Poets & Thinkers Multisensory Beings: How neuroaesthetics shapes the future human-machine interaction and art – with Matthew Bennett
Humans are multisensory beings. What if the tiny sounds you hear from your devices every day are literally vibrating through your body, changing your nervous system, and collectively creating decades of audio pollution? And what do we do about it in an age where generative AI is likely going to add even more noise?
In this fascinating episode of Poets & Thinkers, we explore the profound intersection of sound, technology, and human experience with Matthew Bennett, a composer, sound artist, and sensory designer who led sound design at Microsoft for 12 years. From his home studio in Seattle, Matthew reveals how he shaped the sonic experience of billions of people worldwide while pioneering a new paradigm for technology sound design.
Matthew takes us on a journey through the science of sound as sensory experience – not just something we hear, but a form of touch that vibrates our entire body and changes our physiology. He shares mind-blowing insights about how Microsoft’s tiny notification sounds, when multiplied across hundreds of millions of users, created decades of sound pollution daily – and how his team cut 10 years off that global audio footprint by shortening sounds by just one second. Through the lens of neuroaesthetics and multisensory design, Matthew illustrates why our digital experiences are always multisensory whether we intend them to be or not.
Throughout our conversation, Matthew challenges the current AI music generation hype, revealing how these tools expose the formulaic nature of popular music while lacking the human intention and authenticity that gives art its soul. He advocates for a “do no harm” approach to sound design, emphasizing the importance of designing silence and understanding that unexpected sounds can hijack our brains and trigger fight-or-flight responses. His vision for Musical Sensory Environments and precision therapies offers a glimpse into how sound can heal rather than harm.
In this discussion, we explore:
- Why sound is actually a special form of touch that vibrates through your entire body
- How tiny notification sounds create decades of global audio pollution daily
- The ethics of multisensory design and the responsibility that comes with scale
- Why AI-generated music reveals the formulaic nature of popular genres
- How neuroesthetics can become essential literacy for designers and leaders
- The difference between human intention and statistical pattern matching in creativity
This episode is an invitation to understand sound as a powerful force that shapes our digital ecosystems, our physical well-being, and our human connections – and to approach the creation of sensory experiences with the care and intention they deserve.
Resources Mentioned
- Jaron Lanier’ work
- World Health Organization (WHO) research on noise pollution as global health crisis
- Neuroaesthetics research and fMRI studies on brain responses to sound
- Musical Sensory Environments – Matthew’s pioneering approach to immersive audio
Connect with Matthew Bennett:
Website: https://soundandsensory.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poetsandthinkerspodcast/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/poets-thinkers/id1799627484
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4N4jnNEJraemvlHIyUZdww?si=2195345fa6d249fd
Send your ideas, feedback and guest recommendations to ben@poetsandthinkers.co