Autocatalytic future is a future where change speeds itself up. Not just progress, but progress that compounds. Think of it like: Technology creating tools that invent better technology. AI helping design better AI. Knowledge accelerating knowledge. Infrastructure that makes building more infrastructure easier
So instead of linear growth:
1 → 2 → 3 → 4
You get:
1 → 2 → 4 → 8 → 16
It’s runaway or exponential development driven by feedback loops. Depending on context, it can imply:
Optimistic sense: rapid innovation, accelerating prosperity, self-improving systems, “singularity” vibes
Neutral/technical sense: any system where outputs amplify future outputs, complex adaptive systems, economics, evolution
Darker sense: instability, hard-to-control cascades, crises that amplify themselves (financial crashes, misinformation, arms races)
So “autocatalytic future” basically suggests:
A future shaped by self-reinforcing feedback loops where each advance makes the next one easier and faster.
