The Future of You

In the age of AI is proof of personhood more important than anonymity? In this episode of The Discussion I speak with Steven Boykey Sidley about cryptography, identity and ownership in the digital world. We discuss privacy, anonymity and personhood in the digital age and the importance of crypto regulation, touching on the debate around central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the need for stab...

How is the digital age affecting our identity? In this episode I explore the impact technology and social media are having on how we express ourselves and connect with others. Initially given as a presentation on identity, I talk about the fluidity of identity and our shift in awareness from the “authentic self” to the “complex self”. I also think about Meta’s launch of celebrity likeness AI chatb...

Increasingly we’re using facial recognition to do everything from unlock our phone to make payments. But what might the long-term impact of giving away our facial data be?  In this episode I talk to New York Times technology reporter and author of “Your Face Belongs To Us”, Kashmir Hill.  We talk about the impact of facial recognition technology, the potential for misuse of the tech and its limita...

#SwarmIntelligence #Avatars #MotionPrints This week I’m talking to Louis Rosenberg, CEO and chief scientist of Unanimous AI and the chief scientist of the Responsible Metaverse Alliance. We discuss the impact of conversational AI on our everyday interactions and whether marketing will be morphing into manipulation as virtual salespeople become a reality.  We also discuss the data hidden in our mov...

Interactive experiences like Roblox are giving children the chance to explore their identity like never before. In this episode I speak with kids media consultant Jo Redfern about the intricacies of Gen Z’s digital identity, self-expression, and the power children have in the 21st century to shape their virtual personas. We discuss the new Barbie movie and the intersection of merchandising and ide...

Will brands have their own wallets for customers? Will customers have their own wallets that they give brands access to? How will digital wallets reshape the data we store? And what’s the difference between personal and personalised wallets? In this episode of The Briefing I discuss all of this and more with Jamie Smith, founder of Customer Futures. This episode also features an announcement about...

In this episode of The Discussion I speak to Andrew Bud, Founder and CEO of iProov, the world leader in biometric face verification. We discuss the importance of keeping ahead of security in biometrics, the advantages of face biometrics over the iris or palm - and what he thinks about the future of anonymity. I also speak with Bronwyn Williams, a futurist and economist based in South Africa. We di...

In this episode of The Briefing I talk with Ian Crocombe of Superheroic about the creation of TF14 (my “synthetic self”). We discuss how TF14 was made, the tools and platforms employed, and the use cases for  digital representations such as this. I also talk about the launch of Worldcoin, the pros and cons of is-a-person solutions and explore security threats around biometrics. BBC News article on...

Let’s dump the doomerism and take a positive look at AI. In this episode I’m speaking with audience expert David Boyle. As co-author of ‘Prompt’ David has quite literally written the book on how AI can be used to enhance the creation of all types of content across a variety of sectors. I also chat with Matthew Kershaw, VP of commercial strategy at D-id.com, about the rise in the creation of digita...

In this episode of The Briefing I consider how AI is impacting art and artists. We drop in on the Stanford event around Creativity in the Age of AI, we consider some of the news making headlines about China and AI. And we end up at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, in Warsaw, from where I spoke about AI and the Death of the Artist.  Tracey's book 'The Future of You: Can...

In this episode of The Discussion I’m joined by Josh Muncke - Commercial Director, Retail & Consumer at Faculty and Sam Gregory -  Executive Director at Human Rights Organisation, WITNESS. We cover generative AI models, what they are and how they're changing the customer experience. Testing and iterating as a process, and how the field of prompt engineering is going to evolve. Also shallo...

In this episode of The Briefing I’m joined by Chris Holmes, Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE. He gives me the inside track on digital ID in the UK, where it’s going and how it compares to approaches in other jurisdictions. I also cover some new threats in biometrics and give you a sneak peek into the next episode on Generative AI, where we debate the implications for both consumers and citizens. https:...

In this episode of The Discussion I’m joined by Commercial Director, Europe, Digital Trust Services at Gen, and all-round Digital Wallet and Innovation expert Andy Tobin for a detailed conversation about digital wallets. We go deep into what the European identity system (eIDAS) is, how it works and why we need it. We cover the difference between identity cards and digital wallets and the role of v...

In this episode of The Briefing we cover several news topics around technology of identity and the digital self, primarily focusing on voice tech; voice design,re-voicing and voice cloning. We look at digital wallets and digital credentials in Europe with the EU ID scheme, and we revisit the current status of theTwitter blue checkmark. I’m also joined by Nik Badminton to talk about his new book, “...

In this episode of The Discussion I’m joined by digital identity thought leader Dave Birch and Senior Principal at Liminal, and host of the State of Identity podcast, Cameron D’Ambrosi to discuss the digital identity landscape.  We cover the push towards integrated identity platforms, the vision for reusable identity and the differences between centralized and decentralized systems and how those o...

In this episode of The Future of You: The Briefing I’m joined by neurotech expert Dr Cody Rall to talk about Grimes getting a Neurosity Crown for her birthday. I also cover the latest news around motion prints, age verification, and speak with author of The Currency Cold War Dave Birch about the launch of Fed Now; the new instant payment system being introduced in the US. Episode 13 The Future of...

We start Season 3 by exploring brain data - what is it? How can it be collected and used? And who has access to it? In this episode I’m joined by Nita Farahany; author of The Battle For Your Brain and Professor at Duke University. We discuss how brain data is already being collected and used as well as the importance of cognitive liberty.   I also find out more about the technology being used to c...

In this third season of The Future of You podcast, I’ll be talking about a new dimension to the self. Along with the biology and the psychology of the self, we now have the technology of the self. I’m Tracey Follows, Futurist, Founder of Futuremade and Visiting Professor of digital futures and identity at Staffordshire University. This season continues with a new format. We stick with two episodes...

“To be or not to be I.T.….. That is the question” As we prepare for the start of Season 3 of The Future of You podcast, listen to The Manifesto of You. Follow this podcast now to make sure you don’t miss an episode - they will be released every second Thursday starting March 30.

Today, I'm joined by Prof. Dr. Beth Singler, Assistant Professor in Digital Religion(s) at the University of Zurich and Rev. Dr. Joshua K. Smith, Pastor and Theologian, to discuss digital religion, and our spiritual identity online. This episode of The Future of You covers: The trends in digital religion How people are developing communities and ideas about technology online How AI shapes and...

Today, I'm joined by Rogier Creemers, Assistant Professor in China Studies at Leiden University, and the Co-editor of Law and the Party in China: Ideology and Organisation and by Josh Chin of the China Bureau at the Wall Street Journal, who is also the co-author with Lisa Lin of the new book, Surveillance State, China's quest to launch a new era of social control. This episode of The Fut...

Do we need a new criteria for death, that covers the technicalities around neuro preservation, issues of legal identity upon reanimation and an approach to rehabilitation? What are the misunderstandings or misinformation that surround transhumanism and endeavour to make the distinction between transhumanism and technocracy? Should we be worried about the wrong headedness of The Population Bomb, cl...

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 the...

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 Deak...

During the second season of The Future of You podcast, I’m taking a detailed look at who we are and how the technology we use every day is shaping who we are becoming. It’s clearer than ever that the biology of the self and the psychology of the self has now been joined by a third dimension….the technology of the self.  I’m Tracey Follows, futurist and founder of Futuremade , the futures consultan...