Tom Meyers

From Future Shock to Futurewise

As AI and emerging technologies transform the way we live, work and think at lightning speed, many people are excited by the possibilities of technology – but also overwhelmed by the pace of change. Around 8 in 10 people believe the world is changing too fast for them. We are biologically wired for stability and predictability, yet today we are expected to adapt to constant disruption, uncertainty and change at a pace our biological regulatory systems were never designed for. The result is future shock: rising stress, anxiety and disorientation, often leading to exhaustion, disconnection and a growing loss of control – all of which increasingly affect our physical and mental health, our work and our private lives. In this keynote, Tom Meyers – osteopath, Fitfull Futures Explorer and author – explores the hidden human challenge behind technological transformation: the growing mismatch between our biology and our fast-changing culture. Drawing on his clinical experience with stress-related health problems, futures thinking and his work on Futurize Yourself, Tom shows what needs to happen if we want to flourish and thrive in a fast-changing world. Because the real question is no longer only what the future will bring. It is whether we are preparing ourselves well enough to flourish and thrive in that future – or whether we are leaving it to chance, or to others to decide for us. The more that is automated around us, and the faster the world around us changes, the more we must actively evolve ourselves and futurize ourselves from within. Audiences will discover how to move from future shock to futurewise by developing a clearer sense of direction, strengthening adaptability and creating stability through change. This is not a talk about predicting the future or resisting change – it is a talk about not leaving the future to chance. Because the future is not something that simply happens to us – it is something we shape through the choices, decisions and actions we take today. But to shape it well, we first need a vision of what we want and need that preferred future to become – so we can make the choices, decisions and take the actions that lead us there.