Ordinary day in 2040 The sun slowly rises over the city, and I wake up in a rhythm that matches my biorhythm. The window automatically illuminates with warm light, imitating the sunrise, to help you wake up naturally, without the sudden sound of an alarm. In the background, you can hear the quiet noise of air filter fans – although in principle it is no longer necessary, because the city has been free of smog for years. I stretch and lazily browse the morning news, displayed on an interactive wall. Another city announced a complete transition to autonomous transport and the elimination of private combustion cars. This is already the standard – since the mid-1930s, AI systems have completely taken over traffic management, with most people using urban autonomous capsules or high-speed Hyperloop lines connecting neighbourhoods and cities. There is silence on the streets – instead of old traffic jams and engine noise, you can see smoothly moving electric vehicles, and on the roofs of some buildings there are urban airfields for autonomous transport drones. The city is cleaner than ever before, and greenery now occupies much more space than concrete. My work day begins calmly, it's an intellectual challenge rather than an obligation. I don't have to go anywhere, because most meetings take place in virtual reality. In the past, people used to spend hours in offices, now most of us are engaged in creativity, research or exploration. Robots and artificial intelligence have taken over routine activities. Twenty years ago, people were afraid that AI would take their jobs, but the reality turned out to be different. With basic income, no one has to fight for survival, and everyone can focus on what interests them. I can't help but think about how much the world has changed in the last 15 years. I still remember traffic jams, exhaust fumes, eternal road repairs and constant rush. Today, life is more sustainable – AI helps manage the city, energy comes only from renewable sources, and thanks to automated production, people do not have to work as much as they used to and you waste time commuting to the workplace. I wonder if I'm going to another city in the afternoon – thanks to Hyperloop, I can be at the other end of Europe within an hour. But why don't I just go for a walk? The air is clean, the parks are full of greenery, and the cities have finally come to belong to the people, not to the cars.

It's June 17, 2040, and I'm standing on my balcony. The air is clean, the sky is bright blue – a matter of course since the energy crisis of 2032, which forced the whole of Europe to fully switch to renewable energies. Since then, cities have been green, car-free and traversed by floating expressways. My day starts with a coffee from my vertical garden kitchen, where almost everything is grown by myself. My smartphone has long been a story – instead, I communicate through a neural interface that transforms thoughts into digital commands. I work as a historian in the virtual museum, which allows time travelers to experience history up close. In the afternoon, I meet friends in a café made of sustainable 3D printed materials. Money no longer exists – AI-enabled resource allocation ensures prosperity for all. 2040 isn't perfect, but it's a world where we've learned from our mistakes.

I imagine a European Union extended to more countries, with much greater integration between them. Under these circumstances, we would bet on more sustainability, a greener world, with electricity generation through wind energy, with solar panels and fully electric cars.

It's 24.04.2040. I'm celebrating another birthday today. I'm still alive, but I shouldn't have been for 20 years. Advances in science and medicine have done otherwise. In a moment I'm going to a beautiful park in the center of the city full of fountains , large scattered trees with crowns full of singing birds. I will relish the sun shining in the quiet blue sky.