Forward Future
Originals
Essays, columns, and deep analysis on AI from Forward Future contributors. Browse the latest, or filter by topic.
Policy & Governance
AI Won't Build Houses. But It Can Get Them Approved Faster.
AI is helping cities eliminate permitting bottlenecks, reduce review times, and accelerate housing projects by transforming how approvals get done.
Cyrus Symoom · JUN 30, 2026
Policy & Governance
A Tax System Built on Labor Is a Tax System Built on a Melting Glacier
Two ways to fund a universal dividend in the age of AI and why they're better together.
Scott Santens · JUN 29, 2026
Future of Work
Genie’s Not Going Back in the Bottle
AI is changing every aspect of our lives, even if we try, we can’t go back to Pre-ChatGPT Era
Deepanshu Sharma · JUN 26, 2026
Big Tech
Build the Loop, Not the Agent
Why agent quality should be run as a permanent capability, not a one-time modernization project.
Namrata Ganatra & Ethan Wang · JUN 23, 2026
Big Tech
Anthropic Thinks “FOOM” Is Near
Why Dario is terrified of RSI (recursive self improvement) and how this distorts his worldview
David Shapiro · JUN 18, 2026
Research
Nobody Ever Checked
A deep dive into the emerging science of AI consciousness and the risks of ignoring what we might be creating
Cameron Berg · JUN 17, 2026
Business & Gtm
4 Questions Every Leader Should Ask About AI Transformation
A leader's guide to identifying where AI can simplify, scale, coordinate, and innovate.
Gopi Kallayil · JUN 14, 2026
Future of Work
How Nancy Pelosi Got Me into AI Trading
What happened when a complete investing newb let apps, politicians, and chatbots explain and trade the market.
JUN 12, 2026
Infrastructure & Compute
The Bottleneck Migrates
Everyone is arguing about whether AI will start improving itself. Almost nobody is asking the more useful question: if it does, what runs out first?
Ben Pouladian · JUN 10, 2026
Models
My Week with Fable
A week with Fable Mythos revealed unmatched autonomy, deep reasoning, and a few frustrating trade-offs.
Matthew Berman · JUN 9, 2026
Infrastructure & Compute
Model Routing Will Control the Future of Economic Value
Why intelligent model routing will determine AI costs, efficiency, and economic value at scale.
Tomás Hernando Kofman · JUN 6, 2026
Policy & Governance
AI’s Environmental Bargain
AOC’s jar of brown water was misleading. But the conversation she started is important.
Jonah Lipsitt · JUN 5, 2026
Future of Work
Local LLMs, Buy a GPU, and the Case for Cognitive Security
Why local AI models matter for understanding, questioning, and controlling machine-mediated thinking.
Ahmad M. Osman · JUN 4, 2026
Policy & Governance
Economists Just “Proved” UBI Can’t Stop AI Layoffs — Here’s What They Actually Proved
A new paper claims UBI can't stop AI-driven layoffs. The catch: they defined basic income as a number that can't change anything, then act surprised when it didn't.
Scott Santens · JUN 2, 2026
Future of Work
How AI is Transforming Hospitality (And Why Every Industry Should Pay Attention)
Gopi Kallayil · JUN 2, 2026
Infrastructure & Compute
Four Harnesses, Four Philosophies
The harness is becoming the new control plane in AI infrastructure.
Janakiram MSV · MAY 29, 2026
Infrastructure & Compute
Anthropic Is Not on Your Side
Actions speak louder than words. Follow the money.
David Shapiro · MAY 26, 2026
Future of Work
The Rise of the Agent Manager: How AI Is Redefining Work, Not Replacing It
Inside Salesforce's vision for a future where everyone becomes a strategic orchestrator of intelligent systems
Nick Wentz · MAY 25, 2026
Infrastructure & Compute
The 10T Threshold
What it actually takes, hardware and software, to serve a 10 trillion parameter model. The era of fitting a frontier model in a single rack just ended.
Ben Pouladian · MAY 13, 2026
Policy & Governance
The Mom Was Right. Her Reasons Were Wrong.
A viral r/antiai post had the right instinct on kids and AI. The reasons don't hold up.
APR 30, 2026
Geopolitics
DeepSeek V4 Shakes AI Market with Low-Cost Power
DeepSeek V4 delivers near-frontier AI at far lower cost, forcing US firms to rethink pricing, strategy, and risk.
Matthew Berman · APR 28, 2026
Models
GPT-5.5 Just Dropped, I’ve Been Testing It for the Last Two Weeks
GPT-5.5 sets a new AI standard with human-like responses, token efficiency, and powerful coding performance
Matthew Berman · APR 23, 2026
General
Universal Basic Income Is Your Productivity Dividend. It’s the Only Way to Share What We All Built.
