Claim OwnershipThe Future of You
Subscribed: 14Played: 2,613
Subscribe
© 2025 The Future of You
Description
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.
46 Episodes
Reverse
The first in a brand new transmission from The Future of You podcast, called Me:chine Dialogues. Listen to the manifesto and subscribe now to tune into the frequency of Me:chine World. Visit us at me-chine.com *** Music "A New Day (intro)" Performed by Skott Licensed courtesy of Cosmos Music, Safari Riot Licensed courtesy of Downtown Music UK Limited, Safari Riot Publishing, Sony Music Publishing
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 revolutionary project Holly Plus, Holly has redefined what it means to create and perform in a digital age. Holly talks about her thought-provoking exhibition ‘The Call’ currentl...
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 emotions, memory, and identity. We discuss Sarah’s pioneering projects, including Soulpaint - an immersive project that invites and enables users to map their emotions through b...
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 potential to reshape our knowledge sources. He sees perspective as the primary innovation of our times. And he takes us through Taylor Swift as a powerful research case study.&nb...
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 motivations of tech pioneers like Deepmind’s Nobel Prize winner Demis Hassabis and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, their groundbreaking work, and the implications of this AI arms race for the...
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 leveraged by the US government and other entities for extensive monitoring. We also talk about the public’s seeming lack of awareness, the role of data brokers, the impact o...
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 the urgent need to safeguard our identities. We cover the weaponisation of identity, the power of cognitive biases, and the growing bystander effect. With insights fro...
Welcome to The Future! This special episode of The Future of You has been created using the tool everybody’s talking about; Notebook LM. With just a few taps of the keyboard this 10-minute bonus podcast has been created from the information on my website www.futuremade.group. It took minutes for AI to distil the information and create what sounds like two people discussing my work. The conversation covers everything from my credentials, to my book, to this very podcast. Is this a tech tool th...
In this episode I’m chatting about the importance of language to our identity with linguist and tech entrepreneur Jack Connor. Jack is about to embark on a trip to the Arctic where he will deposit language data from more than 500 languages into a preservation vault. We delve into the intricacies of language preservation, the impact of the internet on dialects, and the fascinating intersection between technology, language and identity. We also discuss the urgency around saving endang...
What if you could use AI to see what your life would be like when you are 60, or better understand how you got there? Today on The Future of You I’m talking to the creators of an interactive experience that will allow you to do just that. In this episode I speak with Germeshausen Professor Pattie Maes and technologist and researcher Pat Pataranutaporn from MIT Media Lab. Pattie and Pat are working on "Future You", a project using AI to create our own digital twin. We talk about human-AI inter...
In this episode of The Future of You I’m talking to Erik Prince, co-founder of Unplugged, a privacy-first smartphone to rival Big Tech. A former Navy SEAL, Erik is also the founder and former CEO of Blackwater—the world’s largest and most effective private military firm. Erik discusses the creation and importance of the Unplugged phone and highlights the growing concerns around data collection, surveillance, and the misuse of technology by governments and big tech companies. He delves i...
In this episode of The Future of You, we hear from futurist and author Richard Yonck. We discuss some common fears and misconceptions around AI. We also consider a realistic timeline for AI advancements such as self-driving cars and consider the importance of balancing AI's benefits with ethics. I also welcome Lord Chris Holmes MBE back to the podcast. We talk about his private member’s bill which covers everything from consumer protection to intellectual property and the creatio...
Welcome back to the Future of You! Season four kicks off with an insightful conversation with renowned futurist Richard Watson. This episode delves into the inspiration behind and creation of his latest work, "The Children's Book of the Future," a beautifully illustrated book designed to fill children with optimism and imagination about the future. Richard shares the creative process behind the book, the importance of optimism and the challenges of writing for young minds in a wor...
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 stable, decentralised alternatives like stablecoins. We think about how people in emerging market...
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 chatbots and the debate raised there over ownership and control. As well as how digital media has ...
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 limitations. We also discuss the importance of data privacy and what’s happening to the b...
#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 movements and the work being done to protect our motion privacy. The conversation ends wi...
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 identity. As well as thinking about the future of education and the alternative the learning paths t...
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 the future of this podcast. The Briefing will only be available to members in future. To find ou...
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 discuss the issues that could arise from a single company becoming the centralised global infrastru...
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States