Looking around in 2045: A 3-D Printed World

At Futurescape, a research project, we explored the future of human welfare through a forecasting tournament. We gathered insights from experts, superforecasters, and the public, addressing key global domains: Climate, Economy, Peace/War, and Public Health.

As part of this research, we spoke with the forecaster Peter Stamp, who challenged the excitement surrounding 3D printing, highlighting serious concerns about copyright, authorship, and security. He noted:  

Inspired by Peter’s insight, artist Ayaz Basrai envisioned a world where additive manufacturing operates beyond traditional constraints, with startups in low Earth orbit bypassing planetary jurisdiction and gravity.

3D printing or additive manufacturing in the late 2020s played some role in almost every industry, from high-performance medical applications to the conservation and architecture fields. The technology and processes were deployed from the smallest nano-scales to massive terraforming projects.

Two major events in the US pushed additive manufacturing to new heights. The first, the Prosthesis Endurance Challenge in Los Angeles 2045, featured a biohacking marathon with 3D printing factories creating man-machine hybrid runners, showcasing the future of bio-enhanced endurance.

The second event in San Francisco featured custom prostheses for firefighters and first responders, granting them superhuman abilities. Volunteers who had lost limbs in service received custom-fitted additive limbs, becoming invaluable assets to their teams in emergency situations.

As use cases expanded, ambitious startups began to emerge, harnessing the potential of low Earth orbit. Specializing in high-quality fibre optics, these ventures capitalized on microgravity to enable 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs with greater precision.

Space-printed metals and alloys boasted fewer defects and more uniform compositions.

The military became the largest spender on 3D printing technology, pushing its scale and scope to new extremes. The first generation of fully operational, zero-supply-chain tanks was produced, with metal and ABS parts being printed simultaneously on the factory floor.

With 3D printing technology now widely available, a hacker in Texas accessed the print files and created his own modified tank, adding aerodynamic features to the base model. While he currently uses it for seeding fields, its future applications remain uncertain.

Does this make you curious about what the future holds? Head over to the Futurescape website to dive into more forecasted scenarios and challenge your understanding of past trends for societal change with our interactive game.