The Future of You
By Tracey Follows
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.
Latest episode
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Weaponising Identity: Persuasion and Manipulation in the Algorithmic Age #35
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 in… -
BONUS: The Future of You(r) Podcast: Is NotebookLM a Game-Changing Tool?
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 webs… -
Language Loss and Identity #34
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 pres… -
Meet Your Future Self #33
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 epis… -
Your Identity, Unplugged #32
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 p… -
The State of AI: Innovation and Regulation #31
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 … -
The Children's Book of the Future #30
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 be… -
The Discussion: Identity, Ownership and the new role of Crypto #29
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 Briefing: On Identity: A Special Edition #28
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… -
The Discussion: ‘Your Face Belongs To Us’ with Kashmir Hill #27
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 “Yo…