The Future of You
Hello, welcome to the Future of You podcast. Here we’re going to investigate and analyse all the ways emerging technologies are going to affect our identity. We used to argue about whether personal identity was in the mind or in the body; but now that psychology of the self and the biology of self has been joined by a third dimension - the technology of the self. In a digital, data-driven world, Facebook gets a say in verifying who we are, medical science can alter our genetic make-up, and AI will help us create our digital twin - just how many identities do we need in the multiverse? How is 21st Century technology changing who we are? I set out to research exactly that, when I wrote my book The Future of You. That turned out to be only the start of my journey into our changing identity in a digital world. And I thought rather than continue to research this on my own, I could invite you along too. I’m Tracey Follows, I’m a futurist and founder of Futuremade, the futures consultancy, and I’ve helped brands and businesses like Virgin, Google, Diageo and Farfetch spot trends, develop strategic foresight and fully prepare for what comes next. I believe identity is the defining issue of our generation. So every fortnight I’ll be releasing new episodes, featuring panels of experts as we delve into topics such as how we use media to express our selves, the emergence of the extreme self, transhumanism and the augmented self; anonymity, genetics, biometrics, mind clones, and the digital afterlife - these are just some of the innovations, and controversies, we’ll cover. Join the community, buy the book at thefutureofyou.co.uk or connect with me on X at @traceyfutures. Please come with me on this journey to explore identity in the digital world, as we investigate the future of me, and the future of you.
Show episodes
In this awesome episode, I’m lucky to be talking to Holly Herndon, a Berlin-based artist and groundbreaking musician. With a PhD from Stanford University and a pioneering spirit, Holly merges cutting-edge AI with music to challenge the boundaries of identity. From acclaimed albums like Platform and Proto to her revolu
In this episode, I’m talking to Sarah Ticho, founder of Hatsumi and Co-founder of XR Health Alliance about the fascinating intersection of virtual reality (VR), immersive media, health, and well-being. Sarah’s work focuses on using VR to create human-centred, immersive experiences that redefine how we understand emoti
In this episode we delve into the transformative impact of AI on humanity and society with Chris Perry, Chief Innovation Officer and Chair at Weber Shandwick Futures. His new book, "Perspective Agents," challenges traditional views of news media and information gathering, focusing on the emergence of AI and its potenti
Will Microsoft or Google win the race to control the future of AI? In this episode I’m talking to journalist and author Parmy Olson whose new book “Supremacy: AI, Chat GPT, and the Race That Will Change the World” explores the fierce competition between Microsoft and Google to lead the AI revolution. We discuss the mot
Byron Tau is an American investigative journalist and author of the new book "Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Is Creating a New American Surveillance State” so in this episode I’m talking to Byron about the intricate world of government surveillance. We discuss how commercial data is l
In this episode I’m talking to Chase Hughes – a US military veteran-turned-expert in human behaviour, profiling, and persuasion, regularly training elite govt and big business on behaviour skills. He is a leading trial consultant too. Chase delves into the complexities of identity manipulation in the digital age and t
