Group 7

Group members

Jade, Antonella, Thomas, Patrick, Sawsan

Story Summary (Thomas)

In the year 2099, life in Toronto looks a lot different. In 2065, Toronto was renamed New Toronto following a protest at City Hall, in order to start a "clean slate" in history, with a positive step forward. The New Toronto education system came with a complete overhaul of the curriculum from K-12. This new education system aims to make classes more compact and virtual, with AI running rampant worldwide. In the new education system, teachers work alongside AI in their classrooms to get the best out of their students. Each classroom is equipped with a Virtual Reality headset for those willing to take their learning to the “metaphysical dimension” (also known as the Vivarium). Students have the option to be physically present with a teacher explaining the class material or put on a virtual reality headset that takes them into their virtual Vivarium classroom, where AI holograms play the role of the teacher. Hybrid teaching models exist, but there has been an ongoing trend with students preferring technology and AI over in-person classes . Time is money in New Toronto, and there are holograms available for those who wish to attend an important business meeting but physically are unable to attend. New Toronto has become more and more diverse with life expectancy being at 90 years old, due to the strides that medicine has taken. Hospitals and walk-in clinics operate at a much larger capacity, with AI being used to diagnose illnesses with 95% accuracy and medicine being able to be delivered to your front door with a drone, or pick-up in pharmacy. Global warming has progressed to the point of no return, but energy initiatives (solar panels on skyscrapers, wind turbines, eco-friendly cars, etc.)in New Toronto have skyrocketed. AI systems help maintain waste management in the city and air quality. A centralized government body has taken over provincial and municipal duties, which consists of a panel of 5 elected officials, who oversee the curriculum, the evaluations, and teacher (as well as AI teacher) assessments. As technology and time advances, so do the resources that fight crime. Police units are all fitted with glasses that identify civilians based on Facial-eye recognition, that gives the police a virtual file filled with: their name and date of birth, their address, any warrants, and all other relevant information. New Toronto is the place to be!

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Environment + Education (Antonella)

By 2099, New Toronto has become a model of human resilience in the face of climate change due to global warming.Global warming has progressed to the point of no return. The planet is now hot all around the globe. Emissions have become completely Net-0, pollution is gone due to the widespread adoption of clean energy. Neighborhoods are bursting with activity. Eco-friendly shops and cafés powered by renewable energy line the streets providing spaces for people to interact with one another. Public parks are filled with native plants, shaded walkways to help keep cool under the blazing heat, and there is also more space for children to play and families to gather. Fresh water stations were put in place all over the city to help keep cool during those very hot days, allowing access to water throughout your day.

Transportation in the city has allowed the air quality to stay clean and pollution free. Eco-friendly vehicles glide along streets, while magnetic levitation trains provide safe service through the heart of the city. Bike lanes and pedestrian walkways are encouraged to obtain an active lifestyle as part of your daily routine. With New Toronto’s growing population due to the strides that medicine has taken, housing units adapt to family sizes and lifestyles to maintain comfort and sustainability. Due to the climate adaptations, skyscrapers throughout the city have solar panels, and wind turbines to make every structure in the city energy self-sufficient. The streets are lined with greenery that help clean the air, while urban designs focus on providing shade and air flow throughout the streets of New Toronto. Technology and nature have worked together for years to coexist by providing frameworks that are in place to adjust lighting and energy being used based on demand. New Toronto has AI systems in place that work with these frameworks to maintain the city's air quality as well as waste management.

With this weather all around, classes have now been able to move outside. It allows students to be more engaged with outdoor learning as well as connect them to their surroundings. With the ability to have outdoor learning teachers can incorporate nature-based learning to help engage the students. Ecology lessons can be taught on rooftop gardens, science can be taught in biodiverse parks and literature discussions can be led under shaded canopies in city plazas. Rather than virtual classrooms, schools now have 2 options: Join the classroom in the Vivarium or attend virtually via hologram. New Toronto has become a major hub in the world for livability and life expectancy. With the advancement of technology in education, teachers can work in collaboration with AI. Human teachers remain at the heart of the system continuing to provide students with empathy, creativity and mentorship. AI collaborates with teachers to enhance their ability to support students under the revamped curriculum, rather than replacing them.

