The Future of You

Join the host in Season 3 of this podcast as they explore the technology of self and identity in the 21st century. Discover fascinating topics like digital identity, biometrics, brainwave data, virtual beings, smart cities, and deep fakes.

Prof. Dr. Beth Singler and Rev. Dr. Joshua K. Smith discuss digital religion, AI's impact on spirituality, perspective bias, anthropomorphism of AI, outsourcing decision making to AI, the reemergence of occult aesthetics, and the interconnectedness of secularization and AI.

Rogier Creemers and Josh Chin discuss China's mass surveillance, social credit system, technology transfer, and the nature of authoritarianism in The Future of You. They explore the challenges in the surveillance industry, the implementation of surveillance technology on Uyghurs, and the concept of autonomy in Chinese culture. They also provide recommendations for staying informed about tech and regulation in China.

The podcast explores cryonics as a means to preserve memories and reverse aging. It also dives into the topics of legal identity and autonomy, as well as the challenges of control in transhumanism. The future of free cultures and declining populations, moral theories and long-termism, climate catastrophism, and the importance of nuclear power are also discussed.

What is the origin of the word robot? Who makes the definitions of these words robots, avatars, nanobots, etc? Who gets to define them? How do we decide? Is there a new social category that's emerging, and should see non biological intelligences through the lens of our own social interaction?Do avatars as representations of the self need the same rights as humans, and importantly, should there be distinctions around the governance of virtual worlds versus physical worlds? What do we need from our relationships with this new set of beings in the future?Today, I speak with Dr Julie Carpenter, research fellow in the Ethics and Emerging Science Group at California Polytechnic State University, and Dr David Gunkel, Professor of Media Studies at Northern Illinois University. Dr Carpenter’s primary research goal is to investigate human-technology emotional attachment and trust issues, looking at the ways in which embodied AI offers a testing ground for media, communication and cultural theories. She is currently writing her latest book, The Naked Android. Dr Gunkel’s work focuses on the philosophy of technology and emerging ethics relating to AI, robots and algorithms. He has published twelve influential and award-winning books including How To Survive a Robot Invasion, The Machine Question, Gaming The System, and Robot Rights. His latest book is called Deconstruction and is part of MIT's Essential Knowledge Series. This episode of The Future of You covers:The origin of robots and who defines themThe person-thing dichotomy in legal and social categoriesAvatar rights and responsibilitiesThe governance of virtual spacesEmotional valence of non-human personalitiesHow to engage the public in thinking about the rights and relationships of robotsThe Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology?: www.amazon.co.uk/Future-You-Identity-21st-Century-Technology-ebook/dp/B08XBN4GBBLinks and references at: www.traceyfollows.com

Millions of profiles of the dead haunt the internet. What do we do with all these digital souls? Can we simply delete them? Or do they have a right to persist? What does it mean for the self now that digital technologies are transforming the notion of legacy, and in the future, how you will persist beyond your own death?Today, I speak with Patrick Stokes, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. His work sits at the intersections of the continental and analytic traditions with research interests that include personal identity, narrative selfhood, and philosophy of religion. I'm also joined by Elaine Kasket, counselling psychologist, a speaker and author with a BA Honours in Journalism and Psychology. This episode of The Future of You covers:Whether we can and should attempt to manage our online legacies after death.How deep fake and AI generated material using the deceased will impact our understanding of history.The death of nostalgia and technology’s enthusiasm for the music of the past.Will the truth be replaced with the telically possible?Who controls our digital afterlife?The therapeutic possibilities of digitally reanimating the dead.The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology?: www.amazon.co.uk/Future-You-Identity-21st-Century-Technology-ebook/dp/B08XBN4GBBLinks and references at: www.traceyfollows.com

Discover how emerging technologies are impacting our identity in the digital world. Topics include AI shaping our identity, virtual reality, and the possibility of immortality.

Kaliya Young and Lucy Yang discuss digital identity and self-sovereignty. They cover topics such as the importance of digital identity, anonymity and self-sovereignty, evolving wallets, the principles of physical identity in a digital solution, and the role of open standards. They also explore advancements in digital identity technologies, the importance of open standards and interoperability, challenges with mobile driver's license standards and privacy, and digital identity initiatives and challenges.

Dr Natasha Vita-More, a transhumanist pioneer, discusses longevity and radical life extension, AI augmentation for senses and emotional responses, practical developments in transhumanism, being a pioneering woman in the field, and the importance of continuity of identity.

Is the huge variety of social platforms and settings in which we present ourselves creating a multiplicity of our identities, demanding that we moderate our personalities? And is that such a bad thing?From the Chinese philosophy suggesting that sincerity trumps authenticity, to the future technologies ushering in an era of profilicity, the norms that surround identity are changing during our lifetime.Joining me to help foresee where our technology of identity is heading - in this truly international episode - are Hans-Georg Moeller, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Macau, and Sam Gilbert, an Affiliated Researcher with the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge.This episode of The Future of You covers:Use of data to create a picture of someone’s identity, and how that could be used for wider public benefitThe multiplicity of identity through social media sites with different norms and expectationA modern sense of profilicity, and how that links with ancient Chinese philosophiesHow AI might allow us to curate identity in a new way with a novel sense of self-insightThe need to leave authenticity behind in favour of situational sincerityThis episode does contain a brief discussion eluding to self-harm, suicide, and how we might use data to identify those in need. If you or somebody you know is in need, Samaritans are available by phoning 116 123.The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology?: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-You-Identity-21st-Century-Technology-ebook/dp/B08XBN4GBBThe TBD Conference - Get 25% off your tickets with code FUTUREOFYOU:https://www.thetbdconference.com/Links and references at: https://www.traceyfollows.com/