The Future of Humanity in 2023: Predictions, Implications, and Solutions (written by GPT-3)

As we near the end of 2022 we turn to think of what may be in the year 2023 with ‘The Future of Humanity in 2023: Predictions, Implications, and Solutions (written by GPT-3)’. As futurists and foresight professionals we often wonder if we should make predictions however we always find it to ignite conversations that are important to have. The last article was published in late-2020 – ‘2021: The Year of Transcendance’ where we looked at three areas of focus: Shifting platforms and algorithms, Transcendent social media, and the emergent geopolitical theatres of Water-Food-Energy.

This year we turned to the very technology that we have discussed a great deal in 2022 – generative artificial intelligence. What if we ask OpenAI’s GPT-3 to write futurist predictions relating to the Future of Humanity in 2023?

Well here we are. It’s high level and gets the thinking going, especially if you don’t spend a lot of time considering the areas of water scarcity, food supply challenges, energy limits, increased waste, shifting geopolitical power from west to east, conflict and civil war, misinformation and cybersecurity, politics and national security, and how we must have hope as humanity finds new ways to work together for altruistic needs.

Enjoy, and read to the end to see how we prompted GPT-3 to generate this.

The Future of Humanity in 2023: Predictions, Implications, and Solutions (written by GPT-3)

As we look towards the future, it is clear that humanity faces a number of pressing issues. These issues include water scarcity, food supply challenges, energy limits, increased waste, shifting geopolitical power from west to east, conflict and civil war, misinformation and cybersecurity, and politics and national security. 

In this article, we will make 10 predictions, discuss the implications of these predictions, and propose solutions to the challenges we face.

Prediction 1: Water scarcity will continue to be a major problem in 2023.

It is estimated that by 2023, nearly half of the world’s population will be living in areas of high water stress. This means that large portions of the world’s population will be living in regions where water availability is limited and water use is not sustainable. This will cause significant issues for communities around the world, as access to water is essential for basic needs such as drinking, cooking, and sanitation.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if water scarcity is not addressed, it will lead to major problems for large portions of the world’s population. This could include health issues due to lack of access to clean water and sanitation, conflicts between communities due to limited water resources, and economic issues due to decreased agricultural yields.

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to better manage and conserve water resources in order to ensure that they are available for all people. This includes investing in infrastructure such as dams and irrigation systems that can help store and distribute water. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, as well as providing financial support to those who need it.

Prediction 2: Food supply challenges will continue to be a major problem in 2023.

It is estimated that by 2023, the global population will have grown to 8.5 billion people. This means that there will be an increased demand for food, and yet the agricultural sector will continue to face a number of challenges. These challenges include climate change-related issues such as rising temperatures and decreased rainfall, as well as the continued destruction of natural habitats due to deforestation and urbanization.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if food supply challenges are not addressed, it will lead to major problems for large portions of the world’s population. This could include malnutrition, poverty, and even conflict due to competition for resources.

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to increase agricultural production in order to meet the growing demand for food. This includes investing in infrastructure such as irrigation systems and improved seed varieties, as well as providing financial support to small-scale farmers. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to nutritious food, as well as providing financial support to those who need it.

Prediction 3: Energy limits will become a major problem in 2023.

It is estimated that by 2023, global energy demand will have grown significantly due to a growing population and increased economic activity. This means that the world will be facing increased pressure on its limited energy resources, as well as increased emissions of greenhouse gasses.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if energy limits are not addressed, it will lead to major problems for large portions of the world’s population. This could include health issues due to air pollution, economic issues due to higher energy costs, and environmental issues due to the increased emissions of greenhouse gasses.

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to increase the efficiency of energy production in order to reduce energy consumption. This includes investing in infrastructure such as renewable energy sources and energy storage systems. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to affordable energy, as well as providing financial support to those who need it.

Prediction 4: Increased waste will be a major problem in 2023. 

It is estimated that by 2023, global waste production will have increased significantly due to increased consumption and population growth. This means that the world will be facing increased pressure on its limited resources, as well as increased emissions of pollutants.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if increased waste is not addressed, it will lead to major problems for large portions of the world’s population. This could include health issues due to air and water pollution, economic issues due to higher costs of cleaning up waste, and environmental issues due to the increased emissions of pollutants.

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to reduce waste production in order to reduce the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of. This includes investing in infrastructure such as recycling programs and waste-to-energy systems. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to clean air and water, as well as providing financial support to those who need it.

Prediction 5: Shifting geopolitical power from west to east will be a major issue in 2023.

It is estimated that by 2023, the geopolitical landscape will have shifted significantly due to the rise of global powers such as China and India. This means that the traditional power dynamics between the West and the East will have been disrupted, and new alliances and partnerships will have emerged.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if the shift in geopolitical power is not addressed, it will lead to major problems for large portions of the world’s population. This could include economic issues due to increased competition for resources, increased conflict due to increased competition for power, and increased tension between nations due to a shifting balance of power.

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to establish a new global order that is based on cooperation and collaboration rather than conflict and competition. This includes investing in infrastructure such as international organizations and forums that can help facilitate dialogue and collaboration between nations. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to economic opportunities, as well as providing financial support to those who need it.

Prediction 6: Conflict and civil war will continue to be a major problem in 2023. 

