David Wood
@dw-2.bsky.social
Chair, London Futurists. Executive Director of LEV Foundation. Author or Lead Editor of 12 books about the future. PDA/smartphone pioneer. Symbian co-founder
In or near Glasgow on Sunday 30th November? Interested to join a conversation about the different types of risks posed by AI, and the options for responsible AI development? Then sign up for the first Pause AI event taking place in Scotland: luma.com/5bmd6rx8
November 11, 2025 at 1:11 PM
In or near Glasgow on Sunday 30th November? Interested to join a conversation about the different types of risks posed by AI, and the options for responsible AI development? Then sign up for the first Pause AI event taking place in Scotland: luma.com/5bmd6rx8
An audacious singularity analogy - a new blogpost from me dw2blog.com/2025/11/06/a...
November 6, 2025 at 10:15 AM
An audacious singularity analogy - a new blogpost from me dw2blog.com/2025/11/06/a...
Infertility isn't a medical condition, people said. It's nature's way of limiting overpopulation. Any egotistical "Dr Frankenstein" scientists claiming to help infertile women via IVF should be viewed as diabolical: they cause women needless physical and psychological harm.
November 3, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Infertility isn't a medical condition, people said. It's nature's way of limiting overpopulation. Any egotistical "Dr Frankenstein" scientists claiming to help infertile women via IVF should be viewed as diabolical: they cause women needless physical and psychological harm.
Q: What do the following have in common? George Harrison, Christopher Nolan's film Tenet, Gödel Escher Bach, Sam Bankman-Fried, the Hubble tension, and Brexit
October 31, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Q: What do the following have in common? George Harrison, Christopher Nolan's film Tenet, Gödel Escher Bach, Sam Bankman-Fried, the Hubble tension, and Brexit
U.S. democracy is dangling over the edge - that was already clear to me before I started reading "The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink" by Thom Hartmann. But the book showed me that the situation is even starker than I had assumed.
October 31, 2025 at 12:17 AM
U.S. democracy is dangling over the edge - that was already clear to me before I started reading "The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink" by Thom Hartmann. But the book showed me that the situation is even starker than I had assumed.
"BGI 2025 involved a number of bold experiments. Some of these experiments paid off handsomely" - my latest Mindplex_AI article is a personal, selective, opinionated review of some of what made BGI 2025 sometimes so wonderful, and sometimes pretty frustrating magazine.mindplex.ai/post/five-of...
October 28, 2025 at 4:37 PM
"BGI 2025 involved a number of bold experiments. Some of these experiments paid off handsomely" - my latest Mindplex_AI article is a personal, selective, opinionated review of some of what made BGI 2025 sometimes so wonderful, and sometimes pretty frustrating magazine.mindplex.ai/post/five-of...
Miserabilist or activist? Which attitude do you wish to spread? In the face of challenges posed by increasingly powerful AI, can humanity rise to new heights, with a new calibre of global coordination? Or will we be crushed by a woeful pessimism about our collective inadequacies?
October 25, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Miserabilist or activist? Which attitude do you wish to spread? In the face of challenges posed by increasingly powerful AI, can humanity rise to new heights, with a new calibre of global coordination? Or will we be crushed by a woeful pessimism about our collective inadequacies?
From a friendly email I received from Audible, summarising my listening in 2025 so far: "26 titles down with more to come. Keep it up David"
October 24, 2025 at 9:31 AM
From a friendly email I received from Audible, summarising my listening in 2025 so far: "26 titles down with more to come. Keep it up David"
There's an important clause about "the dangers posed by rapid evolution of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)" in the latest press release from the Council of (former) Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly, UNCPGA. See section 4(d)
October 23, 2025 at 7:29 PM
There's an important clause about "the dangers posed by rapid evolution of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)" in the latest press release from the Council of (former) Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly, UNCPGA. See section 4(d)
Many parts of the documentary drama "The Hack" will be hard to watch. But the remarkable true-life drama it contains deserves to widely watched and widely discussed. It contains many lessons regarding the vital role of a free press in society.
