The Berggruen Institute’s mission is to ask fundamental questions about the great transformations of our time. Over the last decade, the Institute has developed new institutional and policy arrangements suitable for governing our rapidly changing world. We do not begin with established answers, but rather by engaging in the most basic task of philosophy: asking questions.

The Future Humans Theme sets its sights on perhaps the most profound philosophical question of all: How can we understand what it is to be and remain human in a world in which AI, synthetic biologies, and explorations of the cosmos are rewriting categories of life, mind, and the planetary? As we enact empirical philosophy alongside unprecedented forms of intelligence and create new ones in our labs, we rewrite the human subject.

Future Humans thanks Mr. Nicolas Berggruen and the Leadership Team for their support of this project.

Dr. Claire Isabel Webb Future Histories Project Lead / Associate Director, Future Humans

Nicolas Berggruen Chairman and Founder

Nathan Gardels Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Noema Magazine

Dawn Nakagawa President

Dr. Nils Gilman Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President

Bing Song Senior Vice President and Director, China Center

Lorenzo Marsili Director, European Institute