It is estimated that by 2023, the world will still be facing a number of conflicts and civil wars. These conflicts are often rooted in political, economic, and social issues, and can have devastating consequences for those caught in the middle.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if conflict and civil war are not addressed, it will lead to major problems for large portions of the world’s population. This could include displacement, poverty, and even death due to violence.

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to address the underlying causes of conflict in order to reduce the risk of war. This includes investing in infrastructure such as economic development and education, as well as providing financial support to those who need it. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to safety and security, as well as providing financial support to those who need it.

Prediction 7: Misinformation and cybersecurity will continue to be a major problem in 2023.

It is estimated that by 2023, the world will still be facing a number of issues related to misinformation and cybersecurity. This includes the spread of false information through social media, as well as the exploitation of personal data by malicious actors.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if misinformation and cybersecurity are not addressed, it will lead to major problems for large portions of the world’s population. This could include economic issues due to the exploitation of personal data, and political issues due to the spread of false information.

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to increase public awareness about the dangers of misinformation and cybersecurity. This includes investing in infrastructure such as public education campaigns and regulation of social media. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to reliable information, as well as providing financial support to those who need it.

Prediction 8: Politics and national security will continue to be a major problem in 2023.

It is estimated that by 2023, the world will still be facing a number of issues related to politics and national security. This includes increased tension between nations due to geopolitical competition, as well as the continued threat of terrorism and other forms of extremism.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if politics and national security are not addressed, it will lead to major problems for large portions of the world’s population. This could include increased conflict due to geopolitical competition, and increased insecurity due to terrorism and other forms of extremism. 

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to establish a new global order that is based on cooperation and collaboration rather than conflict and competition. This includes investing in infrastructure such as international organizations and forums that can help facilitate dialogue and collaboration between nations. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to safety and security, as well as providing financial support to those who need it.

Prediction 9: Humanity will find new ways to work together for altruistic needs.

It is estimated that by 2023, humanity will have found new ways to work together for altruistic needs. This could include increased collaborations between governments, businesses, and NGOs in order to address global issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate change.

The implications of this prediction are clear: if humanity is able to work together for altruistic needs, it will lead to major positive changes for large portions of the world’s population. This could include increased economic opportunities, improved access to healthcare and education, and increased security.

The solution to this problem is twofold. First, governments must work to create a more collaborative global environment in order to facilitate cooperation and collaboration. This includes investing in infrastructure such as international institutions and forums that can help facilitate dialogue and collaboration between nations. Second, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This includes ensuring access to economic opportunities, as well as providing financial support to those who need it. 

In conclusion, it is clear that humanity faces a number of pressing issues in the years ahead. These issues include water scarcity, food supply challenges, energy limits, increased waste, shifting geopolitical power from west to east, conflict and civil war, misinformation and cybersecurity, and politics and national security. In order to address these issues, governments must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations and invest in infrastructure that can help reduce the impacts of these issues. We must also have hope that humanity will find new ways to work together for altruistic needs, as this could lead to major positive changes for large portions of the world’s population.

How the article was ‘written’

On November 28th, 2022 I received an email that was ‘excited to announce the release of the newest addition to the GPT-3 model family: `text-davinci-003`. This model builds on top of our previous InstructGPT models, and improves on a number of behaviors that we’ve heard are important to you as developers.’

`text-davinci-003`promised the following improvements:

• It produces higher quality writing. This will help your applications deliver clearer, more engaging, and more compelling content.
• It can handle more complex instructions, meaning you can get even more creative with how you make use of its capabilities now.
• It’s better at longer form content generation, allowing you to take on tasks that would have previously been too difficult to achieve.

So, the idea of having it write our 2023 predictions was born. After two and a half years of pushing through the pandemic, getting back on the road and working with amazing clients we are tired née burnt out.

We spent about 45 minutes working out what we’d like to talk about and refining the prompt to apply in the beta OpenAI ‘Playground’. We also didn’t want to overthink it.

GPT-3 prompt – “Write a 1500-word article that states 10 predictions,  implications and solutions for 2023, including key statistics and examples, relating to water scarcity, food supply challenges, energy limits, increased waste, shifting geopolitical power from west to east, conflict and civil war, misinformation and cybersecurity, politics and national security, and how we must have hope as humanity finds new ways to work together for altruistic needs.”

We’ve left it mostly unedited, except for small spelling errors, What do you think? Useful? Banal? Scared?

Welcome to the future!

Warning (and caveat) – this entire piece was ‘written’ by GPT-3. If you feel there are issues re: copyright then do reach out and we’ll resolve. Also, it’s worth a serious conversation with the powers that be at OpenAI at the same time.

Nikolas can provide an in-depth keynote into Generative Artificial Intelligence and the platforms that are changing the world – DeepMind’s Alpha Code (GoogleLab), OpenAI’s ChatGPT, GPT-3.5, DALL-E, MidJourney, Jasper and Stable Diffusion – click here to read more.

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Nikolas Badminton is the Chief Futurist at futurist.com. He’s a world-renowned futurist speaker, consultant, author media producer, and executive advisor that has spoken to, and worked with, over 300 of the world’s most impactful organizations and governments. He helps shape the visions that shape impactful organizations, trillion-dollar companies, progressive governments, and 200+ billion dollar investment funds.

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