Spencer is a PhD candidate in cultural and linguistic anthropology. He examines how new technologies inform what it means to be human—including what it means to be a better human. He currently lives in San Francisco, where he studies the social dimensions of artificial intelligence. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and the American Ethnological Society.
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