TechStuff The Story: How Science Fiction Changes the Real World
Jan 14, 2026
Eliot Peper, a science fiction author and Head of Story at Portola, dives into the fascinating interplay between storytelling and AI. He discusses how corporations employ speculative fiction to envision future scenarios and challenge conventional forecasts. Peper also shares insights on worldbuilding for AI companions, creating unique character personalities, and using narrative techniques to avoid bland interactions. He highlights the ethical implications of designing AI while reminiscing about his early chatbot experiences, all while crafting visually engaging narratives.
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Stories Expand Corporate Foresight
- Companies hire science fiction writers to challenge narrow, data-driven forecasts and imagine radically different futures.
- Story immersion helps decision makers feel what a future product or failure would actually be like.
Use Fiction To Shape Strategy
- Use narrative and immersive stories instead of only slide decks to influence how teams think about the future.
- Let stakeholders experience a plausible scenario to surface risks and opportunities more effectively.
Fiction Preceded Real Events
- Eliot wrote a novel about financial fraud using machine learning and another about a global pandemic before COVID arrived.
- He emphasizes curiosity and naturalism over trying to predict futures exactly.
