By Futurist Thomas Frey
In 2012, I wrote about the eight critical value points of being a futurist. I explained how futurists provide unique value through pattern recognition, trend analysis, cross-disciplinary synthesis, and the ability to see connections others miss. It took years to develop these skills. They were rare, valuable, and in demand.
Now, in 2025, I can ask Claude or ChatGPT to analyze emerging trends, identify patterns across disparate domains, and generate plausible future scenarios—and get sophisticated answers in seconds rather than the weeks it would take me to research and synthesize the same information.
This isn’t just humbling. It’s existential. If AI can do in seconds what took me decades to learn, what’s the value of being a futurist anymore?
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: I’m not alone. Almost every knowledge profession is facing the same reckoning.
Continue reading… “The Futurist’s Dilemma: When AI Can Predict the Future Faster Than You Can”