Who Wins the Future? Audience Perspectives Survey

Who Wins the Future? An audience survey on preservation, innovation, and responsible progress

This is a listening project—not a test of which side you are on.

As a leadership and entrepreneurship educator and consultant, I want to better understand how people prioritize preservation, innovation, technology and enterprise—and whether they believe these goals can advance together. The goal is to teach these subjects more thoughtfully, facilitate better conversations and identify practical ways people with different priorities can work together.

This is an ongoing, informal audience survey with no fixed closing date. It is suitable for professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, students and anyone interested in the choices shaping our shared future.

5–7 minutesAnonymous core surveyOptional demographicsNonpartisan

Step 1 of 5 - Your starting point

20%

Your perspective can help improve the conversation.

This ongoing listening project explores how people think about preservation, community, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and responsible leadership. It is intended to help Dr. Claude Kershner teach, facilitate and create more thoughtful content—not to sort people into political camps.

Privacy: You will not be asked for your name or email. Broad demographic questions are optional. Please do not include identifying information in written responses. Survey answers are stored separately from the site’s optional email signup.

Time: Approximately 5–7 minutes. There are no right answers.

When leaders face both benefits and risks from innovation, which approach best matches your starting point?(Required)

Preserve first — protect family, community, land, and everyday human connection before accelerating change

Innovate first — expand entrepreneurship, technology and productivity, then address unintended effects

Deliberately balance both — treat preservation and innovation as equal design requirements

It depends — local context, evidence and safeguards should determine the priority

Choose the option closest to your current view.

Which outcomes should leaders consider most when judging progress?

Strong families and intergenerational ties

Trust and belonging in local communities

Stewardship of land and natural resources

Opportunity for entrepreneurs and small businesses

Better health, safety and quality of life

Productivity and economic growth

Human autonomy, dignity and meaningful work

Fair access to opportunity and technology

Education and lifelong adaptability

Responsible institutions and clear accountability

Select up to five.

Values and priorities

For each statement, choose the response that best reflects your current view.

New technology should strengthen, rather than weaken, community life.(Required)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Innovation and entrepreneurship can improve living standards.(Required)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Leaders should accept lower efficiency when necessary to protect meaningful work.(Required)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Delaying useful technology can create serious costs.(Required)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Leaders should move slowly when change could cause lasting environmental harm.(Required)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Responsible use of AI can expand what people are able to do.(Required)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

People affected by a major innovation should help shape how it is introduced.(Required)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Traditions should be preserved when they continue to serve people well.(Required)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Real-world choices

These scenarios intentionally involve competing goods. Choose the response closest to what you would support.

A regional employer can automate some work, lowering costs and improving safety, but some jobs will disappear. What should leaders do?(Required)

Proceed quickly; innovation and competition cannot wait

Proceed, but fund retraining, transition support and worker participation

Pilot slowly and proceed only if community benefits are demonstrated

Do not proceed if the local employment loss is substantial

I would need more context

New investment and housing could help a community grow, but development may change its character and put pressure on land. What should take priority?(Required)

Growth and wider opportunity

Preservation of place and existing community life

Negotiated growth with firm design and environmental safeguards

Let local residents decide through a transparent process

I would need more context

A school or workplace can use AI to personalize support and save time, but it may make mistakes or collect sensitive data. What is the best approach?(Required)

Adopt broadly and improve it through use

Use it selectively with consent, human review and data limits

Pilot it only in low-risk situations

Wait until accuracy and privacy protections are much stronger

I would need more context

When evidence about a new technology is mixed, what approach should leaders usually take?(Required)

Act early to capture potential benefits

Run transparent pilots and update the decision as evidence improves

Delay adoption until the risks are better understood

Allow different communities or organizations to choose differently

Which safeguards would most increase your comfort with innovation?

Clear responsibility for outcomes

Independent safety and bias testing by outside reviewers

Strong privacy rules that limit data collection to what is necessary

Participation by affected workers, students, or community members

Clear explanations and a way to appeal important decisions

Small-scale pilots with clear checkpoints before expansion

Retraining or other support for people who bear the costs

Local choice within shared minimum standards

Automatic review or expiration unless the policy or system is renewed

None of these would materially change my view

Select up to three. If you select “None,” do not select another option.

Whether you favor faster innovation, slower change, or a balance, what concerns or arguments from another approach do you find reasonable?

Optional. Please do not include names or identifying details.

What evidence or experience might change how you think about the pace, benefits, or risks of innovation and technological change?

Optional. Please do not include names or identifying details.

What important question do leaders often overlook when balancing innovation with concerns about work, community, privacy, opportunity, or the environment?

Optional. Please do not include names or identifying details.

Optional context

These broad questions help reveal whether perspectives differ across life stages and settings. You may skip any of them. No name, employer, school, ZIP code or email is requested.

Which role most shapes your perspective on these topics?

Student or recent graduate

Educator or academic

Business owner or entrepreneur

Manager, executive or organizational leader

Employee or independent professional

Community, nonprofit or public-service role

Retired

Another perspective

Prefer not to say

Age range

Under 18

18–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–64

65 or older

Prefer not to say

Which setting best describes the community where you live or work most often?

Rural

Small town

Suburban

Urban

I regularly span more than one setting

Prefer not to say

Which best describes your experience with AI and emerging technology?

Very limited

Basic awareness

Regular personal or professional use

Advanced or technical experience

Prefer not to say

Which areas of your life most influence your views on technology, innovation, and community change?

Family and relationships

Education

Workplace or career

Entrepreneurship or business

Community or civic life

Environmental or land-use decisions

Personal use of technology

They are mostly a general interest

Select up to three.

Required acknowledgment(Required)

I understand this is an informal audience-listening project, not an academic study or diagnostic assessment, and I have not intentionally included identifying information in my written responses.

Required to submit. Check the box to confirm before submitting.

Privacy and participation: The survey does not request your name or email. Broad demographic questions are optional. Please avoid including identifying information in written responses. If you choose to join The Dr. Claude Kershner Show email list after participating, that separate signup is not connected to your survey answers. This is an informal audience-listening project, not an academic study or diagnostic assessment.