Antikythera is a think tank reorienting planetary computation as a philosophical, technological, and geopolitical force. 

At some moments in history, philosophy outpaces technology. Today, technology has far outpaced theory. Antikythera develops a philosophy of technology to catch us up to the present. 

As Stanislaw Lem described, some technologies are instrumental, providing new tools through which to change the world. Other technologies are existential, revealing aspects of the world previously unknowable and changing our fundamental capacity to know the world. Computation is both.

Antikythera takes its name from the first known computer ー the antikythera mechanism ー which was an instrument for planetary orientation, navigation, prediction, and planning. The name serves as inspiration for investigations of computational technologies that operate as a compass, not a slot machine. Planetary computation reveals and accelerates planetary intelligence.

Antikythera researches the past, present, and future of planetary computation, developing scenarios through interdisciplinary Studios, Events and multimedia Publications with partners across academia, industry, and civil society. Contributors are vastly interdisciplinary and work across design, technology, philosophy, engineering, international relations, social sciences, art and the humanities.

Antikythera was founded in 2022 and is directed by philosopher of technology Benjamin Bratton. The think tank uses design research to develop scenarios and thought experiments that advance the philosophy of technology through collaborations with foundations, think tanks, companies, academic institutes, and civil society organizations. Antikythera is incubated at the Berggruen Institute, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with offices in Los Angeles, Beijing, and Venice.

Research themes include Planetary Computation, considering how computation takes the form of planetary infrastructure that remakes philosophy, science, and society in its image, Synthetic Intelligence, investigating the long-term implications of machine intelligence for philosophy, science, and design, Recursive Simulations, exploring the emergence of simulation as an epistemological technology, from scientific simulations to virtual environments. Synthetic Catallaxy, experimenting with the future of computational economics, pricing and planning, Hemispherical Stacks, developing scenarios for e multipolar geopolitics of planetary computation, and Planetary Sapience, studying the evolutionary emergence of natural and artificial intelligence towards, and the intentional conception and artificial composition of viable planetary systems.