The Future of You

Chapter 3: Creating You — The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology? (2021)

These recordings are taken from the original 2021 edition of The Future of You by Tracey Follows. The chapters are presented here as an audio archive of the text as it was written and published at that time.The book explores how emerging technologies - from artificial intelligence to digital identity systems, and genomics  - are reshaping the nature of personal identity and the idea of the self.This episode contains from the original 2021 edition: Chapter 3: Creating You — The Future of You (2021)To explore the conversations that followed the book, visit traceyfollows.com or The Future of You podcast at https://www.futuremade.group/podcasts

Chapter 2: Watching You — The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology? (2021)

These recordings are taken from the original 2021 edition of The Future of You by Tracey Follows. The chapters are presented here as an audio archive of the text as it was written and published at that time.The book explores how emerging technologies - from artificial intelligence to digital identity systems, and genomics  - are reshaping the nature of personal identity and the idea of the self.This episode contains from the original 2021 edition: Chapter 2: Watching You — The Future of You (2021)To explore the conversations that followed the book, visit traceyfollows.com or The Future of You podcast at https://www.futuremade.group/podcasts

Identity Slop: The Rise of Synthetic Media Experts

What if the expert quoted in the story doesn’t exist?Jesse Chambers is quoted across British newspapers as a travel expert, offering advice on everything from cruise ships to long-haul flights.There is just one problem.She doesn’t exist. In this episode of Me:chine Dialogues, Tracey Follows speaks with journalist Rob Waugh about the emergence of synthetic experts: fabricated identities designed to supply quotes, authority, and credibility within media systems.Me:chine Dialogues is a special series from The Future of You exploring identity, agency, and AI-mediated systems — where the machinable and unmachinable selves meet.What begins as a curious case opens into something much larger. These are not isolated errors or instances of misinformation. They point to a structural shift in how identity is produced and used.Tracey introduces the concept of identity slop: the moment when personal identity becomes commoditised, scalable, and generated to meet the needs of AI-mediated information systems. If expertise can be generated, identity can be fabricated.And if identity can be fabricated, authority itself can be automated.This conversation explores what happens next: for trust, for authorship, and for the human self inside increasingly synthetic systems.Key IdeasIdentity Slop synthetic identity as low-cost, scalable contentSynthetic Experts  fabricated authority inserted into media systemsMachine-Readable Identity  selves optimised for system consumptionAI-Mediated Information Systems  environments that generate and reward synthetic identityYou can find more about this topic through Rob’s work at Press Gazette Visit: → Me:chine World and essays: me-chine.com→ Podcast archive The Future of You→ Audiobook series (weekly chapters) IntroductionAbout Tracey FollowsTracey Follows is a futurist specialising in identity, agency, and the relationship between systems and selves in an AI-mediated world.Her work includes the frameworks Systems & Self, Identity as Infrastructure, and Me:chine exploring the machinable and unmachinable dimensions of human identity.Her central premise: “The future is written between the system and the self.”***Music "A New Day (intro)" Performed by SkottLicensed courtesy of Cosmos Music, Safari Riot Licensed courtesy of Downtown Music UK Limited, Safari Riot Publishing, Sony Music Publishing

Introduction — The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology? (2021)

These recordings are taken from the original 2021 edition of The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology? by Tracey Follows. The chapters are presented here as an audio archive of the text as it was written and published at that time.The book explores how emerging technologies - from artificial intelligence to digital identity,  social credit systems, avatar assistants, virtual reality, transhumanism, the digital afterlife and genomics  - are reshaping the nature of personal identity and the idea of the self.This episode contains from the original 2021 edition: Introduction — The Future of You (2021)To explore the conversations that followed the book, visit traceyfollows.com or The Future of You podcast at https://www.futuremade.group/podcasts

Chapter 1: Knowing You — The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology? (2021)

These recordings are taken from the original 2021 edition of The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology? by Tracey Follows. The chapters are presented here as an audio archive of the text as it was written and published at that time.The book explores how emerging technologies - from artificial intelligence to digital identity,  social credit systems, avatar assistants, virtual reality, transhumanism, the digital afterlife and genomics  - are reshaping the nature of personal identity and the idea of the self.This episode contains from the original 2021 edition: Chapter 1: Knowing You — The Future of You (2021)To explore the conversations that followed the book, visit traceyfollows.com or The Future of You podcast at https://www.futuremade.group/podcasts