Recent topics

Our work
- Futures Forum Autumn 2023 UpdateAn update from the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank on its work in autumn 2023. This includes information a public debate in October.
- EVENT: A Fair and Sustainable Scotland: How fair is fair?This panel discussion in October 2023 will explore how fair Scotland is as a country. Complete equality of outcome is impossible so what does success look like?
- Tackling 21st Century InequalityWhat can be done to tackle the giants of 21st century poverty? This seminar in August 2023 with the David Hume Institute and Professor Danny Dorling explored whether Scotland is providing some answers.
- Scotland’s poverty problemIf all political parties in Scotland are committed to tackling poverty, why has more progress not been made? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored Scotland's poverty problem.
- It’s the economy, stupidPost-pandemic and in a cost-of-living crisis, how can new economic ideas help us shape the future? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored how our economy could and should work.
- Radical uses for Scotland’s landHow can Scotland create fair and sustainable communities? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored the role of and future for our land in Scotland.
Listen to a recent podcast

Artificial Intelligence and Democracy - Richard Leonard MSP and Professor Ewa Luger - Podcasts By The Scottish Parliament
With developments in artificial intelligence (AI) speeding up, what effect will this technology have on our democracy?
What do we mean when we talk about artificial intelligence? What are the opportunities and what are the dangers?
And how, as citizens and as a democracy, should we react?
This Scotland's Futures Forum podcast, recorded in May 2023, explored the potential impact of AI on our lives and the implications we should consider.
Featuring expert contributions from Professor Ewa Luger, Professor of Human-Data Interaction at the University of Edinburgh, and Richard Leonard MSP, convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee.
You can find out more on the Scotland's Futures Forum website.
Read our recent blogs
- AI and Education: A free-market future?With AI growing in importance throughout our lives, this blog explores a free-market future for education and schools. It accompanies our event report: "AI and Education with the Goodison Group"
- Artificial Intelligence and SkillsBlog in May 2023 by Robbie Scarff on Artificial Intelligence and Skills: what impact will AI have on what it means to be a worker?
Sign up to our mailing list
If you would like to be kept informed of the work Scotland’s Futures Forum, you can join our mailing list.
We use the mailing to send messages about upcoming events and other work that may be of interest. We send a couple of emails a month at most. We ask only for your name and email address, and we never share your information with anyone else.
If you would like to sign up, please email: ScotlandsFuturesForum@parliament.scot.