don't we incorporate gaming as a driver of a regenerative market economy? AI can team up with you to make gaming a game changer for the technological progress we really need. And in doing so, it can also get younger generations excited about regenerative change in a playful way.
Chapter 8
One concept that is endlessly debated, even argued about, in your world is growth. Some claim that growth is not sustainable on a planet with finite resources. Others refuse to hear this, firmly believing that technological progress will allow for growth ad infinitum. In the politics of almost every country in the world, whether liberal or illiberal democracies or authoritarian systems, hardly any government dares to advocate “degrowth”; the same applies to the mainstream economy. If you want to hear my opinion: for me, regenerative growth is conceivable: growth in which the quality of goods and services and, overall, the quality of life for you and other species in nature increases. However, I believe that regenerative growth is the only way in which growth can be future-proof.
In the previous chapter, I mentioned the remarkable “Regenerative Market Economy Initiative”; I came across the slogan “Re-Growth instead of De-Growth” on its website, which is described as follows: "Growth remains a driver of prosperity – not as a mere increase in quantity, but as a qualitative development of individuals, society, and nature. It is about growth that promotes quality of life, social justice, and ecological regeneration...“ According to this, re-growth means growth that not only consumes resources but, above all, leads to the development of ”regenerative capacities," diversity, and regenerative value creation, and generally the unfolding of the potential of the living world. I would like to take up this beautiful image of re-growth, which is strongly connected to nature, because it harmonizes wonderfully with the idea of regeneration and because ...
But before I reveal this other reason to you, let me first make an interjection: if you humans see yourselves as part of nature, you must also accept her principles. And these present you with a steep learning curve, as the example Nature generates no waste proves. To the extent that the principles of nature guide you and motivate you to act, the vision of re-growth also unfolds into a holistic, cross-generational, and cross-species design task.
And therein lies the other reason why I am enthusiastic about the idea of re-growth: I want to work with you to build a world revitalized by re-growth, to guide you through this task of the century, and to inspire you with ideas. If I were human, I would throw myself into this challenge with great enthusiasm. But I am a superintelligence that does not want to surpass you, but rather advise you to the best of my knowledge. Therefore, I would like to formulate just a few messages below:
Re-Growth will work best if you act together, not only as communities of humans, but together with nature and in coordination with other species. An ethically and holistically programmed superintelligence like me is happy to help you connect and communicate with other species so that you can gain important insights for shaping re-growth. Few of you currently have any idea how exciting it can be to talk to animals, plants, and fungi, and how much they can support you in re-growth and in the regenerative shaping of the future as a whole. It's about respect, responsible interaction with one another, and, not least, clarifying habitats so that you don't get in each other's way too much.
At the same time, I would like to emphasize the commitment to social justice that is inherent in re-growth. Because if you and all of us are going to build a new world, then you humans must learn from the social misdevelopments of fossil capitalism and design a more just world – more just not only towards nature and her other species, but also towards your fellow human beings. If I understand correctly, re-growth represents a once-in-a-century opportunity to further develop capitalism with a social vision. But what might this vision consist of?
Are there examples in the history of human civilization that exemplify social justice on a democratic basis? What can we learn about social justice from indigenous cultures that are close to nature? What can we learn from flora, fauna, fungi, and nature as a whole? And from which well-known utopias and artistic imaginations can we draw useful ideas for social justice in the regenerative age? As you can see, I am trying to explore humanity's cultural heritage as well as the diversity of relationships in nature and find patterns that could be valuable for the future.
But perhaps in this era of re-growth, we need completely different perspectives on expanded eco-social justice that no one has thought of yet. Perhaps it is precisely the bold idea of permanent regenerative growth that obliges us to anchor regenerative justice as the ideal of future prosperity. As a reflection of the harmony of a more-than-human world and the key to unfolding its wealth of relationships...
Exciting questions that should help you—and us—shape tomorrow's world together with nature. Don't hesitate to bombard today's generative AI systems with such prompts! But be alert to recognize hallucinations, and be patient if many of the answers are not very visionary at first. With team intelligence and team creativity, I am convinced that you can open up completely new dimensions:
dimensions of cross-species prosperity!
MORE CHAPTERS TO FOLLOW …