Future Life 2034 and Beyond For Silicon Valley visionary Captain Hoff, future technology fascinates but brings hard questions
The year 2034 seems distant, but it will come by quickly. What will life be like in that year and beyond, considering the rapid technological advances of today make possible what used to be science fiction?
In the second session of the Keystone Thought Lab series, Keystone Academy students, staff, and parents imagined a future full of technology that may sound too good to be true. The session guest, Silicon Valley visionary Steven Hoffman, provided ideas and prompts to help Thought Lab participants think of the rewards and perils of using such future inventions.
Mr. Hoffman, a venture investor renowned for founding the global innovation hub Founders Space, tapped into some concepts from his books Make Elephants Fly and The Five Forces for his speech and response to burning inquiries about artificial intelligence technologies. Also known as “Captain Hoff” in Silicon Valley, Mr. Hoffman also touched upon the ethical considerations and moral questions concerning the use of technology for capital gains and the development of humanity.
Will “superhumans” with super tools become real?
“What will life be like in 2034?”, Hoffman asked. From invisibility cloaks to genetic chimeras, innovations once confined to fantasy novels are emerging in real life. Captain Hoff shared the undertaking of researchers at the University of San Diego who have developed a rudimentary invisibility cloak using fiber optics.
Hoff also spotlighted Harvard University Professor George Church, who has co-founded an enterprise for an ongoing effort to resurrect the woolly mammoth using genetic engineering. By splicing ancient DNA recovered in Siberia into an elephant embryo, Church hopes to create a hybrid species—an undertaking reminiscent of Jurassic Park.
Amid these advances, Captain Hoff put forward engaging ethical questions now, including those about gene editing, especially when it progresses to the point where parents can design their children and governments legalize such enhancements.
“Imagine eliminating diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s,” Hoff said. “Now imagine choosing your child’s hair color or making them 50% smarter. Would you do it?”
“It could also lead to an entirely different race, right? If we keep improving, editing, or changing our biology and ourselves, we can live on […]Mars or planets that are less hospitable.”
“All of this is a possibility for the future and scientists because we are advancing so quickly. These science fiction ideas are coming to reality.”
Programming future professions
For Captain Hoff, artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly, with current technologies such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini excelling in narrow applications. But within a few years, he predicts the rise of artificial general intelligence (AGI)—systems that can perform at or beyond human levels across virtually every domain.
Captain Hoff cited recent breakthroughs where AI outperformed doctors in diagnosing medical conditions across most categories. Patients in such trials found AI more empathetic, despite its lack of understanding of human emotions.
He also dubbed 2024 “the year of the humanoid robot,” highlighting efforts by companies like Tesla, which is developing Optimus, a robot designed to navigate human environments. Unlike human workers, robots won’t demand wages or benefits and can operate 24/7.
“And the cost of one robot? For a year’s salary, a company can hire a human worker. Companies can buy a robot with that amount,” he said, adding that in China, for example, a worker might work for “996”—a term that refers to working from 9 AM to 9 PM for six days a week.
“Sadly, many workers will still have to work in this scheme. But a robot will work 24/7 and never complain. It will never get sick or take a vacation. And companies can upgrade robots whenever they want to. […] What’s going to happen to our society, then? Unfortunately, we may have a lot of robots doing our work, so we are entering a brand new world.”
“Sensing” in an augmented reality
Looking further ahead, Captain Hoff invited Thought Lab participants to imagine a world where augmented reality seamlessly blends the digital and the physical through lightweight hardware such as immersive glasses.
“We already spend much time looking at our phones, and it feels authentic, right?” he remarked.
Even more provocatively, Hoff described experiments merging biological and mechanical intelligence. Researchers at the University of Reading developed a robot guided by a tiny biological brain grown in the lab. While ethical constraints currently limit the size and capabilities of such brains, Captain Hoff suggested these barriers might not hold forever. He also highlighted the Versatile Extra-Sensory Transducer (VEST), a sensory device developed by Stanford University professor David Eagleman, which allows individuals with hearing impairments to “hear” through vibrations on their skin.
“We haven’t gone there yet, but what I’m showing you is, ‘We haven’t done it, but we could do it, right?’ Now, we have the technology, and it will only get better. We could enter a future where we merge our biological cells with our AI and humanoid robots.
“I want to inspire you to go out on your own and start looking at these technologies because they are fascinating. If you can figure out ways to use this technology to help people and society, that is wonderful,” he remarked.
A Future worth debating
Captain Hoff’s vision of 2034 and the future beyond is fascinating but brings the hard questions. The technologies he described could eradicate disease, personalize entertainment, and colonize other planets. Yet, they also pose ethical, societal, and existential challenges.
He also encouraged the students and their parents to not just follow their passions but have the want to “learn, discover and experience new things, and share those with the rest of the world.”
“I have tried many careers; I’m not a person who just did one thing. I tried all different things and then wound up doing what I’m doing now. My life took very crazy paths, but all those experiences helped me become what I am today.”
Addressing a question on whether AI could become conscious, Captain Hoff asked students to focus on individuals, corporations, or organizations that use it to repress people or concentrate power in the hands of a few.
“Hopefully, we will become more compassionate in making decisions that benefit us and other species. That is our challenge.”
The Keystone Thought Lab session 2, “Reshaping the World: Imagining the Future with Silicon Valley Visionary Steven Hoffman” was co-organized by the Beijing Science and Education Development Foundation.
About the Keystone Thought Lab
The Keystone Thought Lab is a series of intellectual sharing sessions on various disciplines. Initiated by the Keystone Office of Marketing and Communications, Keystone Thought Lab features experts and educators from different professional and academic fields who engage in lectures, discussions, workshops, and other activities centered around diverse themes. This initiative aims to express the beauty of academia and bring the entrepreneurial spirit to the Keystone campus, guiding students to explore the depth and possibilities of knowledge.
About the Beijing Science and Education Development Foundation
The Beijing Science and Education Development Foundation is a 5A public foundation approved by the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau.
With the mission of "improving the scientific literacy of the whole people and building a community with a shared future for mankind", by integrating social resources, the foundation will help to improve the scientific literacy of the whole people, promote the national scientific and technological innovation and development, and promote the public welfare undertakings such as the training of scientific and educational talents and international exchanges and cooperation.
Since its establishment in 2012, the Foundation has funded a series of scientific and educational charity activities with broad social influence.
