Our Moment in Time: Shaping the Long-Term Future
Can we truly affect the long-term future? We are living in an era of unprecedented change. For the first 290,000 years of humanity’s history, global economic growth was virtually nonexistent. The world’s economic output remained stagnant until the Industrial Revolution, which triggered a rapid acceleration. Remarkably, it’s only in the past century that the global economy has grown exponentially.
This rapid growth marks our era as highly unusual — not just compared to the past, but also compared to the future. Consider the rapid development of human flight: in 1903, the Wright brothers took their first flight, staying airborne for less than a minute. Just 66 years later, humanity landed on the moon. Many people witnessed both milestones within their lifetimes. Yet, this breakneck pace of technological advancement won’t last forever. Every decade we live through brings major technological breakthroughs — like renewable energy, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence — that have the potential to shape the future in profound ways.
Another unique aspect of our time is how connected we are. Today, instant global communication is a given. The internet and social media have made it possible to connect with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Just a few centuries ago, this level of connectivity was unimaginable. During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, entire continents were largely unaware of each other’s existence. In the distant future, when humanity becomes a multi-planetary species and spreads across galaxies, it may become impossible for one part of our civilization to communicate with another.
Humanity might endure for billions of years, but the current rate of change can’t continue indefinitely. Technological progress will inevitably slow down. This means that we are living at a pivotal moment — an era where our actions can significantly influence the future, for better or for worse. The rapid technological, social, and environmental changes we are experiencing give us a unique opportunity to shape the course of history.
References
- World Bank (2023); Bolt and van Zanden — Maddison Project Database 2023; Maddison Database 2010 — with major processing by Our World in Data
- William MacAskill: What We Owe the Future: A Million-Year View.