October 20, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Many parts of the documentary drama "The Hack" will be hard to watch. But the remarkable true-life drama it contains deserves to widely watched and widely discussed. It contains many lessons regarding the vital role of a free press in society.
What's the world's most deadly addiction? Tobacco? Opioids? Junk food? Gambling? Doom-scrolling? Workaholism?
According to lawyer and psychiatry professor, James Kimmel, Jr., there's something far deadlier. That's as measured by the terrible impact it causes worldwide
According to lawyer and psychiatry professor, James Kimmel, Jr., there's something far deadlier. That's as measured by the terrible impact it causes worldwide
October 20, 2025 at 4:08 PM
What's the world's most deadly addiction? Tobacco? Opioids? Junk food? Gambling? Doom-scrolling? Workaholism?
According to lawyer and psychiatry professor, James Kimmel, Jr., there's something far deadlier. That's as measured by the terrible impact it causes worldwide
According to lawyer and psychiatry professor, James Kimmel, Jr., there's something far deadlier. That's as measured by the terrible impact it causes worldwide
There's still time to register to watch the live stream from BGI 2025, happening Tues/Wed/Thurs next week. As one preview, this image shows some of the points that may arise in my fireside chat on Tuesday morning "Proactionary vs. Precautionary approaches to BGI and Singularity"
October 19, 2025 at 3:05 PM
There's still time to register to watch the live stream from BGI 2025, happening Tues/Wed/Thurs next week. As one preview, this image shows some of the points that may arise in my fireside chat on Tuesday morning "Proactionary vs. Precautionary approaches to BGI and Singularity"
Here are some of the slides I'll be showing at tonight's London Futurists in the Pub get-together in Ye Olde Cock Tavern in Fleet Street. Click here to RSVP to confirm attendance www.meetup.com/london-futur...
October 15, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Here are some of the slides I'll be showing at tonight's London Futurists in the Pub get-together in Ye Olde Cock Tavern in Fleet Street. Click here to RSVP to confirm attendance www.meetup.com/london-futur...
I’m looking forward to joining global AI leaders and innovators in Istanbul next week for BGI 2025, to discuss the most pressing challenges in developing AGI so that it will be profoundly beneficial for humanity. Register now to watch the Summit online: shorturl.at/0VYCQ
October 15, 2025 at 10:27 AM
I’m looking forward to joining global AI leaders and innovators in Istanbul next week for BGI 2025, to discuss the most pressing challenges in developing AGI so that it will be profoundly beneficial for humanity. Register now to watch the Summit online: shorturl.at/0VYCQ
My slides are ready for my talk on Friday to the Oxford Biohacking Society: "Human enhancement and radical longevity - the view from transhumanism". I've included some favourite slides from previous presentations along with a number of brand new ones
October 13, 2025 at 8:51 AM
My slides are ready for my talk on Friday to the Oxford Biohacking Society: "Human enhancement and radical longevity - the view from transhumanism". I've included some favourite slides from previous presentations along with a number of brand new ones
Transcending mediocre futurism - the latest newsletter from London Futurists
1) Foresight exchange – Futurists in the pub, Wed 15th Oct
2) Here Comes The Sun, by Bill McKibben
3) Some highlights from TransVision Madrid
(continued)
1) Foresight exchange – Futurists in the pub, Wed 15th Oct
2) Here Comes The Sun, by Bill McKibben
3) Some highlights from TransVision Madrid
(continued)
October 12, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Transcending mediocre futurism - the latest newsletter from London Futurists
1) Foresight exchange – Futurists in the pub, Wed 15th Oct
2) Here Comes The Sun, by Bill McKibben
3) Some highlights from TransVision Madrid
(continued)
1) Foresight exchange – Futurists in the pub, Wed 15th Oct
2) Here Comes The Sun, by Bill McKibben
3) Some highlights from TransVision Madrid
(continued)
"Here Comes the Sun" is a wonderful mix of grounded optimism and cautious realism. It's written by @billmckibben.bsky.social, who has been worried (with good reason) for 4 decades about risks of escalating global warming. But it surveys recent game-changing improvements in solar & wind tech.
