The future is an uncertain, uncomfortable prospect for employees, employers and society at large. A flurry of unprecedented events have proven that, despite what some politicians and economists may tell us, the future is not set in stone. Instead, it is constantly being shaped and redefined by the everyday decisions of individuals and organizations.

In light of this uncertainty, The Future Starts Now looks toward the various innovations and technologies that may shape our future. Authors Theo Priestley and Bronwyn Williams have brought together the world’s leading futurists to articulate and clarify the current trajectories in technology, economics, politics and business.

This is a comprehensive history of tomorrow, exploring groundbreaking topics such as AI, privacy, education and the future of work. While the guidance, insight and predictions are fascinating for anyone curious about what the future may hold, the book also functions as an invaluable guide for business professionals looking to steer their career or their organization with foresight and confidence.

Start with Dystopia

And, Nikolas Badminton provides the opening chapter ‘Start with Dystopia’. Nikolas looks at the powerful, terrifying and entertaining stories that have seeped into popular culture and are now being propagated through mainstream media, blogs, podcasts and social media as being the forewarning of modern society out of control. But, as Nikolas points out, we can use the dystopian visions as of where we do not want to end up as a starting point to designing and creating the positive futures we do want to live in.

This chapter is developed from the initial 2019 Future Explorers conference lecture of the same name. You can see the lecture below:

It’s this and other approaches that helps Nikolas’ clients navigate our myriad futures.

Full Chapter and Author List

The following chapters presented by amazing futurist authors provide new perspective on our futures:

• ‘Start With Dystopia’ by Nikolas Badminton
• ‘Deep Sustainability’ by Leah Zaidi
• ‘Information Overload’ by Manish Bahl
• ‘In Defence of Imperfect Information’ by Bronwyn Williams
• ‘The Revolution in Tech Requires a Revolution in Policy’ by Chris Yiu
• ‘Casualties of War’ by Kristina Libby
• ‘A Foreshadow of the Future Economy’ by David Tal
• ‘The African Opportunity’ by Dali Tembo
• ‘No Money Beyond Mars’ by Mathana
• ‘Flying into the Future’ by Doug Vining
• ‘The Future of Education’ by Andrew Vorster
• ‘The Psychology of Teams’ by Duena Blomstrom
• ‘We Welcome Our New Robot Overlords’ by Theo Priestley
• ‘Everything is Connected’ by Kate O’Neill
• ‘Longevity is not the Game Changer, Retirement Is’ by Anne Skare Neilsen
• ‘Back to the Future (of Ourselves)’ by Cathy Hackl
• ‘Artificial Intelligence versus Natural Stupidity’ by Steven Marlow
• ‘Keeping Up With The Cadavers’ by Dion Chang
• ‘Building an AR Commons’ by John Koetsier
• ‘Homo Augeretis’ by Craig Wing

The Future Starts Now Reviews

“The future isn’t what it used to be. It is now open to the dreamers, thinkers and creatives to create the future that benefits us all. Theo and Bronwyn have personally curated the thoughts of those who care about a brighter, more prosperous future for everyone. The future starts now… with you.”

Brian Solis, digital anthropologist, futurist and author of Lifescale

“Whether you are pessimistic or optimistic about the future… read this book!”

Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, Founder & CEO, TNW

“Dizzying, provocative and smart analysis on what should matter to humankind, today and tomorrow. Factual, contemporary and realistic, this story encourages positive thinking about the decisions we must take to deliver on the promise of a better future.”

Martin Jetter, Chairman, IBM Europe, Middle East & Africa,

About Nikolas Badminton

Nikolas Badminton is a world-renowned futurist speaker, consultant, researcher, and media producer. He helps trillion-dollar companies, progressive governments and the media shift their mindset from “what is” to “WHAT IF…” The result is empowered employees, new innovative products and incredible growth that leads to more revenues and a more resilient future.

Nikolas advised Robert Downey Jr.’s team for the ‘Age of A.I.’ documentary series, starred in ‘SMART DRUGS – a Futurist’s journey into biohacking’, and features on CTV, Global News, Sirius XM regularly. His mind-expanding research and opinion can be found on BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Techcrunch, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Forbes, Sputnik and Venturebeat. 

Nikolas provides the opening chapter – ‘Start with Dystopia’ in a new book – ‘The Future Starts Now: Expert Insights into the Future of Business, Technology and Society’ for Bloomsbury. He is currently researching and writing a new book that equips executives and world leaders with insights and foresight tools to imagine disruption, strengthen strategic planning, and see unforeseen risks.

Nikolas is a Fellow of The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce – The RSA. The organization has been at the forefront of significant social impact for over 260 years with notable past fellows including Charles Dickens, Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Hawking, Nelson Mandela, and Tim Berners-Lee.