Giles Crouch, PhD-c | Digital Anthropologist
@gilescrouch.bsky.social
Digital Anthropologist | Chief Strategy Officer | I’m in Wired, Forbes, National Geographic etc. | Speaker | Writer | gilescrouch.com
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Giles Crouch | Digital Anthropologist – Medium
Read writing from Giles Crouch | Digital Anthropologist on Medium. Digital Anthropologist | I'm in WIRED, Forbes, National Geographic etc. | Speaker | Writer | Cymru.
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Over 54,000 people seem to like my writing on the intersection of culture and technology in the Digital Age over on Medium. You can find my articles here. medium.com/@gilescrouch
AI is already having an impact on languages around the world, so what does it mean for the future of language when we are co-creating with machines? I explore in this article: gilescrouch.substack.com/p/the-future... #Technology #Culture
The Future of Human Language with AI
What is the future of human language when we start creating it with machines? We’re already doing it.
gilescrouch.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
AI is already having an impact on languages around the world, so what does it mean for the future of language when we are co-creating with machines? I explore in this article: gilescrouch.substack.com/p/the-future... #Technology #Culture
Technology advancements are happening at a rapid pace, so much so, we sometimes think it's aliens. Sorry, it's not. Here's what's going on: gilescrouch.substack.com/p/the-real-r... #Technology
The Real Reason Technology Won’t Slow Down.
How humanity accidentally built a world that thinks faster than we do. And why it’s not going to slow down.
gilescrouch.substack.com
September 21, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Technology advancements are happening at a rapid pace, so much so, we sometimes think it's aliens. Sorry, it's not. Here's what's going on: gilescrouch.substack.com/p/the-real-r... #Technology
Social media is changing what it means to be human at some very profound and deep levels. I explore beyond the usual issues of attention and conflicts: gilescrouch.substack.com/p/how-is-soc... #socialmedia
How Is Social Media Really Changing Humanity?
How social media is rewriting the rules of being human and what it means to be human in the Digital Age.
gilescrouch.substack.com
September 10, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Social media is changing what it means to be human at some very profound and deep levels. I explore beyond the usual issues of attention and conflicts: gilescrouch.substack.com/p/how-is-soc... #socialmedia
It's easy to think we are creating a global monoculture thanks to digital tools from AI to social media, smartphones etc. but no, not actually. A look at why we're not getting boring. gilescrouch.substack.com/p/are-we-cre... #Technology
Are We Creating a Global Monoculture? No. Why Not?
The surprising ways digital technologies from smartphones to social media, are preserving cultural diversity globally.
gilescrouch.substack.com
September 3, 2025 at 12:41 PM
It's easy to think we are creating a global monoculture thanks to digital tools from AI to social media, smartphones etc. but no, not actually. A look at why we're not getting boring. gilescrouch.substack.com/p/are-we-cre... #Technology
It took 15,000 years to domesticate wolves and only 15 for smartphones. But are they really "domesticating" us I explore this idea in my latest article. gilescrouch.substack.com/p/are-smartp... #Technology
Are Smartphones Domesticating Us?
We domesticated wolves in 15,000 years. Phones did it to us in 15.
gilescrouch.substack.com
August 29, 2025 at 1:54 PM
It took 15,000 years to domesticate wolves and only 15 for smartphones. But are they really "domesticating" us I explore this idea in my latest article. gilescrouch.substack.com/p/are-smartp... #Technology
Culture itself is an evolutionary system that predates and will outlast any specific technology. Technologies are temporary expressions of deeper cultural needs and patterns. They're tools that culture uses, modifies, and discards according to its own logic. #Technology
August 11, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Culture itself is an evolutionary system that predates and will outlast any specific technology. Technologies are temporary expressions of deeper cultural needs and patterns. They're tools that culture uses, modifies, and discards according to its own logic. #Technology
New and interesting communities and technologies are emerging as people become more aware of privacy and data issues. What might play out? gilescrouch.substack.com/p/are-privac... #Technology
Are Privacy Wars Looming?
How Surveillance Anxiety Is Sparking New Forms of Collective Action and Technological Sovereignty.
gilescrouch.substack.com
August 5, 2025 at 7:22 PM
New and interesting communities and technologies are emerging as people become more aware of privacy and data issues. What might play out? gilescrouch.substack.com/p/are-privac... #Technology
The danger isn't that machines are lying to us, but rather, our ancient myth-making brains can't distinguish between human-generated cultural narratives and algorithmically-produced ones. #ArtificialIntelligence
July 22, 2025 at 1:46 PM
The danger isn't that machines are lying to us, but rather, our ancient myth-making brains can't distinguish between human-generated cultural narratives and algorithmically-produced ones. #ArtificialIntelligence
In this article I look at the implications of a world in which children have an Ai "companion" at an early age. What it means for their development & being human: open.substack.com/pub/gilescro... #ArtificialIntelligence
Children and AI Agents In A New World
Understanding the profound shifts in how children learn, think, and connect as AI becomes their constant companion.
open.substack.com
July 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
In this article I look at the implications of a world in which children have an Ai "companion" at an early age. What it means for their development & being human: open.substack.com/pub/gilescro... #ArtificialIntelligence
If kids become accustomed to AI companions that never tire, judge, or have off days, how does this affect their ability to navigate human relationships with all their messiness and unpredictability? #ArtificialIntelligence
July 18, 2025 at 1:50 PM
If kids become accustomed to AI companions that never tire, judge, or have off days, how does this affect their ability to navigate human relationships with all their messiness and unpredictability? #ArtificialIntelligence
AI is becoming sacred not through organized religion, but through what political scientist Benedict Anderson would recognize as an "imagined community" of users who share beliefs about AI's nature and capabilities. #Technology
July 16, 2025 at 2:10 PM
AI is becoming sacred not through organized religion, but through what political scientist Benedict Anderson would recognize as an "imagined community" of users who share beliefs about AI's nature and capabilities. #Technology
AI worship borrows the intensity and certainty of religious extremism while lacking the historical wisdom and community accountability that traditional religions (at their best) provide.
