Vanessa Chang
@vxchang.bsky.social
Writing, thinking, curating: art, technology, people, planet.
Dreaming, making, clowning by way of Singapore, Sydney, San Francisco.
Author of The Body Digital (Melville House, Nov 25).
http://www.vanessa-chang.com
Dreaming, making, clowning by way of Singapore, Sydney, San Francisco.
Author of The Body Digital (Melville House, Nov 25).
http://www.vanessa-chang.com
Pinned
Vanessa Chang
@vxchang.bsky.social
· Oct 14
The Body Digital by Vanessa Chang: 9781685891978 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
A dazzling tour of the history of technology and its complex relationship to the human body What is the relationship between our bodies and our senses and technology? In today's world of blinding tec...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
My book The Body Digital comes out Nov 4 with Melville House! It’s a history of how our bodies, senses, and machines shape one another—from player pianos to AI. A call to build tech that nurtures, not numbs, what makes us human.
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/797013...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/797013...
Had a fabulous chat with Brianne Kane about about writing, bots, cities, and design justice in my book, The Body Digital, on Science Quickly.
Today on the pod, a new look at how everything from handwriting to AI quietly reshapes our bodies, habits and sense of connection
Your phone is changing you—and you don’t even notice
A new look at how everything from handwriting to AI quietly reshapes our bodies, habits and sense of connection
www.scientificamerican.com
May 29, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Had a fabulous chat with Brianne Kane about about writing, bots, cities, and design justice in my book, The Body Digital, on Science Quickly.
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
Check out my interview with author Vanessa Chang about what AI, microphones and QWERTY keyboards can tell us about our relationship to technology 🤖📚🧪
Today on the pod, a new look at how everything from handwriting to AI quietly reshapes our bodies, habits and sense of connection
Your phone is changing you—and you don’t even notice
A new look at how everything from handwriting to AI quietly reshapes our bodies, habits and sense of connection
www.scientificamerican.com
May 29, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Check out my interview with author Vanessa Chang about what AI, microphones and QWERTY keyboards can tell us about our relationship to technology 🤖📚🧪
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
“Once you call students consumers, you have already restructured every relationship on which the university depends.”
hyperallergic.com/the-death-of...
hyperallergic.com/the-death-of...
The Death of the Art School
The rampant corporatization and "administrification" of American higher-education institutions has turned students into mere consumers.
hyperallergic.com
May 6, 2026 at 8:53 PM
“Once you call students consumers, you have already restructured every relationship on which the university depends.”
hyperallergic.com/the-death-of...
hyperallergic.com/the-death-of...
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
That concrete box off the freeway wasn’t designed for storage so much as capture — of markets, workers, and, now, people detained by immigration agents, as the federal government turns warehouses into million-square-foot concentration camps.
It is a disappearing machine. We need to see it clearly.
It is a disappearing machine. We need to see it clearly.
The Warehouse, in Plain Sight
That concrete box off the freeway wasn’t designed for storage so much as capture. It’s a disappearing machine. We need to see it clearly.
placesjournal.org
April 14, 2026 at 5:06 PM
That concrete box off the freeway wasn’t designed for storage so much as capture — of markets, workers, and, now, people detained by immigration agents, as the federal government turns warehouses into million-square-foot concentration camps.
It is a disappearing machine. We need to see it clearly.
It is a disappearing machine. We need to see it clearly.
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
the Artemis crew took photography classes so they could take the best photos possible up there 😭
RIT alumni train Artemis II astronauts in photography
The four NASA astronauts on the Artemis II Moon Mission are well equipped to document their mission because of two years of training from RIT alumni.
www.rit.edu
April 12, 2026 at 12:06 AM
the Artemis crew took photography classes so they could take the best photos possible up there 😭
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
I genuinely think the president and many of his advisers, scammers, hustlers, and keyboard gangsters, don’t understand this concept at all and you can see it in the pattern of their mistakes from Minneapolis to Tehran www.nytimes.com/2026/03/29/o...
March 30, 2026 at 11:12 AM
I genuinely think the president and many of his advisers, scammers, hustlers, and keyboard gangsters, don’t understand this concept at all and you can see it in the pattern of their mistakes from Minneapolis to Tehran www.nytimes.com/2026/03/29/o...
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
“The workers in Kenya say that it feels uncomfortable to go to work. They tell us about deeply private video clips, which appear to come straight out of Western homes, from people who use the glasses in their everyday lives.
