Looking around in 2045: Megacities
Visualising the future of local trains in Mumbai through digital art
Disclaimer: The artworks presented here are speculative visualisations generated using AI. They are based on current insights and expert forecasts, but they represent imagined possibilities rather than definitive predictions of the future. The stories, artworks, and locations mentioned in them should be understood as creative interpretations rather than factual representations of real-world scenarios.
How will you travel in 2045? Will it be in self-driving cars, smart subways, or autonomous flying vehicles? The future is full of possibilities—some seemingly abstract, others tangible.
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.
We spoke with experts to gain deeper insights into potential future trends shaped by current developments. One of the forecasters, Peter Stamp, shared the following observation:
“The subway—if there is still one—will know when you want to enter. It will analyze your face and optimize the speed. If you are elderly, it will allow more time for the door to open than if you are young. If you are, let's say, overweight, it will offer you a broader seat. It will be clear what you want to do after you leave.”
Artist Ayaz Basrai was captivated by Peter's insights on AI's role in transportation networks. He noted that while AI offers physical adjustments and ergonomic enhancements, it also raises concerns about privacy, safety, data breaches, and unforeseen consequences.
Taking inspiration from Peter’s forecasted scenario, Ayaz visualized how Mumbai’s local train transportation system might look in 2045.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway, spanning 390 km, operates 2,342 daily trains, connecting the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to its suburbs and transporting thousands across one of the world's most densely populated areas.
Indian AI developers worked on efficient, safe mass transit solutions for Mumbai, inspiring ancillary industries. A local drone builder secured a contract to supply aerial data of suburban stations, enhancing the AI system's precision and effectiveness.
This data enabled stations to respond to crowd surges, flooding, and events like festivals and cricket matches, optimizing the deployment of personnel, resources, and safety officers through interconnected AI systems.
Mumbai's overcrowded trains claim nearly 2,000 lives annually. In response, AI-driven robotic safety systems revolutionized travel, reducing casualties and enhancing accountability through meticulous incident documentation.
AI-driven systems optimized train schedules, routes, and maintenance, transforming Mumbai's rail network. Real-time scheduling and passenger pattern analysis reduced peak-hour congestion, creating a smoother commute.
The widespread adoption of AI systems led to a steady loss of jobs and declining attentiveness among human operators, as the assumption of guaranteed safety grew with the "always-on" technology.
The system had not yet encountered ethical dilemmas with the automatic braking system, and it remained to be seen how public response reacted to these grey areas.
The future is shifting towards AI in daily life, from transport to living systems. How will this transformation impact our interactions and work? Visit the Futurescape website to dive into more forecasted scenarios and challenge your understanding of past trends for societal change with our interactive game.
This exhibit is part of Futurescape, a project from the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, in collaboration with scholars from the Forecasting Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Through a longitudinal forecasting tournament, researchers explored possible visions for human welfare and societal change, drawing on the insights of experts, superforecasters, and everyday people across four key domains: Climate, Economy, Peace/ War, and Public Health.
This project has inspired an innovative digital exhibition, Visions of the Future, which brings together the fields of forecasting, art, and technology.
Exhibit Curation: Project FUEL and Igor Grossmann
Artist: Ayaz Basrai
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