The scenarios included: Teaching in a post-truth era, declaration day - the “major” reset, the positive impact of AI on education, the neverending classroom, the climate caravan, he unencumbered brain, replicators rising, beyond borders, ecoGenesis, the knowledge nexus, the ethical AI firewall and the death of curiosity
Designing what comes next
Across these scenarios, recurring themes emerged: inclusion by design, not by default. Ethics as a baseline. The importance of scale. A shift from measuring what’s easy to measuring what matters. And perhaps most resonant of all: a belief that community—not code—is what drives transformation.
“This isn’t just a thought experiment—it’s a design challenge rooted in responsibility,” said Melissa Vito, vice provost for UTSA Academic Innovation “We’re here because the future is not something we inherit—it’s something we shape, together.”
The event opened with a collaborative art experience led by Angela Gunder, CEO of Opened Culture. Attendees each contributed to a single canvas, which was later broken into pieces so everyone could take home a fragment of the whole.
“We are part of something bigger,” said ASU student Shailee Shah, who gave a lightning talk on her UX design work on AI products and joined a panel discussion. “And it’s up to us to carry it forward.”
Students and stories at the center
Student voices, including Shah’s, were at the heart of the summit. Through lightning talks and design sessions, learners from ASU and UTSA challenged assumptions and offered new visions for learning. Their perspectives were treated not as optional, but essential.
“When you give students real space to lead, they don’t just participate—they transform the room,” said Gonick.
Another standout moment was a lightning talk by Michelle Singh, assistant commissioner for digital learning at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. “Digital learning is in the spotlight,” she said, “but it’s not about the tech—it’s about how we build trust, systems and strategy around it.”
From design summit to field guide
The 2025 Design Summit is just the beginning. A forthcoming publication—The Guide to 2075—will capture the insights, outputs and calls to action from the summit, serving as a roadmap for educational leaders, policymakers and institutions committed to shaping the future.
To stay up to date or get involved, visit 100yearedtechproject.org.
“This summit is a testament to the idea that imagination is a form of leadership,” said Gonick. “When we bring together diverse voices to co-design futures that reflect empathy, ingenuity and possibility, we’re not just envisioning change—we’re building the foundation to make it real.”