Several describe video material showing bathroom visits, sex…”
Several describe video material showing bathroom visits, sex…”
She Came Out of the Bathroom Naked, Employee Says
Bank details, sex and naked people who seem unaware they are being recorded. Behind Meta’s new smart glasses lies a hidden workforce, uneasy about peering into the most intimate parts of other people’...
www.svd.se
March 2, 2026 at 7:14 PM
“The workers in Kenya say that it feels uncomfortable to go to work. They tell us about deeply private video clips, which appear to come straight out of Western homes, from people who use the glasses in their everyday lives.
Several describe video material showing bathroom visits, sex…”
Several describe video material showing bathroom visits, sex…”
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
And formally provably so because to drive you need theory of mind. You can indeed show with maths the limits of maths since it's a formal engineered system with knowable limits, see Gödel etc. We created trains which ban humans from tracks so the system can be safely automated, not so for roads. 1/n
These companies are always lying about the extent of their automation because some things cannot be fully automated in principle
futurism.com/advanced-tra...
futurism.com/advanced-tra...
It Turns Out That When Waymos Are Stumped, They Get Intervention From Workers in the Philippines
During a Congressional hearing, Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, was grilled over the company's reliance on overseas workers.
futurism.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:30 AM
And formally provably so because to drive you need theory of mind. You can indeed show with maths the limits of maths since it's a formal engineered system with knowable limits, see Gödel etc. We created trains which ban humans from tracks so the system can be safely automated, not so for roads. 1/n
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
“Insisting on technical precision when it matters can help us resist the easy idea that AI is a helper, ready to assist. Instead we must keep our focus on the uncomfortable thought that these systems partly and covertly structure what we say, think and learn.”
Generative AI is not just a tool for learning. It shapes how students think
Framing this technology as a helpful ‘tool’ disguises how much it guides every element of critical thinking that academics seek to cultivate, says James Garvey
www.timeshighereducation.com
February 24, 2026 at 3:10 AM
“Insisting on technical precision when it matters can help us resist the easy idea that AI is a helper, ready to assist. Instead we must keep our focus on the uncomfortable thought that these systems partly and covertly structure what we say, think and learn.”
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
"Women adopt AI at rates 25% lower than men.
This isn’t a guess. It’s the finding of a Harvard Business School meta-analysis examining eighteen studies, over 140,000 participants, across multiple countries."
"Every AI Company Is Building a Different Wife"
abiawomosu.substack.com/p/they-built...
This isn’t a guess. It’s the finding of a Harvard Business School meta-analysis examining eighteen studies, over 140,000 participants, across multiple countries."
"Every AI Company Is Building a Different Wife"
abiawomosu.substack.com/p/they-built...
February 23, 2026 at 12:52 PM
"Women adopt AI at rates 25% lower than men.
This isn’t a guess. It’s the finding of a Harvard Business School meta-analysis examining eighteen studies, over 140,000 participants, across multiple countries."
"Every AI Company Is Building a Different Wife"
abiawomosu.substack.com/p/they-built...
This isn’t a guess. It’s the finding of a Harvard Business School meta-analysis examining eighteen studies, over 140,000 participants, across multiple countries."
"Every AI Company Is Building a Different Wife"
abiawomosu.substack.com/p/they-built...
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
OK! I collected much of what I @spookyachu.bsky.social @andreaeyleen.bsky.social (and other collaborators not on here) have said on the Turing test (from critical, gendered, etc. angles) as it keeps being relevant: olivia.science/turing — hope it's useful for others too. Happy Sunday! 🤖💭
February 15, 2026 at 1:19 PM
OK! I collected much of what I @spookyachu.bsky.social @andreaeyleen.bsky.social (and other collaborators not on here) have said on the Turing test (from critical, gendered, etc. angles) as it keeps being relevant: olivia.science/turing — hope it's useful for others too. Happy Sunday! 🤖💭
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
they’re talking about the decision to add facial recognition to the camera glasses. this company needs to be shut down.
February 13, 2026 at 3:24 PM
they’re talking about the decision to add facial recognition to the camera glasses. this company needs to be shut down.
Well of course there's nothing to worry about anyone being able to deploy facial recognition anywhere. Yikes.
I remember this because a FB exec came after me on Twitter when I said FB would do no such thing, re: “very public discussion.”
In 2021, I reported on an internal meeting at Facebook about discussions to put facial recognition on new smartglasses. One of their execs complained about the coverage and said the co would have a "very public discussion" about the tech.
They never did. And now: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
They never did. And now: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
February 13, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Well of course there's nothing to worry about anyone being able to deploy facial recognition anywhere. Yikes.
