“I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed firmly on my past.”

The above quote is from the Māori whakataukī proverb. But to the Western mind of time happening in a linear fashion, where the past is behind us and the future is the unknown before us; the Māori proverb seems completely upside down.

But the more I studied this concept, floating through the fjords of New Zealand, mesmorized by the Māori symbol of water (Moana), this concept became not only clear, but logical. The past is known and visible: You can remember the past, learn from it, and see its consequences. Because it is fully visible to your mind’s eye. You never turn around to remember an event from the past, it stands in front of you, where you can gaze upon it. The future is unknown and blind: You cannot see in back of you unless you turn around. Tomorrow is a mystery. It is entirely hidden from sight, it exists behind you.

I’ve always been a visual person. For me, remembering past travels—like standing on the deck of a ship, looking out at the horizon—paints a picture of what’s to come, but this time, using the brush and palette of AI. We rarely notice change while we’re in the middle of it. It’s like looking in the mirror: we don’t actually see ourselves getting older day by day because our minds, thoughts, and ideas are constantly evolving, absorbing a non-stop stream of sensory stimulus. But change is happening, and sometimes you have to look what is behind you to realize how far we can go.

Let’s step onto the deck of that ship together. Turn around and take a look at this video to see exactly what that future might look like…