October 11, 2025 at 12:02 PM
"Here Comes the Sun" is a wonderful mix of grounded optimism and cautious realism. It's written by @billmckibben.bsky.social, who has been worried (with good reason) for 4 decades about risks of escalating global warming. But it surveys recent game-changing improvements in solar & wind tech.
From an excellent article by Stephen Witt in the New York Times, that should make every reader pause and reflect www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...
October 11, 2025 at 8:47 AM
From an excellent article by Stephen Witt in the New York Times, that should make every reader pause and reflect www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...
To build a safe superintelligence, create a community with AIs exchanging messages transparently, and humans who answer questions about "ought" rather than "is". That's what Craig Kaplan advocates in the latest fascinating London Futurists Podcast londonfuturists.buzzsprout.com/2028982/epis...
October 10, 2025 at 8:24 AM
To build a safe superintelligence, create a community with AIs exchanging messages transparently, and humans who answer questions about "ought" rather than "is". That's what Craig Kaplan advocates in the latest fascinating London Futurists Podcast londonfuturists.buzzsprout.com/2028982/epis...
Wed 15th Oct: This informal gathering of London Futurists, in a venerable Fleet St pub, provides an opportunity to take part in conversations with people who think they have important sparks of foresight to share and debate. Join us! More details here: www.meetup.com/london-futur...
October 9, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Wed 15th Oct: This informal gathering of London Futurists, in a venerable Fleet St pub, provides an opportunity to take part in conversations with people who think they have important sparks of foresight to share and debate. Join us! More details here: www.meetup.com/london-futur...
In or near Oxford on Friday 17th October? Consider joining me at the Oxford Biohacking Society where I'll be speaking on "Transhumanism for Human Enhancement and Radical Longevity".
October 6, 2025 at 7:34 AM
In or near Oxford on Friday 17th October? Consider joining me at the Oxford Biohacking Society where I'll be speaking on "Transhumanism for Human Enhancement and Radical Longevity".
What are the risks involved with various approaches to AI safety? Which AI governance initiatives around the world are the most promising? With plenty of "aha" moments, the recording of yesterday's London Futurists webinar is now available www.youtube.com/watch?v=EADx...
October 4, 2025 at 11:56 PM
What are the risks involved with various approaches to AI safety? Which AI governance initiatives around the world are the most promising? With plenty of "aha" moments, the recording of yesterday's London Futurists webinar is now available www.youtube.com/watch?v=EADx...
I'm anticipating a high-insight conversation tomorrow (Saturday 4th October) at the London Futurists webinar on "Options for the future of global AI governance". To register to attend visit www.meetup.com/london-futur...
October 3, 2025 at 10:20 PM
I'm anticipating a high-insight conversation tomorrow (Saturday 4th October) at the London Futurists webinar on "Options for the future of global AI governance". To register to attend visit www.meetup.com/london-futur...
"AI solving longevity(?): the huge opportunities and the huge risks" - my slides are now ready for SEMAL, the 23rd International Congress of Anti-Aging Medicine and Medical Aesthetics, in Madrid, the day after TransVision 2025 madrid2025.semal.org
September 29, 2025 at 10:27 PM
"AI solving longevity(?): the huge opportunities and the huge risks" - my slides are now ready for SEMAL, the 23rd International Congress of Anti-Aging Medicine and Medical Aesthetics, in Madrid, the day after TransVision 2025 madrid2025.semal.org
There are lots of good topics and speakers on the agenda for Day 1 of "Biostasis in the UK" tomorrow (Saturday). The session I'm probably most anticipating is "An update on the legal aspects of cryonics with an emphasis on the new UK right-to-die legislation"
September 26, 2025 at 4:28 PM
There are lots of good topics and speakers on the agenda for Day 1 of "Biostasis in the UK" tomorrow (Saturday). The session I'm probably most anticipating is "An update on the legal aspects of cryonics with an emphasis on the new UK right-to-die legislation"