Why Universal Basic Income (UBI) is the only way to share AI and productivity gains with everyone
Scott Santens · MAR 15, 2026
General
Universal Basic Income Focuses on Stability Not Replacing Work
How universal basic income protects workers, wages, and democracy in an AI-disrupted economy
Scott Santens · DEC 19, 2025
General
The AI Compute Boom Has Room for Everyone
Inside Google's TPUs and the Supply Chain That Powers Both Giants
Ben Pouladian · DEC 12, 2025
General
Anthropic Chose Boring Over Viral, and It’s Paying Off
How Anthropic’s focus on safe, enterprise AI is outpacing rivals chasing consumer hype and short-term virality.
Nick Wentz · NOV 11, 2025
General
The Line Is Disappearing: Inside Figma's Bet on AI-Native Product Development
How CTO Kris Rasmussen is reimagining what it means to build software when the tools can think
Nick Wentz · NOV 9, 2025
General
How LIV Golf Is Betting on Technology to Transform the Sport
Inside the challenger league's strategy to attract new audiences, optimize athlete performance, and tell better stories
Nick Wentz · NOV 7, 2025
General
Day in the Life of a Researcher at Microsoft
This original series spotlights Microsoft researchers—their work, their impact, and the ideas shaping the future of AI.
Nick Wentz · NOV 6, 2025
General
The Orchestration Era: How AI Agents Will Transform Work (Without Replacing Workers)
Silvio Savarese has spent his career teaching machines to see the world. Now he's focused on helping them act in it, and that shift changes everything.
Nick Wentz · NOV 6, 2025
General
Live From Dreamforce: Marc Benioff on AI's Promise and Limits
At Dreamforce 2025, Salesforce's CEO offers something the tech industry desperately needs: optimism tempered by truth.
Nick Wentz · NOV 2, 2025
General
Formula 1's Unexpected Edge: Why Racing Matters More as Cars Drive Themselves
As autonomous vehicles reshape our roads, the sport of human drivers is booming—and the paradox reveals something profound about what we value
Nick Wentz · OCT 29, 2025
General
The Next AI Breakthrough Will Be Better Interfaces
AI’s next breakthrough will come from intuitive, visual interfaces that align technology with how humans think.
Matt Martin · OCT 19, 2025
General
LLMs Create Token... Humans Create Value
Why human insight, judgment, and creativity remain the ultimate edge in an AI-driven, token-generating world.
Lani Refiti · OCT 12, 2025
General
A Day in the Life of a Researcher at Microsoft: Cecily Morrison
Cecily Morrison builds equitable AI at Microsoft, blending human insight with inclusive, community-driven design.
Cecily Morrison · OCT 8, 2025
General
Why Reports of UBI’s Death Are Exaggerated
Inside Jina Suh’s mission to build AI that prioritizes mental health, human wellbeing, and psychological safety.
Scott Santens · OCT 5, 2025
General
A Day in the Life of a Researcher at Microsoft: Jina Suh
Inside Jina Suh’s mission to build AI that prioritizes mental health, human wellbeing, and psychological safety.
Jina Suh · OCT 1, 2025
General
Alibaba's AI Infrastructure Gambit: Why China's Tech Giant Is Doubling Down
The e-commerce titan's massive spending increase signals a strategic pivot that could reshape the global AI landscape
Nick Wentz · SEP 24, 2025
General
A Day in the Life of a Researcher at Microsoft: Ahmed Awadallah
Go inside a day at Microsoft with Ahmed Awadallah as he builds agentic AI systems and leads cutting-edge research.
Ahmed Awadallah · SEP 24, 2025
General
The Great Fracture
How AI as an Agency Multiplier Is Redefining the Nature of Power
Romain Peter · SEP 23, 2025
General
Keep the Muscles That Matter in the Age of AI
Why effort, struggle, and reflection—not shortcuts—are the foundation of lasting knowledge.
Mandy McLean · SEP 21, 2025
General
A Day in the Life of a Researcher at Microsoft: Flavio Griggio
Follow quantum-hardware specialist Flavio Griggio through a day of circuits, mentoring, and innovation at Microsoft.
Flavio Griggio · SEP 17, 2025
General
Day in the Life: Trista Chen, Director, AI Research Center
From morning research to global meetings, discover how one AI leader is building trust in intelligent systems.
Trista Chen · SEP 10, 2025
General
GPT-5 Full Breakdown: Everything You Need to Know
OpenAI's latest model combines lightning-fast responses with deep reasoning, democratizing expert-level intelligence for everyone.
Nick Wentz · SEP 8, 2025
General
Billions in Play: Why AI Startups Are Breaking Every Funding Record
From OpenAI's historic mega-round to 33 companies crossing the $100M threshold, 2025 is rewriting the venture playbook—and transforming entire industries along the way.
Nick Wentz · SEP 4, 2025
General
AWS CEO Matt Garman on Agents, Infrastructure, and the Future of AI Engineering
From custom silicon to agent workflows, Garman reveals how AWS is preparing for an AI-first future—without leaving humans behind.
Nick Wentz & Matthew Berman · AUG 31, 2025
General
NVIDIA Delivers Record Quarter, but China Trade Tensions Signal Turbulence Ahead
The AI chip giant posted stunning 56% revenue growth, yet regulatory headwinds and analyst misses suggest the breakneck pace may be unsustainable.
Nick Wentz · AUG 28, 2025