Behind digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush, executive director of the Red Thread Institute for Digital Culture and author of three New York Times bestsellers, lies an enviable global experience. She was, among other things, a member of Barack Obama’s digital media team during the 2008 presidential election, and at the World Economic Forum, she helped identify startups that contribute to the betterment of the world. Today, she lives and works in France, where she has been appointed a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s commission addressing the role of technology in democracy. Her work focuses on the relationships between emerging technology, innovation, and digital culture, helping organizations she collaborates with in these matters. In an interview ahead of her upcoming appearance at the ‘Future Tense’ conference, where she will speak about human-centered technology, she revealed the charms of her profession and her views on pressing issues such as the development of artificial intelligence and taxing robots.
You are a digital anthropologist by profession. What does your profession actually entail and investigate?
– As a digital anthropologist, I explore the complex ways in which culture and technology influence each other by examining social changes driven by digital innovations. This includes not only observing how people use technology but also understanding the meanings they attribute to these tools and the roles they play in their lives. My work often focuses on subtle changes in behavior, perception, and social norms driven by our interactions with digital platforms and devices. It also involves conducting detailed digital ethnographies, i.e., immersing myself in online communities to uncover their unique cultures and behaviors, and collaborating with clients to interpret new digital trends and markets. Through research and strategic analysis, I help organizations understand the complex digital world by highlighting less obvious but powerful ways in which technology shapes our world.
Given the enormous media attention that artificial intelligence has garnered in the past year and a half, why do you think it is important to emphasize the human factor in an era of exponential technological growth?
– The media attention that artificial intelligence has generated often leads us to overestimate its current impact while underestimating the long-term social changes it will bring. Recognizing this phenomenon can guide us on how we need to approach AI with a combination of skepticism and progressive optimism, to understand technology in ways that enhance our humanity rather than diminish it. At this early stage of AI development, it is unique that we are in a position to establish social norms and ethical guidelines for the use of technology. This is a crucial moment to influence the path of AI integration by setting a foundational ethics that prioritizes human well-being. If we act in time, we can build a technological ecosystem that supports our values and needs before it becomes entrenched in our lives, when changing its direction becomes significantly more difficult.
