We've Been Sold a Bad Bill of Goods About the Future

We've Been Sold a Bad Bill of Goods About the Future

From TechStuff by iHeartPodcasts

May 6, 2026 · 44 min

About this episode

Futurist Ari Wallach discusses the importance of long-term thinking and cultural change through storytelling, alongside Alex Thier's insights on an AI chatbot for Afghan students.

What would it mean to be a "great ancestor"? Futurist Ari Wallach believes that's the question everyone, including our tech leaders, should be asking right now. Ari joins Oz to explain why the systems we're building today are laying rails for centuries to come. And he argues that shifting culture through storytelling is the fastest way to change the systems that govern our lives. He also introduces The Protopias Collection , six graphic novels imagining worlds that are messy and human, but unmistakably better.  Also on the show: Alex Thier, the CEO of Lapis, discusses Lalah, an AI-powered chatbot built to help Afghan students learn beyond the classroom, a place girls can’t access past the sixth grade. Additional Reading:  Ari Wallach: 3 ways to plan for the (very) long term | TED Talk   The Protopias Collection: Various: 9781953165787: Amazon.com: Books   EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/techstuff Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Oz

Guests: Ari Wallach, Alex Thier

Topics covered

  • future planning
  • storytelling
  • technology impact
  • education
  • AI
  • cultural change

Keywords

  • great ancestor
  • long-term planning
  • AI chatbot
  • Afghan education
  • cultural storytelling
  • graphic novels

Sponsors

NordVPN

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lapis

Products: NordVPN

Books & works: The Protopias Collection

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