Elon Musk’s and the late Stephen Hawking’s involvement with the Future of Life Institute (FLI) significantly amplifies the importance of their initiative, the FLI Worldbuilding Contest.


“Can you imagine a world in 2045 where we manage to avoid the climate crisis, major wars, and the potential harms of artificial intelligence? This was what we asked the entrants of our worldbuilding contest to imagine.”


This ambitious project, which invited global talents to imagine and design positive, AI-integrated futures, stands in stark contrast to the prevalent dystopian views. Their combined influence highlights the contest’s significance in reimagining the future of AI. Here’s an overview of this significant endeavor:

1. Objective and Background:

  • Aim: The contest aimed to inspire aspirational visions of a future that includes strong artificial intelligence, challenging the conventional dystopian narratives.
  • Background: FLI, a non-profit, dedicates itself to research and initiatives for a positive future in the era of new technologies like AI, drawing attention and support from visionary figures like Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking.

2. Scope and Participation:

  • Global Reach: The contest attracted 144 teams from 44 countries, showcasing a wide array of creative ideas about AI’s future role and its potential to positively transform society.

3. Contest Guidelines and Criteria:

  • Future Setting: Set in the year 2045, the contest envisioned a transformative world positively shaped by AI, moving away from dystopian predictions.
  • Submission Requirements: Participants were tasked with creating timelines, narratives, and multimedia pieces depicting life in an AI-driven 2045, encouraging imaginative and optimistic approaches.

4. Outcomes and Impact:

  • The contest’s results, including the winners’ visionary concepts, are being showcased across various media platforms. This exposure aims to influence real-world AI developments and steer public perception towards more hopeful and beneficial outcomes for AI integration.