When it comes to virtual holograms, teachers can incorporate AI holograms to help students if they need help outside the classroom. Students are also able to use holograms if they are unable to make it to class physically or virtually. They can send in a hologram into the classroom and still be able to engage with the learning. AI holograms can be used to make accommodations for students with disabilities, severe illness or those in remote locations allowing them to feel included and connected to the learning. Students also can get involved with extracurricular learning, things like sports can have students compete physically or they have the option to compete in virtual formats engaging them with new skills, abilities, and geographically.

Technology + Education (Sawsan)

Education in New Toronto has become a seamless fusion of humans and AI. The educational system powered by AI is the pinnacle of technical development. This system has generated discussions about creativity, autonomy, and human connection despite its efficiency and inventiveness.

AI holograms and human teachers collaborate in each classroom to create a hybrid teaching approach. While the AI manages tasks such as designing lessons and activities to meet the needs of each individual student, the human teacher offers moral guidance and emotional support. The Vivarium also offers individualized paths to learning. They present knowledge at a pace that is best suited to each student by analyzing their preferences, weaknesses, and capabilities. However, as AI becomes more prevalent, students are increasingly relying on it for activities, homework, and assignments, greatly affecting their creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This dependency has raised significant concerns regarding the alarming decline of human intellectual autonomy from a young age.

Students are able to experience lessons in a way that goes beyond physical limits through the use of the Vivarium. For instance, science classes allow students to work with molecules in a virtual lab. History classes could immerse them in a fully interactive experience of World War 1 or the era of the Great Pyramids. While the Vivarium offers an unmatched learning experience, it leads to a high percentage of 50-58% of students struggling with feelings of isolation and disengagement when they choose this over in-person classes. Fewer students are attending in-person classes which reduces the focus on social interaction. The numbers continue to decline each year, significantly impacting students’ social skills, creativity, emotional well-being and collaborative skills in real-world environments.

Tests, exams, and assignments are all virtual and graded by an AI system of near-perfect accuracy. These systems use algorithms to grade, however, they tend to be criticized for not fully understanding certain details in students’ answers. Students now rarely write essays or their assignments and solve problems on their own because AI tools provide ideas, revision, and suggestions, and even write/complete the tasks for them. Students have become so heavily dependent on AI for every part of their academic work that when these tools become inaccessible due to technical issues, many students experience panic attacks and anxiety. They cannot function with AI assistance, because they have grown accustomed to it. This reliance has led to what some scientists call “brain rot,” where creativity, independence and intellectual growth have stalled, leaving this generation to regress in terms of progress.

As the educational system continues to change, New Toronto continues to face challenges in finding a balance between the use of AI tools and meeting the needs of students. Even if students benefit from advanced AI tools, it raises many concerns about whether it negatively affects students’ ability to learn, grow, work independently, and think creatively. Calls have been made, prompting scientists to dive deeper into studying the minds of children of 2099 and those of 2024, examining how AI integration has shaped creativity, learning, and independence.

Society + Education (Jade)

By 2099, New Toronto would be a highly advanced, inclusive society where technology and diversity intersect in new and imaginative ways. Advances like AI, virtual reality (VR), and holographic communication would help create a society where access to education, work, and social interactions is no longer limited by physical barriers. For example, imagine a student in a remote location who, due to mobility impairments, can attend school not just via a video call, but as a holographic projection in the classroom, interacting with peers and teachers in real-time. Similarly, AI-powered translation tools would break down language barriers, enabling seamless communication among students and professionals from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, making New Toronto one of the most inclusive cities in the world.

In this future society, diversity would expand beyond traditional concepts of race, gender, and physical ability to include neurodiversity and virtual identities. For instance, a student with ADHD could have their own AI tutor, which adapts lessons in real-time to keep them engaged through more interactive experiences like virtual science experiments or historical reenactments. This would create a truly personalized learning experience, allowing every student to thrive according to their unique strengths and challenges.

However, the widespread use of technology could also lead to unintended consequences. While virtual learning environments like the Vivarium provide exciting opportunities, they could also encourage isolation. Imagine a teenager spending most of their time in a fully immersive virtual world, interacting with AI or historical figures, but avoiding real-life social interactions. As more students opt for virtual schooling and remote socializing, face-to-face interactions would decrease, potentially diminishing the empathy and emotional depth needed for meaningful conversations on topics like diversity and inclusion. The efficiency of digital communication could lead to shallow exchanges, stripping conversations of the nuance and human connection that drive societal change.

