Who Owns the Future?

By - Dr. Sashi Sekhar Samanta
The future has always been a contested idea. Every generation imagines it, plans for it, fears it, and attempts to shape it. Yet in today’s world, the question is no longer abstract or philosophical—it is sharply political, economic, and ethical. Who owns the future? Is it governments, corporations, technology platforms, financial markets, or the people themselves?
The answer will define not only how societies progress, but also who benefits and who is left behind.
The Illusion of Collective Ownership  In theory, the future belongs to everyone. Constitutions promise equality, democracies promise representation, and development models promise shared prosperity. In practice, however, the future is increasingly being pre-decided by a small concentration of power. Policies are shaped by economic interests. Technology is controlled by a few global corporations. Natural resources are exploited faster than they are protected. Even time itself—through debt, data, and long-term contracts—is mortgaged before the next generation can speak. The future, it appears, is being owned before it is lived.
Technology: The New Gatekeeper  Technology was once seen as a great equaliser. Today, it is a powerful gatekeeper. Artificial intelligence, automation, data analytics, and surveillance systems are redefining work, privacy, and governance. Those who control technology increasingly control opportunity.
A small number of companies decide: what information people see , how labour is valued , how behaviour is tracked and predicted . While innovation accelerates, regulation lags behind. The future becomes efficient—but not necessarily fair. The danger is not technology itself, but who governs it and for whose benefit.
Markets That Decide Tomorrow  Financial markets play a quiet but decisive role in shaping the future. Investment flows determine which industries survive, which regions grow, and which communities decline. Long-term social needs are often sacrificed for short-term returns.
Climate change is a clear example. Scientific warnings are abundant, yet economic incentives continue to favour exploitation over sustainability. Future generations will inherit the cost of today’s profits.  When markets dictate destiny without accountability, the future becomes a commodity rather than a shared responsibility.
Governments: Guardians or Managers?  Governments are meant to safeguard the future through policy, planning, and public welfare. Yet many have become managers of the present, focused on election cycles rather than generational impact. Infrastructure is built without environmental foresight. Education reforms prioritise numbers over learning. Employment policies ignore job security in favour of flexibility. In many cases, governance reacts to crises instead of preventing them. A future that is not actively protected is quietly surrendered.
Youth Without Ownership  Ironically, those who will live longest in the future—the youth—have the least control over it. Young people face uncertain jobs, rising costs of education, environmental instability, and mental health pressures. They are told to adapt, reskill, and compete endlessly for shrinking opportunities.  Participation is often reduced to slogans. Consultation replaces genuine inclusion. Decisions about climate, technology, and economic models are taken without meaningful youth representation.  A future planned without its primary stakeholders is fundamentally flawed.
Inequality Across Time  Ownership of the future is also about inequality across generations. When public debt balloons, when natural resources are depleted, and when institutions are weakened, the burden shifts forward.
Future citizens inherit: environmental damage they did not cause , financial liabilities they did not approve , social divisions they did not create . This silent transfer of cost raises a moral question: do we have the right to consume tomorrow for comfort today?
Reclaiming the Future  The future should not be owned—it should be stewarded. Stewardship implies responsibility, restraint, and long-term vision. It requires institutions that think beyond profit and politics, and citizens who demand accountability beyond slogans. Education must prepare critical thinkers, not just workers. Technology must be governed by ethics, not only efficiency. Development must include ecological limits and social justice. Most importantly, democratic spaces must be strengthened so that decisions about the future are made transparently and inclusively
The future is being shaped every day—by laws passed quietly, technologies deployed rapidly, and resources consumed irreversibly. If citizens remain passive, ownership will continue to concentrate in the hands of the powerful. The question, therefore, is not only who owns the future, but who is willing to defend it. A just future is not inherited automatically. It is claimed through awareness, participation, and moral courage.