On with Kara Swisher What Everyone Gets Wrong About the Future of AI with Nick Foster
303 snips
Nov 10, 2025 
Nick Foster, a futures designer and former head of design at Google X, explores the complexities of AI in this engaging conversation. He critiques the current AI hype cycle and emphasizes the need for practical approaches to technology. Foster advocates for a grounded mindset in futurism, discussing the balance between optimism and critical thinking. He warns against viewing AI solely as an efficiency tool and envisions a future where AI seamlessly integrates into daily life, designed with everyday users in mind.
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Four Faulty Future Mindsets
- People default to four future mindsets: could, should, might, and don't, which bias how we plan.
- Nick Foster argues balanced future thinking requires integrating all four perspectives.
Origins Of Futures Design
- Foster describes his work as 'futures design' prototyping V0.0 products for long-range technologies.
- He used sketchy prototypes to test whether an idea had a 'there there.'
Sci‑Fi Hype Skews Imagination
- Could-futurism (flashy sci-fi visions) motivates teams but often slides into hype and empty promises.
- Foster warns sci‑fi-inspired design can become a crisis of imagination and exclusionary.
