For as far back as recorded history, we’ve lived inside a very human narrative. Where every level of physical existence, from basic survival to opulent comfort was earned by those who were willing to do the required level of work. Where the value of goods or services traded were tied to the perceived effort, skill, quality and uniqueness. And where “the good life” is something you got to buy - if you could, not something you fundamentally had.

But we’re on the edge of something very different. Many of us can feel it, it's a strange mix of bewilderment and apprehension that's uncomfortably foreign to us. Some of us are excited by the obvious and incredible possibilities but also worry very much for our kids and their future.

What happens to the very imperfect but familiar economic and social systems we have created, that are based on the ‘old way’ of assigning and rewarding value creation.

What will replace these systems - when intelligent machines can do most of the work?

We can only begin to directionally manage the massive change in front of us - if we can start seeing the potential end states and work collectively towards the optimum scenarios.

Exploring 3 Future Scenarios

We’re facing a shift in civilisation's structures and operating logic. And that future isn’t fixed. It exists on a broad continuum. Let’s imagine three broad possibilities:

1. Techno-Feudalism - "The Hunger Games Scenario"

In this scenario, AGI and automation drives extreme productivity—but the wealth, data, and control stay locked in the hands of the few.

This is the nightmare scenario.

Most people are made economically irrelevant. Dignity becomes a subscription. Meaning becomes manufactured.

The economy doesn’t collapse—it consolidates. A few mega-entities own the infrastructure of intelligence, from data pipelines to robotic manufacturing to digital governance.

People exist within closed ecosystems—platform cities, corporate sovereign zones, virtual jobs managed by algorithms. Basic needs may be met, but agency is minimal.

Social mobility evaporates. Identity becomes gamified in the extreme. Life is navigated through behavioural scoring systems. Privacy is an illusion. Resentment builds over time and leads to conflict.

Reflection: Without systemic redesign, efficiency alone leads to absolute control, not freedom.

2. Partly Managed Transition - "The Messy Middle Scenario"

We make a lot of mistakes but we slowly adapt.

Governments introduce UBI-like systems. New forms of education, creativity and community-based economics emerge. Work is reframed, not removed.

Many decide they want no part of this and "going-off-grid' becomes a major political movement

The institutions we know—schools, banks, states—don’t disappear. They evolve. Policymakers experiment. Local economies reconfigure around mutual aid, learning hubs, and platform cooperatives.

Work becomes modular, optional, more aligned with passions and talents. People oscillate between periods of contribution and reflection. AI helps match interests to needs in society.

Markets gradually and unevenly shift: value is no longer purely transactional—it’s experiential, reputational, communal. Digital commons emerge where value is generated through collaboration, not just scarcity competitions.

Reflection: This “middle way” requires courage, cooperation… and a new story about what humans are for.

3. Under New Management - "The AI Management Scenario"

This scenario is more of a directional vision. Where AI systems have evolved to handle the core necessities of life: energy, food, transport, housing, and access to knowledge.

This enables people to focus less on survival and more on creating, learning, building relationships, and solving meaningful problems.

In this future, work becomes optional—but contribution doesn’t disappear. People find new ways to add value: mentoring, storytelling, caring, designing, curating, supporting their communities. The economy is centred on what brings meaning, not just what drives profit.

Public infrastructure improves. Social safety nets evolve into universal access systems. People are encouraged to explore and grow—not just to produce.

Digital tools and platforms help communities self-organise, distribute resources fairly, and reward positive contributions. Ownership shifts from individuals to networks. Everyone benefits from the intelligence and productivity of the whole system.

Reflection: The hardest part might be learning to see ourselves beyond roles like 'worker' or 'earner'—and being okay with enough.

The Invitation

So, this isn’t just a tech revolution. It’s an invitation—a challenge, even—to fundamentally rethink how we live, work, and relate to one another.

For some, the scenarios I’ve shared may feel very alien, even dystopian. That’s understandable. None of these futures are guaranteed—or perfect. But discomfort is the starting point for honest dialogue.

If we don’t begin these conversations now, if we leave the future to be shaped by inertia or the interests of the few, we may well find ourselves living out the nightmare scenario - Techno-Feudalism by default, not by design.

That’s why we need to start asking deeper questions:

• What is commercial value, if not scarcity?

• What is the purpose of work, if not productivity?

These aren’t just philosophical questions—they’re practical ones. Because the answers will shape the foundations of our next economy, our next society, and our next sense of self.

This is a series of posts I have been working on that will gradually explore these meaty topics and I invite you to contribute in this imperfect, messy, but very necessary conversation.

Acknowledgement: This piece was shaped through a multi-year collaboration between myself and my ever patient council of LLMs.