The Future With Hannah Fry returns to BBC Two: New series explores AI, animal communication and humanity’s future

The Celebrity Traitors star Professor Hannah Fry is returning to BBC Two with a new series of The Future With Hannah Fry, exploring some of the biggest scientific and technological questions facing humanity.

Launching on Wednesday 28 October at 7.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, the six-part series examines how emerging technologies could transform our lives, reshape society and potentially threaten the future of the planet.

From the rise of artificial superintelligence to the possibility of communicating with animals, quantum computing, global water shortages and revolutionary pain treatments, Fry investigates the breakthroughs that could define the decades ahead.

Across six episodes, the mathematician and broadcaster meets leading scientists, researchers and experts to explore both the extraordinary possibilities of technological progress and the risks that come with it.

Episode 1: Super Intelligence

The series opens with one of the most pressing questions of the modern technological age: what happens when artificial intelligence begins to demonstrate signs of agency and moves closer to superintelligence?

As AI systems become increasingly sophisticated, Fry examines what their development could mean for humanity. Could superintelligent machines help solve some of the world’s most difficult problems, or could their growing capabilities create dangers that society is not prepared to manage?

The opening episode explores the promises and threats of advanced AI, considering whether humanity is moving towards a future transformed by intelligent machines or heading towards consequences it may struggle to control.

Through conversations with experts, Fry investigates how the rise of superintelligence could affect society and asks whether humans will ultimately remain in control of the technology they create.

Episode 2: Animal Communication

In the second episode, Fry turns her attention to the natural world, exploring how artificial intelligence and bioacoustics technology are opening up new possibilities for understanding animal communication.

Scientists are increasingly able to analyse vast collections of animal sounds, identifying patterns that were previously difficult to decipher. These advances are also raising the possibility that humans could one day communicate with other species in ways once considered impossible.

Fry travels internationally to investigate the latest developments, meeting Cash, a talking dog in California, and exploring elephant communication in Nairobi, where researchers are studying the meaning behind their distinctive rumbles.

The potential benefits could be significant, offering new ways to protect endangered species and improve our understanding of animal behaviour. However, the prospect of communicating across species also raises difficult questions about whether humans should interfere with these natural systems.

The episode considers whether this emerging technology could help save wildlife or introduce unforeseen consequences for ecosystems around the world.

Episode 3: Quantum Arms Race

Quantum computing could unlock extraordinary processing power, potentially transforming scientific research, industry and national security. But as countries compete to establish themselves as leaders in the field, the technology is also becoming a source of international tension.

In the third episode, Fry visits IBM’s research facility to explore the future of quantum technology and the possibilities offered by this rapidly developing area of computing.

Through interviews with leading experts, she examines the race for quantum supremacy between the United States and China, exploring how advances in computing could reshape the global balance of power.

While quantum technology promises breakthroughs that could tackle problems beyond the reach of conventional computers, its capabilities could also create serious risks if used maliciously or placed in the wrong hands.

Fry investigates the implications of this emerging technological arms race and asks how a quantum-powered future might change the world.

Episode 4: Water

Water is essential to human survival, yet supplies are coming under increasing pressure from climate change, population growth and poor resource management.

The fourth episode explores the growing threat of water scarcity, with communities around the world already facing severe shortages. More than two-thirds of the global population experience water stress, while the consequences of diminishing supplies are contributing to displacement and increasing the potential for conflict.

Fry travels to Kenya to witness the effects of water scarcity first-hand and investigate how technology could help secure future supplies.

From innovative approaches to managing resources to technologies designed to reverse the effects of shortages, the episode examines whether scientific advances can help address one of humanity’s most urgent challenges.

As pressure on water resources intensifies, Fry considers whether technological solutions can provide a sustainable way forward or whether the world risks running out of time to protect this essential resource.

Episode 5: Pain

Pain is an unavoidable part of life, but for millions of people it becomes a debilitating and persistent condition that affects almost every aspect of daily living.

In the fifth episode, Fry explores how new technologies could transform pain management, offering hope for people living with severe or chronic pain.

Against the backdrop of the continuing global opioid crisis, researchers are developing innovative approaches designed to control pain signals directly, potentially reducing the need for traditional treatments and opening up new possibilities for relief.

Fry meets the scientists working behind these emerging technologies to understand how they operate and what they could mean for patients. She also speaks with participants in pain research studies to explore the potential impact of these developments on everyday life.

Beyond the science, the episode examines society’s relationship with pain and asks what it would mean if technology could significantly reduce, or even eliminate, certain forms of suffering.

Would a future with less pain transform healthcare and improve quality of life, or would it force humanity to reconsider the role pain plays in the human experience?

Episode 6: The Next Billion

The final episode looks at the future of the internet and the estimated billion people expected to come online over the next five years.

With the global online population already numbering around five billion, many of the next wave of internet users are expected to come from developing nations across southern Asia and Africa.

Fry investigates how this expansion could reshape the digital world, examining the opportunities that greater connectivity could create for education, cultural exchange and access to information.

For communities gaining greater access to the internet, digital technology could open doors to new opportunities and help reduce inequalities. Yet the arrival of so many new users also raises questions about online safety, misinformation and whether the internet can remain an inclusive and democratic space.

The episode explores whether connecting the next billion people could help create a more accessible and representative online community, or whether the growth of the digital population could bring new forms of disruption and chaos.

As the series concludes, Fry considers what the future internet might look like and how its evolution could affect people both online and offline.

When is The Future With Hannah Fry on BBC Two?

The Future With Hannah Fry launches on Wednesday 28 October at 7.30pm on BBC Two. The series will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Across its six episodes, the programme examines how advances in science and technology could shape everything from international security and environmental sustainability to healthcare, animal welfare and global connectivity.

With subjects ranging from superintelligent AI to the possibility of a pain-free future, the new series promises to explore the opportunities and dilemmas that come with living in an increasingly technological world.

For viewers interested in science, innovation and the big questions about where humanity is heading, Fry’s return offers an accessible look at the breakthroughs that could change our lives — and the challenges that may prove just as significant as the discoveries themselves.

Series one is abailable on iPlayer, now.

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