🇬🇧 A youth dialogue on keeping the future human

In this special award-winning series for the Future of Life Institute's Keep the Future Human contest, host Svenia Busson sits down with teenagers from across Europe and the US.

In this episode, host Svenia Busson sits down with three international students based in Paris and Barcelona: Emma (13), Jack (14), and Hector (16). Moving between metaphors of movies and video game controllers, they tackle a fear that isn't about Terminator robots, but about something much quieter: human atrophy.

Together, they debate the "Wall-E Scenario"—a future where AI solves every problem so efficiently that humans forget how to walk, think, or care. They argue that our imperfections, our slowness, and our need to make an effort aren't bugs to be fixed by an algorithm—they are the very features that make life meaningful.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Wall-E Scenario: Jack’s fear that comfort will lead to cognitive laziness and the loss of critical thinking.
• The "Off" Button: Why retaining an "overriding capacity" is non-negotiable for the next generation.
• Profit vs. People: Hector’s call for AI that prioritizes equality over efficiency.
• The Beauty of Imperfection: Emma’s argument that a "human future" is one where we are allowed to make mistakes.