"One for all": Symposium experts envisioned the heroes of the future

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On 8 October, the II International Symposium "Inventing the Future" at the National Centre RUSSIA hosted an interactive conceptual session titled "Content of the Future: Heroes, Platforms and New Formats". The event was organised in collaboration with the New Media Workshop, created by ANO "Dialogue" and the Senezh Management Workshop under the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity". The participants discussed how the development of neural networks and augmented reality will reshape the image of the hero, and prepared methodological recommendations on using and adapting new content across various platforms.

The key topic of the session "Content of the Future: Heroes, Platforms and New Formats" was the search for the hero of the future. Shaping this image is one of today’s most important goals, as fictional heroes form behavioural models, noted the moderator, Yulia Ablets, Deputy Director General of ANO "Dialogue Regions" and founder of the New Media Workshop. She added that people remain interested in radically different archetypes.

"The hero is an emotional guide whose story inspires pride, hope and a sense of unity. He leads us into the future. According to research, most people would like to see real heroes on screen. It have to be positive, socially active, patriotic individuals who act according to rules and for the benefit of society. This follows from the results of recent studies," said Yulia Ablets.

Despite the apparent contrasts, people still expect content to reflect timeless values, noted Vladimir Tabak, Director General of ANO "Dialogue".

"Today, we all laugh when we watch 'Terminator', where the creators tried to imagine technologies of 2029. But in 'Forrest Gump', it’s the human being who comes first. He may be archetypal, but his kindness always triumphs over evil. In essence, nothing changes — eternal values remain," said Vladimir Tabak. 

A similar idea is reflected in people’s attitudes towards the technological side of content production, added Marianna Maksimovskaya, CEO of VK Video. According to her, characters created by neural networks often evoke discomfort among viewers.

"AI-generated heroes look almost like real people — and that’s what frightens us: their very resemblance. But this is also a glimpse into the future. Leonardo da Vinci predicted the submarine in the 16th century, and today we see how the boldest visions of science fiction come true. Humanity has always wanted to peek into the future," explained Marianna Maksimovskaya.

In this context, science fiction plays an essential role as a means of helping people adapt to possible futures, believes Alexei Goreslavsky, Director General of the Internet Development Institute (ANO "IRI").

"Since ancient times, people have tried to foresee the future to understand what lies ahead. Entire generations were raised on science fiction books, and today we are no longer surprised that everyone carries a phone in their pocket. Human nature does not change — nor do eternal values such as good and evil. But people are beginning to lag behind the rapid pace of technological progress. That’s why science fiction is a form of relaxation — a way to adapt," said Alexei Goreslavsky.

In addition, science fiction can help shape positive scenarios that may later come to life, noted journalist Vladimir Todorov.

"If you look at what has happened to the world in just the past five years, you realise how difficult it is to predict the future — but you can still try. The most important thing for us is to understand how we will place our hero within the imagined future. There is now a demand for optimistic futures where good triumphs over evil. The best example comes from the Strugatsky brothers, who showed in their works how other worlds can be improved without crude interference," said Vladimir Todorov.

Another important quality of the hero of the future is the ability to respond to people’s demand for collective values and a sense of national context. Italian science fiction writer Roberto Quaglia noted that in a multipolar world, there is an increasing demand for heroes who embody collective responsibility and reflect a genuine national spirit.

"I have created many heroes in my works — all of them different. But the main thing is that a hero must be interesting. The world is becoming multipolar, and we must look at it differently. We are used to seeing the lone hero, but now readers want collective solutions. For Russia, it is especially important to show heroes who embody the true Russian spirit. This is a challenge for the creators of the future, because the heroes of the new multipolar world are those who take responsibility for all people. That’s very exciting," explained Roberto Quaglia.

The experts agreed that despite the technological revolution, true value will always lie in works created by talented people. Co-founder of SCIFI Fanspace, Wang Chao (China), added that Soviet science fiction became an important foundation for modern sci-fi cinema.

Among the most promising directions for the industry’s development, participants highlighted video platforms using artificial intelligence, short virtual series, and strong humanities education. The session concluded with a neural network-generated image of the future, showing that despite all technological changes, timeless values will continue to define the heroes of tomorrow.

The II International Symposium "Inventing the Future" is being held on 7 – 8 October at the National Centre RUSSIA, bringing together participants from more than 85 countries and all regions of the Russian Federation. It features over 260 Russian and international experts from China, the United States, Italy, Latin American countries, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The expert programme for professionals and the open public programme together include about 50 events. The schedule and livestreams are available at the event’s website.

The International Symposium "Inventing the Future" is organised on the instruction of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, under the Decade of Science and Technology, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The analytical partner is the VCIOM Analytical Centre, and the literary partner is the Eksmo-AST Publishing Group.