In this episode, we confront the rise and collapse of Italian Futurism, the avant garde movement that worshiped speed, technology, youth, and rupture at any cost. What began as radical artistic rebellion under Filippo Tommaso Marinetti quickly blurred into nationalism and ultimately aligned itself with fascism.
So what went wrong?
We examine how aesthetic obsession with acceleration became political extremism, and how the rhetoric of disruption can mask ethical blind spots. For today’s futurists working in AI, design, and innovation, the lesson is clear: progress without moral grounding is dangerous. If you build the future, you are responsible for its consequences.
Essay referenced: What Went Wrong with Italian Futurism and Why Every futurist Needs to Know More About It