July 7, 2025 at 5:32 PM
AI worship borrows the intensity and certainty of religious extremism while lacking the historical wisdom and community accountability that traditional religions (at their best) provide.
Demographics tell you WHO your customers are. Digital anthropology tells you WHY they behave.
July 4, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Demographics tell you WHO your customers are. Digital anthropology tells you WHY they behave.
When social structures become too complex, they collapse into atomization. Social media promised community but delivered performance anxiety. #socialmedia
July 4, 2025 at 3:44 AM
When social structures become too complex, they collapse into atomization. Social media promised community but delivered performance anxiety. #socialmedia
My presentation on the anthropology of trust at EchoCast, from parasocial relations to the first video podcast 32,000 or so years ago. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... #podcast
The Anthropology of Trust in Podcasting
Podcast Episode · Echo Podcast Summit · EP3 · 40m
podcasts.apple.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:51 AM
My presentation on the anthropology of trust at EchoCast, from parasocial relations to the first video podcast 32,000 or so years ago. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... #podcast
I think we're witnessing a cultural Red Queen race; running faster just to stay in the same place relative to AI capabilities.
June 29, 2025 at 3:33 PM
I think we're witnessing a cultural Red Queen race; running faster just to stay in the same place relative to AI capabilities.
As humans mark themselves as "not-AI" through imperfection, we're exercising a form of costly signalling (per evolutionary biology). The "cost" is potential misunderstanding or appearing less educated. The benefit? Authentic human connection in an increasingly synthetic information environment.
June 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM
As humans mark themselves as "not-AI" through imperfection, we're exercising a form of costly signalling (per evolutionary biology). The "cost" is potential misunderstanding or appearing less educated. The benefit? Authentic human connection in an increasingly synthetic information environment.
Memes are funny. But also divisive. And they're playing an increasingly significant role in geopolitics. Beyond just mis/disinformation. I explore how and why here: www.gilescrouch.com/field-notes/... #politics
How Memes Are Affecting Global Politics — Giles Crouch | Digital Anthropologist
What is the role memes are playing when it comes to geopolitics and are they having an impact? Yes they are and I explore memes and global affairs.
www.gilescrouch.com
June 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Memes are funny. But also divisive. And they're playing an increasingly significant role in geopolitics. Beyond just mis/disinformation. I explore how and why here: www.gilescrouch.com/field-notes/... #politics
Memes are micro-mythologies that can aggregate into macro-political effects. The difference now is speed and scale. What once took generations to transmit across cultures now happens in hours.
June 27, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Memes are micro-mythologies that can aggregate into macro-political effects. The difference now is speed and scale. What once took generations to transmit across cultures now happens in hours.
This doesn't surprise me. I've talked with more than a few marketing dept.'s about issues they're having. Most are realigning how they're using AI, going towards it being a support tool. www.techradar.com/pro/half-of-...
Social media teams are stuck fixing AI’s mess, while leaders believe everything’s going just fine
AI is becoming essential, but also problematic for social teams
www.techradar.com
June 26, 2025 at 5:56 PM
This doesn't surprise me. I've talked with more than a few marketing dept.'s about issues they're having. Most are realigning how they're using AI, going towards it being a support tool. www.techradar.com/pro/half-of-...
In times of tech hype, remember Amara’s Law: we tend to overestimate the short term impact of technology & underestimate the long term impacts. Such as the AI hype of today.
June 26, 2025 at 12:04 AM
In times of tech hype, remember Amara’s Law: we tend to overestimate the short term impact of technology & underestimate the long term impacts. Such as the AI hype of today.
Those that think most jobs can be replaced by AI, assume all jobs can be reduced to simple, repetitive tasks. Very few can and they misunderstand the nuances of how the majority of jobs work. Reductionist thinking at best.
June 25, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Those that think most jobs can be replaced by AI, assume all jobs can be reduced to simple, repetitive tasks. Very few can and they misunderstand the nuances of how the majority of jobs work. Reductionist thinking at best.
Part of the challenge with new digital communities is they must constantly work against informational entropy; the tendency for signal to become noise as communities scale. This is BlueSky's challenge, along with the tragedy of the commons.
June 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Part of the challenge with new digital communities is they must constantly work against informational entropy; the tendency for signal to become noise as communities scale. This is BlueSky's challenge, along with the tragedy of the commons.
You might be surprised at how much of our interactions with digital technologies, from software to smartphones is connected to our ancient brains, our limbic systems. I take a quick dive: gilescrouch.substack.com/p/technology... #Technology
Technology & Our Primitive Brains
The role some of our primitive human brain aspects play in our digital lives.
gilescrouch.substack.com
June 17, 2025 at 10:33 PM
You might be surprised at how much of our interactions with digital technologies, from software to smartphones is connected to our ancient brains, our limbic systems. I take a quick dive: gilescrouch.substack.com/p/technology... #Technology
The intermittent reinforcement schedule of social media notifications mirrors ancient foraging patterns: sometimes you find berries, sometimes you don't, but the uncertainty keeps you searching. #SocialMedia
June 16, 2025 at 2:17 PM
The intermittent reinforcement schedule of social media notifications mirrors ancient foraging patterns: sometimes you find berries, sometimes you don't, but the uncertainty keeps you searching. #SocialMedia