In June 2025, Imperial College London launched the Schools of Convergence Science. These schools will use transdisciplinary (relating to more than one branch of knowledge) work and unique combinations of knowledge to further Imperial’s Science for Humanity strategy.
Introduction
The rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to reshape how we work, live, and interact with technology. Like Imperial’s School of Convergence Science: Human and Artificial Intelligence, Imperial Tech Foresight (ITF) has used transdisciplinary insight to illuminate this topic. Here are some of our projects…
The Human in the Futures Loop
A central principle of ITF’s work is placing humans at the centre of technological change. As AI systems become more pervasive and powerful, the evolving role of humans within these systems raises critical questions about agency, equity, responsibility, and inclusion.
Current decisions about technology design and deployment will shape the opportunities available to future generations. By adopting a proactive, human-centric approach, ITF brings up creative discussions between industry and academic experts fostering solutions where AI development respects human values and fosters intergenerational equity.
This vision is captured in initiatives such as Humans in the Futures Loop, which encouraged organisations to consider how today’s choices impact the agency and wellbeing of tomorrow’s society.
Mapping Automated Futures
To help stakeholders anticipate the societal impacts of AI and robotics, ITF has developed ground-breaking visualisation tools in collaboration with Imperial academics.
These tools help map out the connections between current AI technologies, emerging innovations, and speculative future applications—ranging from brain-computer interfaces to planetary-scale automation.
The resulting maps serve as both guides and sources of inspiration, sparking conversations about the ethical and practical implications of automation. For example, our Automated Futures project provided a comprehensive framework for understanding how automation might unfold and its implied potential effects, such as workforce changes, on various sectors.
Cognitive transformation in practice
The real-world impact of AI on business and society is evolving at an exponential pace, along with the research and development of technologies. As a generic term, AI encompasses everything from Internet of Things (IoT) and Generative AI (GenAI), to digital transformation and even cognitive transformation that we explored through lenses of speakers, panels and content in our Imperial Tech Foresight annual event In 2025.
Developed through our expert-informed roundtables and scenario planning workshops, partnerships between academia and industry examine how AI is transforming decision-making processes, emphasising the importance of transparency, ethical frameworks, and robust data governance.
Experts across Imperial, in collaboration with industry experts, aim for AI development to be guided by both innovation and responsibility. This collaborative approach prepares organisations for a future where AI enhances, rather than replaces, human intelligence.
Evolution of futures thinking
Digital and technological transformation is not limited to a single aspect of human-AI interaction.
Mirroring the spirit of Imperial’s Schools of Convergence Science, ITF integrates foresight, visualisation, and ethical reflection from various STEMB experts across the university to empower organisations to embrace the future with confidence. The result is a world where possible and preferable futures coexist—a seamless collaboration between humans and machines, with humans always in the loop.