AI Commodity Futures

Notes from General Seminar s06e01

Wednesday’s General Seminar explored Commodity AI Futures through design fiction, imagining a world where AI is as commonplace as everyday objects. Participants brainstormed artifacts—signs, objects, and subtle cues from this future—emphasizing the power of leaving them open to interpretation rather than over-explaining. Discussions ranged from AI-controlled environments to human-machine interactions and the societal ripples of AI integration.

My approach? I took the janky time machine for a spin around town, documenting signs of the future as I found them. In the spirit of letting the artifact speak for itself, I resisted the urge to overthink. Even when asked what it meant, my only answer was: “My guess is as good as yours.” Because sometimes, the best way to understand the future is to figure it out together.

Here’s some of what came out of 30 minutes of jamming with my algo-assigned Zoom room partner.