There are those who predict the future, and those who create it.

Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell went from being an anthropologist at Stanford University to applying her anthropology expertise at Intel, helping to design products of the future. Her job hadn't really existed before - she had to design that too. Through her work, Professor Bell sought to ensure that the experiences and values of people informed the development of new technologies.

Here, she speaks to ANU student Sasha Personeni, who is passionate about the intersection of policy, technology, economics and business. They discuss human-centred technology and working in a role that marries technology and social science, how to invent your own job, and cybernetics in the 21st century.

Applications for the 3AI 2022 Master of Applied Cybernetics close on 31 August 2021.

Professor Bell's cybernetics / ethics reading recommendations
Mistrust by Ethan Zuckerman
Rise of the Machines by Thomas Rid
The Cybernetic Brain: Sketches of Another Future by Andrew Pickering
The poem 'All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace' by Richard Brautigan

Sasha Personeni is a third year student studying a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics and Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Business Information Systems at the Australian National University.

Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell AO is the Director of the School of Cybernetics, Director of the Autonomy, Agency & Assurance Institute (3AI), and the Florence Violet McKenzie Chair, at the Australian National University. She is also a Vice President and a Senior Fellow in the advanced research and development labs at Intel Corporation.

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Music: "Found You" by Atch
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Future Self is a production of the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. It’s produced by Evana Ho.

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Future Self - Episode 9: How to invent the future