Follow the People: Participant-Observation in AI Labs – Oct 16, 2026
Session Description
October 16 2026 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Artificial intelligence can be understood as a complex assemblage of human (engineers, mathematicians, entrepreneurs) and non-human (chips, data centres, code) actants. To truly understand AI we need to trace these connections and follow the people who make it possible. By examining the motivations, rituals, and social dynamics that drive the work of these people, we come to see AI not only as a scientific concept but a rich and instructive cultural one.
Joseph Wilson received his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Toronto. His ethnographic fieldwork took place at AI labs, conferences, and at a company that designed computer chips for running AI networks. His research interests include linguistic and semiotic anthropology, science and technology studies, and public anthropology.
He has written about technology, language, anthropology, and education for SAPIENS, American Scientist, Anthropology News, The Globe and Mail, CBC, and Spacing. His book Humans of AI: Understanding the People Behind the Machines was published by Aevo University of Toronto Press in 2026.