Welcome to Armored MMA, or AMMA, a combat sport surging in popularity. It’s a one-on-one cage fight in which warriors are outfitted in medieval armor and use genuine weapons. “Medieval combat meets modern MMA,” goes the tagline. Fighters win by scoring the most points, by a technical knockout, or by a skull-shaking knockout, which is rare and the best-case scenario for bloodthirsty crowds. There are rules. Thrusting your weapon, for instance, is not allowed, nor is choking out an opponent. All of it—the weapons, the armor, the violence—is real. If a fighter falls to the floor, they have fifteen seconds before the ref yanks them up. Otherwise, the fight is over.
People: Tiktokers pretend to be AI. Brazilian selling their data. Removing tattoos. Inland migration. Armored MMA.
Futures: When future stops. Better storytellers. Foresight libraries.
Tech: Dark forest of Internet. Plastic dissolving in seawater. What shapes cities. Fiber optic drone wars. Vibe coding. Zara’s app in travel mode.
Planet: Foxes invade rooftops. Humpbacks blow rings at people.
Tech: Rent reducing 9000. A sometimes opened social network.
AI: Governing AI agents (PDF) under the EU AI Act. Possible delays on the Act. Signs towards simplification of the regulation. AI use in urban planning in the UK. AI therapy as surveillance tool. AI as new normal technology.
Whales and Wi-Fi: An Ode to Connection in the Modern Abyss
Whale song echoed softly through the azure waters off the coast of California, where a peculiar group of humans and humpback whales engaged in a grandiose game of bubble ring blowing. Six enthusiastic whales produced a series of rings that danced like bubbling champagne, swirling around the giddy boaters, who shrieked in delight. Little did they know, their joyful antics were caught on the latest TikTok craze: “Whales: The Next AI Influencers?”^1 Perhaps we’d finally found our whalespeak. It was as if the ocean was trying to communicate with AI—“Dear mark of intelligent life, we’re a bit friendlier than you think.”
Meanwhile, in a humble apartment layered thick with the melancholy clouds of urban existence, a young woman named Riven scrolled through her newsletter subscriptions, trying to avoid the predatory claws of mainstream social media, which felt as inviting as an alligator in a kiddie pool. The 'dark forest theory' whispered in her ear, a reminder that silence could mean safety, and the hollow echoes of her loneliness were comforted by thought; the Internet was a place where genuine connection was as rare as a unicorn at rush hour. Yet, solitude nourished a different kind of anxiety, one that lingered under the surface like a phobia of bubble wrap—she longed for community, and yet feared becoming her own enemy^2.
At the gleaming new Google headquarters, disruptions came not from coding errors or corporate greed but rather a gang of feral foxes that claimed ownership of the rooftop garden, burrowing suavely through vegetation and snacking on unsuspecting rodents. “Adorable, isn’t it?” said one hapless developer, eyeing a fox with a pretentious gaze, clearly more invested in his career than local wildlife advocacy. At that moment, visions of intelligent life transformed from the cosmic to the terrestrial. Striking a balance between emotional connections, workplace happiness, and furry mischief was the hallmark of modern urban life^3.
As hope hung on the horizon like a fleeting sunset, the city itself played a character in this narrative, promoting emotional infrastructure while also constructing its own version of a dystopian petting zoo—where data ownership lived a life of luxury in Brazil, and citizens could monetize every single emoji click^4. Riven chuckled softly at the thought of selling her "data footprint," promising it all for a slice of pizza on a Friday night.
This utopian yet ludicrous world had nudged its way into the realm of AI, promising personalized therapy^5. As Riven pondered how much of her inner thoughts would be dissected and translated by algorithms, she felt like a salad tossed between the layers of privacy and vulnerability — a durian with existential dread rather than intended sweetness. The government was lurking with its notebook, ever eager to eavesdrop on whispered secrets^6.
“Ah, but there’s hope!” she mused. Scientists had begun to develop biodegradable plastics that dissolved faster than social media friendships, making it possible for humanity to actually mesh with nature rather than suffocate under its weight^7. If only our emotional connections could be harnessed similarly; perhaps love could be built out of ocean foam and altruistic whims.
And yet, wasn’t this a rich tapestry of life? Where whales engage in heartwarming play with humans who were more occupied with their phones than contemplating the stars? This mélange of absurdity and beauty made Riven chuckle; “Maybe, just maybe, the universe is not as sprawlingly dark as folks love to theorize,” she thought, peering from her window. A bubble ring floated past in the distance, a playful reminder from the whales, somehow proclaiming, “You are part of this chaotic universe, you splendid little glitch!”
The shadows of change were cast, colors blended, and for a moment, both the whales and the humans played a part in the wider narrative—a hopeful blend of ancient wisdom and modern absurdity.
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1. A dramatic twist here—a whale influencer in the making!
2. Riven would make the perfect anti-heroine for an ethics thesis.
3. Traditional foxes outmatch the digital world. How quaint!
4. Do we need a wallet for our data? Yes, and would you like the turquoise or the raspberry?
5. **Free therapy** — but the catch? You can't call them by their makeshift therapist names.
6. An eavesdropping government — captivating and terrifying simultaneously!
7. Biodegradable wonders—possibly the seventh wonder of the world!