Progression to Analog

On 26 April 2024, I delivered an educational seminar at Columbia University. This episode of Progression to Analog is an audio / video (slides) transcription of this talk on Neurodiversity in the Workplace! By some estimations, neurodiverse people make up ~17-20% of the workforce. A myriad of studies and outlets such as Harvard Business Review highlight neurodiversity as a competitive advantage to...

On 28 May at re:publica in Berlin, Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson and I ( Caitlin Begg ) will be speaking together in a joint talk called " Freedom to Fail ". Amy is 2x #1 Management Thinker in the World Per Thinkers50 and author of " Right Kind of Wrong ," 2023 Financial Times and Schroder's Business Book of the Year. In this short episode of Progression t...

Invented by French writer Alfred Jarry in early 20th century France, ‘pataphysics is often defined as the science of imaginary solutions, the realm beyond the possible (additional to metaphysics), or as a way to describe a universe supplementary to this one. In this episode of Progression to Analog, Apocraphyl Pataphysics author Peter Clarke and I discuss the influence of pataphysics on art (Surre...

I felt an inexplicable feeling a few weeks ago, and turned to GPT-4 to help explain it. I was feeling nostalgia for a time I've never known, a longing for an unexperienced past. GPT identified this as "anemoia". In this episode, I explain anemoia, relate it to technology (as it pertains to childhood, college, etc.) and especially to NYU Professor Jonathan Haidt 's book " The...

In this episode, I speak with Zurich-based entrepreneur, author, speaker, and scientist Dr. Christian Hugo Hoffmann. We first speak about Christian's entrepreneurial and professional endeavors, including House of Lab Science AG and TECHNOPARK® Zürich , and then (~18 min in) about his book " The Quest for a Universal Theory of Intelligence: The Mind, The Machine, and Singularity Hypotheses...

Radical futurist, tech critic, independent industry analyst, and interdisciplinary researcher Sara M. Watson and I discuss " A People's History of Technology " in this episode, which she co-founded and curates (with Emily Best ). Recently featured at SXSW and Sundance, A People’s History of Tech is a collective storytelling project. Popular histories of technology often focus on lone...

One issue organizations are dealing with right now: how do we move AI from a buzzword to something that actually impacts our organization? Along these lines, in this episode I discuss the importance of a sociotechnical (think: joint optimization of people + technology) approach in workplace AI adoption as well as in sales and communication strategy.

Gordon Tobin and I speak about insights regarding the social and technical sides of sales, how to avoid 'spam culture', Gordon’s life philosophies, Irish culture and the ‘nation of storytellers’, the Dublin tech ecosystem and European tech ecosystem more broadly, tips to approach sales in this over-saturated digital age, ways to stay present in everyday life, and more.  Gordon is a Dublin-...

I discuss why you should stop checking your phone when you wake up, benefits to ditching your smartphone in the bedroom, sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness, how I decreased my screen time by 65%, and more. Some references from the episode: MindBodySpace podcast episode: Two Simple Steps To Ditch Your Phone From Your Morning Routine So That You Can Focus and Be Happier MindBodySpace podcast episod...

Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and I discuss his new book Guardrails: Guiding Human Decisions in the Age of AI (co-written with Urs Gasser , who I also had the pleasure of meeting at his book talk at NYU). In  Guardrails , the authors suggest that in the age of AI, a focus on data is mistaken, or at least dangerously incomplete. Because AI's real promise isn't better access to insights; it is im...

2x #1 management thinker in the world (per Thinkers50) and Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson and I speak about her new book Right Kind of Wrong , centered around the science of failing well. We uncover the secrets behind intelligent failures, social media's impact on our views of success, and how we can befriend failure (specifically referencing entrepreneurship, athletics, paren...

In this episode, I discuss practical sociotechnical approaches to enterprise artificial intelligence adoption (especially for small and medium sized businesses) with Helsinki-based Dr. Anna Lahtinen . Curiously, artificial intelligence could lead us toward a more human everyday—Anna outlines how we may approach this. We also discuss: Empowering SMEs with Artificial Intelligence - 173 page free gui...

In this episode, I discuss my research on the immediacy-driven and self-referential nature of digital communication—which short-circuts attention spans, desire, and anticipation. I also reference Max Fisher's " The Chaos Machine " and Schmargendorf, Germany; more specifically, German researchers who proved a link between Facebook use and violence. Additionally, I speak about French s...

In this "Progression to Analog" episode, we dive into the heart of love and technology with London-based journalist Ria Wolstenholme. We unwrap the digital dating dilemma, reminisce over analog allure, and share secrets from our digital detox diaries—focusing on how to balance our screen-saturated lives with the craving for genuine human touch. Join us for an intimate journey from swipin...

Combining my research from the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Forum (Munich, September 2023) with actionable insights and ' PROGRESSION TO ANALOG '.

I aim for you to emerge from ' Progression to Analog ' not only with practical strategies for a more human-centered and technologically balanced personal and professional life, but also with a nuanced comprehension of the underlying structures shaping the broader aspects of technological modernity.

My name is Caitlin Begg and I’m the founder of Authentic Social and sociological researcher. I wrote my 2016 Harvard sociology thesis on technology’s effect on relationships, and since 2022 I’ve been conducting independent research on technology’s effect on conversation, sociotechnical systems, and ethical AI - essentially, how technology shapes the way we speak to each other, form relationships,...