Spencer is a PhD candidate in sociocultural anthropology. He examines how new technologies inform what it means to be human—including what it means to be a better human. His dissertation, drawing from 20 months of fieldwork at an AI startup and AI safety lab, is an ethnography of AI researchers and developers in San Francisco. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and the American Ethnological Society. He has also studied the social dynamics of AI development at Microsoft Research.
Besides anthropology, he engages with science and technology studies, media studies, ethics, and critical theory. Before his current focus on AI, his research studied the aspirations of Berlin’s NFT enthusiasts, Wall Street Bankers, and art collectors. His work is motivated by previous experience working in technology startups and management consulting.
Spencer received an MPhil in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge and a BA in International Studies and Economics from the University of Chicago.
Read more about his work on his website: spencermkaplan.com