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How the world changes

Most forecasts about AI ask when. This atlas asks what changes: in money, work, meaning, power, war, science, health and an ordinary day. For each part of life it gathers what named writers expect, from the first essays on thinking machines to this year's scenarios, sorted by era and by which of the site's worlds each assumes. The map counts works, not odds: a darker cell means more sourced works expect change there, not that change is more likely. Beside each part of life sit the public series this site reads for it.

After Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, a man reclining on a hillside reaches toward a divine figure borne by attendants, a dark streak cracking the fresco between their hands.
After Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, made in v0; an illustration, not evidence.

I · the map

Where the sourced works expect change, and when

Rows are parts of life, columns are eras. Pick a world to see only the works that assume it; open a cell to read them.

Show the works that assume
How many sourced works expect change, by part of life and eraa darker cell means more sourced works expect change there, not that change is more likely
Part of lifeNowFirst decadeLong run
The economyThe economy, now and on the way: 5 sourced worksThe economy, now and on the way, managed explosion: 4 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldThe economy, now and on the way, long diffusion: 4 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldThe economy, now and on the way, control slips: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldThe economy, now and on the way, the brake: 4 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldThe economy, the first decade after: 11 sourced worksThe economy, the first decade after, managed explosion: 8 sourced worksThe economy, the first decade after, long diffusion: 2 sourced worksThe economy, the first decade after, control slips: 4 sourced worksThe economy, the first decade after, the brake: 0 sourced worksThe economy, the long run: 3 sourced worksThe economy, the long run, managed explosion: 2 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldThe economy, the long run, long diffusion: 2 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldThe economy, the long run, control slips: 3 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldThe economy, the long run, the brake: 2 sourced works, 2 of them in any world
WorkWork, now and on the way: 6 sourced worksWork, now and on the way, managed explosion: 4 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldWork, now and on the way, long diffusion: 5 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldWork, now and on the way, control slips: 4 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldWork, now and on the way, the brake: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldWork, the first decade after: 7 sourced worksWork, the first decade after, managed explosion: 6 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldWork, the first decade after, long diffusion: 3 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldWork, the first decade after, control slips: 3 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldWork, the first decade after, the brake: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any worldWork, the long run: 4 sourced worksWork, the long run, managed explosion: 3 sourced worksWork, the long run, long diffusion: 2 sourced worksWork, the long run, control slips: 1 sourced workWork, the long run, the brake: 1 sourced work
Culture and meaningCulture and meaning, now and on the way: 2 sourced worksCulture and meaning, now and on the way, managed explosion: 2 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, now and on the way, long diffusion: 2 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, now and on the way, control slips: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, now and on the way, the brake: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, the first decade after: 5 sourced worksCulture and meaning, the first decade after, managed explosion: 4 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, the first decade after, long diffusion: 2 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, the first decade after, control slips: 3 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, the first decade after, the brake: 2 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, the long run: 6 sourced worksCulture and meaning, the long run, managed explosion: 6 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, the long run, long diffusion: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, the long run, control slips: 3 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldCulture and meaning, the long run, the brake: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any world
Power and politicsPower and politics, now and on the way: 4 sourced worksPower and politics, now and on the way, managed explosion: 3 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldPower and politics, now and on the way, long diffusion: 2 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldPower and politics, now and on the way, control slips: 3 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldPower and politics, now and on the way, the brake: 3 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldPower and politics, the first decade after: 9 sourced worksPower and politics, the first decade after, managed explosion: 8 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldPower and politics, the first decade after, long diffusion: 4 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldPower and politics, the first decade after, control slips: 6 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldPower and politics, the first decade after, the brake: 2 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldPower and politics, the long run: 4 sourced worksPower and politics, the long run, managed explosion: 3 sourced worksPower and politics, the long run, long diffusion: 1 sourced workPower and politics, the long run, control slips: 2 sourced worksPower and politics, the long run, the brake: 1 sourced work
War and safetyWar and safety, now and on the way: 3 sourced worksWar and safety, now and on the way, managed explosion: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldWar and safety, now and on the way, long diffusion: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldWar and safety, now and on the way, control slips: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldWar and safety, now and on the way, the brake: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldWar and safety, the first decade after: 10 sourced worksWar and safety, the first decade after, managed explosion: 4 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldWar and safety, the first decade after, long diffusion: 3 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldWar and safety, the first decade after, control slips: 9 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldWar and safety, the first decade after, the brake: 2 sourced works, 2 of them in any worldWar and safety, the long run: 4 sourced worksWar and safety, the long run, managed explosion: 2 sourced worksWar and safety, the long run, long diffusion: 0 sourced worksWar and safety, the long run, control slips: 1 sourced workWar and safety, the long run, the brake: 1 sourced work
Science and technologyScience and technology, now and on the way: 8 sourced worksScience and technology, now and on the way, managed explosion: 7 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldScience and technology, now and on the way, long diffusion: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldScience and technology, now and on the way, control slips: 5 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldScience and technology, now and on the way, the brake: 4 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldScience and technology, the first decade after: 6 sourced worksScience and technology, the first decade after, managed explosion: 5 sourced worksScience and technology, the first decade after, long diffusion: 2 sourced worksScience and technology, the first decade after, control slips: 3 sourced worksScience and technology, the first decade after, the brake: 0 sourced worksScience and technology, the long run: 4 sourced worksScience and technology, the long run, managed explosion: 3 sourced worksScience and technology, the long run, long diffusion: 1 sourced workScience and technology, the long run, control slips: 1 sourced workScience and technology, the long run, the brake: 1 sourced work
Health and the bodyHealth and the body, now and on the way: 4 sourced worksHealth and the body, now and on the way, managed explosion: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldHealth and the body, now and on the way, long diffusion: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldHealth and the body, now and on the way, control slips: 3 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldHealth and the body, now and on the way, the brake: 4 sourced works, 3 of them in any worldHealth and the body, the first decade after: 5 sourced worksHealth and the body, the first decade after, managed explosion: 3 sourced worksHealth and the body, the first decade after, long diffusion: 1 sourced workHealth and the body, the first decade after, control slips: 1 sourced workHealth and the body, the first decade after, the brake: 0 sourced worksHealth and the body, the long run: 5 sourced worksHealth and the body, the long run, managed explosion: 4 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldHealth and the body, the long run, long diffusion: 2 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldHealth and the body, the long run, control slips: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any worldHealth and the body, the long run, the brake: 2 sourced works, 1 of them in any world
Daily lifeDaily life, now and on the way: 7 sourced worksDaily life, now and on the way, managed explosion: 5 sourced works, 4 of them in any worldDaily life, now and on the way, long diffusion: 5 sourced works, 4 of them in any worldDaily life, now and on the way, control slips: 5 sourced works, 4 of them in any worldDaily life, now and on the way, the brake: 5 sourced works, 4 of them in any worldDaily life, the first decade after: 5 sourced worksDaily life, the first decade after, managed explosion: 3 sourced worksDaily life, the first decade after, long diffusion: 1 sourced workDaily life, the first decade after, control slips: 1 sourced workDaily life, the first decade after, the brake: 0 sourced worksDaily life, the long run: 3 sourced worksDaily life, the long run, managed explosion: 3 sourced works, 1 of them in any worldDaily life, the long run, long diffusion: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any worldDaily life, the long run, control slips: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any worldDaily life, the long run, the brake: 1 sourced work, 1 of them in any world
Counts distinct works in the canon; a work that expects the change whichever way things go counts in every world. An empty cell means no work in this canon places a change there, not that none will happen: the canon leans to writers who expect transformative AI, and the later eras assume it arrives, which the brake doubts.

