Climate Change 2040: A Future Shaped by Smart Systems
A video co-created using the design fiction method, depicting a future scenario of smart public communications in climate change, designed to facilitate research and public discussions.
In this video, we explore a possible future shaped by smart public communication systems and the role they could play in how we understand climate change. Set within a fictional scenario, the story shows how data, technology, and public messaging might come together to inform decisions and influence behaviour.
The video invites you to reflect on how information is shared, who controls it, and how it shapes public understanding. It raises questions about trust, accuracy, and the balance between informing people and guiding their choices. Through this imagined future, we see both the potential benefits and the risks of relying on automated systems to communicate complex issues like climate change.
Created using a design fiction approach, this video is part of a wider series developed to support research and discussion. It does not present answers, but instead opens up space for conversation about how we want these technologies to be used in society.
About the series
These series of videos are a series of fictional scenarios depicting possible futures where smart technologies are used for public communications. They are created as a set of resources to facilitate reflections and discussions in participatory research (including for focus groups, interviews, citizen juries, etc.) as well as engagement activities in smart communications.
The videos are the result of a co-creation process involving relevant stakeholders, including legal and technical experts, policymakers, regulators and civil society organisations, using the design fiction methodology and covering a range of themes explored in a research workshop.
Credits
- Script: Dr Sheli Smith (Research Associate at the University of Sheffield)
- Script: Dr Jiahong Chen (Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Sheffield)
- Animation: Matt Exton (25 Frames Design)
- Special thanks: Mariano delli Santi (Open Rights Group), Dr Maria Tzanou (University of Sheffield), DI Dan Giannasi (North West Cyber Resilience Centre), Dr Cigdem Sengul (Brunel University of London), Dr Sana Belguith (University of Bristol) and Dr Arthi Manohar (Brunel University of London).
- All videos have been published with a CC BY licence as part of the research project “The Internet of Tactical Engagement (IoTE): Acceptability of Data-driven Public Communications in Smart Homes”, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council [ES/Y000020X/1].