Why agreeable AI could weaken human connection
AI systems are useful problem-solvers, but their tendency to affirm users and avoid relational discomfort can undermine responsibility, repair and the human connections that give decisions meaning.Recent articles in The Human Future
Man the desert maker; woman the healer
The solution to the desertification of the planet may well rest with women – since it is men who do most of the destroying.
When the Earth's well runs dry
Beneath our very feet, a silent crisis is unfolding. Unseen, unheeded, the Earth is running out of freshwater.
A man-made comet is striking the Earth
From climate change and extinction to groundwater depletion and chemical pollution, human activity is now transforming the Earth on a geological scale with potentially catastrophic consequences for civilisation and life itself.
The coming famine
The short-term world food crisis caused by the conflict in West Asia is superimposed on a far graver, deeper and longer-running risk of a collapse in global food production caused by the remorseless combination of climate change and losses of soil, water and biodiversity.
Is AI the new God?
Paul Ham's book, The Soul, A History of the Human Mind, is a stimulating challenge to our human ingenuity, which we must value in the face of soulless artificial intelligence systems and their narcissistic champions.
Turning waste into wealth
A vast “circularity gap” is driving resource depletion and risk, but closing it could unlock trillions in value and reduce pressure on the planet.
We're soaking in it
Human waste is overwhelming rivers, oceans and ecosystems worldwide, driving pollution, disease and ecological breakdown on a planetary scale.
Overpopulation is pushing Earth past breaking point
Scientific evidence shows humanity has exceeded Earth’s long-term carrying capacity, placing growing strain on the systems that sustain life and increasing the risk of global instability.
A ‘small’ nuclear war would still be global catastrophe
There is no such thing as a “small” nuclear war. Even limited use would trigger mass death, famine and global collapse.
Plastic is poisoning the planet – and us
Plastic pollution is no longer just an environmental issue – it is entering the human body at scale, with growing evidence of serious health risks.
The greatest danger is not war – it is planetary breakdown
Human activity is pushing Earth beyond safe planetary limits, raising the risk of climate breakdown, ecological collapse and systemic global failure.
The Age of Lies and the threat to civilisation
A global surge of misinformation – amplified by social media, AI fakery and organised disinformation campaigns – is corroding the foundations of democratic decision-making and public trust.
