top of page

Ordinary mornings in 2042

Anonymous

April 26, 2023

Ordinary mornings in 2042

This image was generated with Dream Studio AI.

7am, March 28th 2042:
My personal assistant wakes me up with my favorite workday song and turns on the coffee machine. An ordinary alarm clock would perfectly do the job, but the automatic coffee machine is convenient after all.
While I brush my teeth, my personal assistant displays daily news on the mirror in front of me. Scientists came up with a new way to efficiently store an infinite amount of energy. I guess we are close to reaching complete carbon-neutrality for electricity production (8 years ahead of the plan!).
The next article reports that the 4-day workweek which was implemented in the EU in 2035 shows promising results. People started exercising more, spent more time with their families, attended more cultural events and participated more in local politics. I would tend to confirm it in my own case.
The following article reports how the unified EU-wide social security system enables workers to swiftly move from one country to another with significantly less paperwork and administrative hurdles. I always wondered why it was not implemented earlier.
The next article discusses an ongoing problem in our society. Biotechnology has enabled humans to amplify their physical and cognitive abilities. These technologies became increasingly affordable (though still quite expensive), and it led to a dualistic society. I keep asking myself what we can do about it, probably nothing. We made a lot of progress in guaranteeing and protecting freedoms to choose our life paths, education, careers, whom we love, how we dress, which god we worship and so on and so on. I guess choosing to enhance our abilities is also part of these choices.
The last topic of my daily news review concerns the increase of retirement age. Apparently it's a side effect of the 4-day workweek. I guess I won't be retired before 2085 or something… But at least most bullshit jobs have been taken over by AI and automated systems and I have all the freedom to choose a professional activity that fulfills my life goals.

related stories

hallo
I care about our quality of life.
I care about our quality of life. I believe that we have drifted away from our human nature and consequently from nature/environment, which - let us not forget - we are its species. This of course has an impact on many things and first of all on health. I would like to see human-centred policies implemented in all aspects of everyday citizenship. To put people, their mental health, their personal progress and flourishing first. To pay attention to how satisfied (and why not, happy) people feel about their lives. What really matters to them?
hallo
hallo
A future of support and care gor each others wellbeing and mental health
In 2040, Europe has blossomed into a society where kindness is the foundation of everyday life. People naturally support each other’s mental health, treating one another with compassion, patience, and respect. Bullying, cruelty, and exclusion have faded into the past, replaced by communities where empathy and understanding are taught from childhood. Workplaces, schools, and public spaces are filled with encouragement, and mental well-being is nurtured as carefully as physical health. Neighbors look out for one another, strangers offer warmth, and love and solidarity are the true currencies of the future.
hallo
Na ceste modernejšej akceptujúcej, kriticky mysliacej a rozumne konajúcej spoločnosti
Moja vízia Európskej únie je únia tolerantná a chápavá kde sa budú môcť vedieť ľudia navzájom aktívne počúvať bez ohľadu na vek pohlavie, rasu národnosť, či iné faktory. Deti budú v tejto EÚ už od malička, na všetkých stupňoch vzdelávania, vedení nie k memorovaniu a tlaku na výkon ako ľudské stoje, ale budú viac vedení k tomu, aby vedeli využiť rôzne zdroje informácií vrátane tých knižných digitálnych, ale učiť sa medzigeneračným zdieľaním poznatkov a skúseností medzi deťmi rodičmi, starými rodičmi a vzdelávacími inštitúciami : Základné školy, stredné školy vysoké školy, univerzity, centrá voľného času zariadenia sociálnych služieb a tak ďalej. Vďaka automatizácií mnohých procesov, nebudú ľudia tak tlačení do výkonov, ale budú mať viac času starať sa jeden o druhého, ak niekto napríklad ochorie alebo sa ocitne v ťažkej životnej situácií. Snívam, tiež o budúcnosti, kde zdravá súťaživosť medzi ľuďmi v školských kolektívoch, v práci, ale aj medzi ľuďmi v osobnom živote zostane, bude však ohraničená etickými zásadami slušnosťou, vľúdnosťou a emočnou inteligenciou. Učiteľ už nebude majiteľ pravdy, bude svojich žiakov viesť ku kritickému mysleniu s využitím rôznych nástrojov a technológií. Prial by som si, aby spoločnosť o 20 rokov bola menej polarizovaná, aby sme sa zamerali na to čo nás spája, nie to, čo nás rozdeľuje. Snívam o modernom a pokrokovom svete ktorý bude viac akceptujúci a kde budú ľudia opäť ľuďmi.
Join #OurFutures now!

The future is shaped by our ideas and our actions today. Tell us about your visions of the future and help us create a futures narrative aimed at inspiring citizens, policy-makers and foresight experts alike!

OURfutures.png

The European Commission support does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained.

ERA_logo.jpg

We support the European Research Area aimed at creating a single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology in the EU.

©OurFutures 2025, All rights reserved.

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
bottom of page