II · the plates

Eight parts of life

  1. I · Fortune, with her scales and wheel

    The economy

    These writers expect machine labour to make the world far richer, far faster than before, but split over whether the gains reach ordinary people or pool with the owners.

  2. II · The forge and the scriptorium

    Work

    Most of these writers expect machines to climb from routine tasks to skilled ones, with pay holding up for a while before human labour loses most of its value.

  3. III · The Muses

    Culture and meaning

    These writers expect culture to be remade by minds and companions that outclass us, leaving people to search for purpose when work and mastery matter less.

  4. IV · Sovereignty in council

    Power and politics

    Many of these writers expect AI to concentrate power in whoever controls it, whether labs, governments or a single project, though others think rivals and law keep it spread.

  5. V · The sentinel

    War and safety

    Most of these writers expect advanced AI to be hard to contain and to transform warfare, though they disagree sharply over how likely it is to overpower humanity.

  6. VI · The astronomer's workshop

    Science and technology

    These writers expect machines to match human minds and then speed up invention itself, differing mainly over how soon that happens and how abrupt the leap past people is.

  7. VII · The physician

    Health and the body

    Most of these writers expect AI-driven medicine to defeat most disease and stretch lifespans dramatically, with the boldest imagining minds that outlive their bodies altogether.

  8. VIII · The family table

    Daily life

    These writers expect everyday life to fill with AI companions and expert helpers, while in the nearer term its core of family and play feels familiar.

The plates are illustrations in the manner of old master paintings, made in v0, Vercel's AI design tool, for the site's owner in September of 2026. They illustrate the domains; they are not evidence of anything.