Time efficiency would be central in 2099, with technology making communication faster and more accessible. Professionals might attend meetings as holograms or engage in asynchronous learning, where students can access lectures and assignments at their convenience. While these innovations save time, they could create transactional interactions, making people feel disconnected. For example, a city council meeting held asynchronously with AI moderation might allow for more participation but could also lack the emotional engagement needed to address complex social issues like equity and inclusion effectively.

Equity in this future society would mean ensuring that AI and automation are deployed fairly and without bias. Imagine an AI-powered hiring system that scans resumes and conducts interviews, but is regularly audited to prevent biases based on race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Similarly, AI could predict and mitigate inequalities in education or healthcare, ensuring that underserved communities receive the resources they need. However, the rise of AI and automation would also create challenges. Many jobs would be replaced by machines, but new roles in AI ethics or virtual reality design would emerge. Society would need equitable retraining programs to ensure everyone has access to these new opportunities, preventing further social division.

Despite these advancements, the shift to digital platforms could lead to mental health challenges. As people spend more time interacting with virtual environments and AI, they may feel disconnected from real-world relationships, leading to feelings of loneliness or anxiety. Balancing the benefits of technology with the need for genuine human connection will be crucial in maintaining social well-being. In conclusion, by 2099, New Toronto would be a model of diversity, inclusion, and equity, powered by technology. However, the rapid evolution of digital platforms would require careful management to preserve the emotional and social fabric of society, ensuring that the benefits of innovation don’t come at the expense of meaningful human engagement.

Politics + Education (Patrick)

Political and Educational Governance in the Future

In this envisioned future, education in Canada has undergone a radical restructuring, moving from a system of provincial oversight to a centralized federal body. The federal government has mandated the dissolution of provincial control over education, consolidating authority under a newly formed Centralized Educational Authority (CEA). This body operates independently, with its own election day separate from general elections, ensuring that educational governance remains a focused and specialized domain.

The CEA is structured as a panel-based system, where each academic subject has its own panel of five elected officials. These panels are responsible for developing and overseeing the curriculum, standardizing evaluation methods, creating equitable grading frameworks, and providing guidelines on classroom organization. This panel-based system aims to balance consistency across the nation with flexibility to accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities. By centralizing these responsibilities, the CEA ensures a more uniform educational experience while addressing societal and technological needs.

While the system’s centralization makes it less personable, it actively promotes empathy and equity in classroom practices. Policies emphasize professional development for teachers, equipping them with tools and training to address the diverse needs of their students. This includes mandatory workshops on cultural competence, inclusive teaching strategies, and mental health awareness. These initiatives aim to cultivate an educational environment that prioritizes empathy and equitable access for all students.

AI plays a dual role in this new governance model. Advanced AI systems simulate the potential outcomes of proposed policies, analyzing data to predict their effectiveness and public reception. This reduces the risk of implementing ineffective or harmful educational reforms. Additionally, AI tools assist in identifying emerging trends and skills that should be included in educational programs, ensuring that curricula remain adaptive and relevant. Panels overseeing subjects like technology and ethics use AI to integrate cutting-edge knowledge into their curricula. The introduction of new units on "AI Inclusion" and "AI Avoidance" further reflects this commitment to fostering critical thinking and responsible use of technology.

To ensure credibility and expertise, all CEA officials are required to have a minimum of five years of teaching experience. This requirement grounds their decision-making in practical classroom experience, fostering policies that are both innovative and realistic. Term limits are strictly enforced to prevent stagnation and encourage fresh perspectives. Each official can serve a maximum of two terms, each lasting three years, either consecutively or non-consecutively. This ensures that the panels remain dynamic and representative of evolving educational priorities and societal needs.

This centralized model aims to standardize educational quality across the country, reducing disparities between regions. By centralizing authority and leveraging AI, the system aspires to promote equitable access to resources and opportunities for all students, ensure that the curriculum remains adaptive to the fast-changing global landscape, and foster a culture of accountability and innovation within educational governance. However, this model also raises critical questions about local autonomy and the role of community input in shaping education. Striking a balance between standardization and personalization will remain an ongoing challenge for the CEA.