Since the Crystal Palace in London pioneered the modern World’s Fair in 1851, this grand event, with its mission to “showcase the achievements of human civilization,” has always served as a window into technological revolutions, social changes, and human ideals. In 2025, when the world’s attention is focused on a World’s Fair themed “Envisioning a Vibrant Future Society,” we witness not only a concentrated display of cutting-edge technologies, but also a profound reflection on how humanity can coexist with nature, dance with technology, and advance with civilization. This grand event acts as a prism, reflecting the multiple possibilities of future society.
Sustainability: A Green Revolution from Concept to Practice
Under the dual pressures of climate change and resource depletion, “sustainability” has become the most prominent theme of the World’s Fair. In the design of the pavilions for the 2025 World’s Fair, renewable materials and low-carbon technologies have become mainstream. For example, one pavilion uses a bamboo structure and a solar roof, achieving post-exhibition disassembly and reassembly through modular design; another pavilion uses seaweed bioplastics as raw material to create a biodegradable exhibition space. These practices are not isolated technological demonstrations, but rather concrete interpretations of the “circular economy” concept—from building lifecycle management to zero waste emissions, from energy self-sufficiency to water recycling, the Expo is driving sustainability from a slogan into replicable solutions.
More importantly, the concept of sustainability has permeated the exhibition content itself. One pavilion uses immersive scenarios to simulate the damage to ecosystems caused by ocean plastic pollution in 2080, showcasing cutting-edge explorations in microbial degradation technology and marine farms; another pavilion, themed “Urban Mines,” transforms electronic waste into art installations, calling on the public to re-examine the value of “waste.” This shift from technological demonstrations to value transmission signifies that the Expo is becoming an important platform for guiding global public participation in sustainable practices.
Technological Ethics: Finding a Balance Between Innovation and Responsibility
As artificial intelligence, gene editing, and quantum computing move from the laboratory to reality, the Expo becomes a frontier for exploring technological ethics. At the 2025 Shanghai World Expo, one pavilion, themed “Life 3.0,” used holographic projection to showcase how brain-computer interface technology expands the boundaries of human cognition. It also featured an ethical debate area, inviting visitors to discuss the philosophical controversies surrounding “consciousness uploading” and “digital immortality.” Another pavilion focused on AI governance, showcasing tools for algorithm transparency and bias detection systems, and calling for a global AI ethical framework.
Behind these exhibits lies a shift in technological development from “instrumental rationality” to “value rationality.” For example, one pavilion used interactive installations to allow visitors to experience the decision-making logic of self-driving cars in ethical dilemmas, prompting in-depth reflection on “algorithmic responsibility.” Another pavilion used blockchain technology as a case study to explore the impact of decentralized systems on personal privacy and social fairness. The World Expo is no longer merely a showcase for technology, but also a testing ground for building consensus within the global technological community.
Cultural Coexistence: Finding a Shared Future for Humanity Amidst Diversity
Against the backdrop of globalization’s backlash and escalating cultural conflicts, the World Expo remains an important platform for promoting dialogue among civilizations. At the 2025 Shanghai World Expo, one pavilion, themed “New Voices of the Silk Road,” used digital technology to recreate ancient trade routes, showcasing the fusion of different civilizations in trade, art, and technology. Another pavilion used water as a medium to present how river cultures shaped the philosophies and lifestyles of different regions. These exhibits transcended the narrow perspective of the “clash of civilizations” theory, emphasizing that the common challenges facing humanity—whether climate change, disease control, or space exploration—require collaboration that transcends cultural boundaries.
Even more noteworthy is the new heights reached in the dialogue between tradition and modernity at the Expo. One pavilion combined intangible cultural heritage techniques with 3D printing technology, using laser engraving to recreate ancient bronze artifacts; another pavilion used virtual reality to allow visitors to experience how traditional agricultural wisdom inspires modern sustainable agriculture. This “preserving tradition while innovating” exhibition logic reveals the cultural code of future society: true progress is not the negation of tradition, but the creative transformation of cultural genes.
The Future is Here: World Expos as a “Rehearsal Stage” for Human Civilization
From the 1851 London World’s Fair showcasing the steam engine and telegraph to the 2025 World’s Fair exploring brain-computer interfaces and quantum communication, World Expos have always been a “rehearsal stage” for technological revolutions. But their deeper significance lies in how they construct humanity’s collective imagination of the future through spatial design and exhibition narratives. The “Great Roof Ring” building at the 2025 World’s Fair, with its wooden structure and light and shadow design simulating a forest ecosystem, suggests that future cities should coexist with nature; the “Future Living Lab” in one themed pavilion demonstrates how technology is reshaping daily life through wearable devices and smart home systems.
Behind these designs lies the World Expo’s profound reflection on “future society”: it should not be a utopian fantasy, but a pragmatic plan based on current challenges; it should not be a celebration of a single technology, but a synergistic evolution of technology, culture, and ethics. When visitors experience flying car models, participate in AI ethics debates, and witness the fusion of intangible cultural heritage and digital technology at the World Expo, they are essentially engaging in a global “future design workshop”—where everyone is both an observer and a creator.
In this endless dialogue among civilizations, the World Expo remains the spark that ignites imagination and inspires action. It reminds us that the answers to the future lie not in the laboratories of a single country or the wisdom of a particular group, but in the shared pursuit of a better life by all humanity.