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
I remember this because a FB exec came after me on Twitter when I said FB would do no such thing, re: “very public discussion.”
In 2021, I reported on an internal meeting at Facebook about discussions to put facial recognition on new smartglasses. One of their execs complained about the coverage and said the co would have a "very public discussion" about the tech.
They never did. And now: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
They never did. And now: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:31 PM
I remember this because a FB exec came after me on Twitter when I said FB would do no such thing, re: “very public discussion.”
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
February 9, 2026 at 12:25 PM
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
wild to advertise a massive surveillance network, but since it can find a lost dog it’s good now
February 9, 2026 at 6:21 PM
wild to advertise a massive surveillance network, but since it can find a lost dog it’s good now
In this conversation on the #NoSuchThingpod, I got to talk about how the ongoing dialogue between bodies and technologies might shape learning and education - really, some of the most urgent questions of our time.
Listen here: shows.acast.com/nosuchthing/...
Listen here: shows.acast.com/nosuchthing/...
The Body Digital | No Such Thing
How our tools shape attention, learning, and our bodies in the world
shows.acast.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:24 PM
In this conversation on the #NoSuchThingpod, I got to talk about how the ongoing dialogue between bodies and technologies might shape learning and education - really, some of the most urgent questions of our time.
Listen here: shows.acast.com/nosuchthing/...
Listen here: shows.acast.com/nosuchthing/...
Enjoyed taking a pause and reflecting on #thedigitalbody, what is gained and what is lost with tech, and a more thoughtful future with AI in this interview with bsky.app/profile/anne... on #CultureStudy
Read it here:
www.patreon.com/posts/much-m...
Read it here:
www.patreon.com/posts/much-m...
A Much More Interesting Way To Think About "The Digital Body" | Culture Study
Get more from Culture Study on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Enjoyed taking a pause and reflecting on #thedigitalbody, what is gained and what is lost with tech, and a more thoughtful future with AI in this interview with bsky.app/profile/anne... on #CultureStudy
Read it here:
www.patreon.com/posts/much-m...
Read it here:
www.patreon.com/posts/much-m...
data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
"There is another America inside this one, visible in the statistics of nations that made different choices. Call it Latent America: the nation that would exist if our democracy functioned to serve the public rather than protect the already powerful."
"There is another America inside this one, visible in the statistics of nations that made different choices. Call it Latent America: the nation that would exist if our democracy functioned to serve the public rather than protect the already powerful."
The Wall Looks Permanent Until It Falls
On the optimism of preparation in a time of democratic decay.
data4democracy.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:31 AM
data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
"There is another America inside this one, visible in the statistics of nations that made different choices. Call it Latent America: the nation that would exist if our democracy functioned to serve the public rather than protect the already powerful."
"There is another America inside this one, visible in the statistics of nations that made different choices. Call it Latent America: the nation that would exist if our democracy functioned to serve the public rather than protect the already powerful."
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
“i want back my rocking chairs, / solipsist sunsets, / & coastal jungle sounds...”
A poem by Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered by ICE earlier today.
lithub.com/renee-nicole...
A poem by Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered by ICE earlier today.
lithub.com/renee-nicole...
Renee Nicole Good, murdered by ICE, was a prize-winning poet. Here’s that poem.
Renee Nicole Good, 37, mother to a six-year-old boy, was murdered earlier today by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, a few blocks from her home. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune: [An ICE agent] s…
lithub.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:54 AM
“i want back my rocking chairs, / solipsist sunsets, / & coastal jungle sounds...”
A poem by Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered by ICE earlier today.
lithub.com/renee-nicole...
A poem by Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered by ICE earlier today.
lithub.com/renee-nicole...
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
Just discovered an insane new form of co-intelligence where you briefly share the mind of a great thinker in history and then a portion of their mind travels in yours for the rest of your life. Calling it a "book."
December 11, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Just discovered an insane new form of co-intelligence where you briefly share the mind of a great thinker in history and then a portion of their mind travels in yours for the rest of your life. Calling it a "book."
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
Let me tell you a story. Perhaps you can guess where this is going... though it does have a bit of a twist.
I was poking around Google Scholar for publications about the relationship between chatbots and wellness. Oh how useful: a systematic literature review! Let's dig into the findings. 🧵
I was poking around Google Scholar for publications about the relationship between chatbots and wellness. Oh how useful: a systematic literature review! Let's dig into the findings. 🧵
December 5, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Let me tell you a story. Perhaps you can guess where this is going... though it does have a bit of a twist.
I was poking around Google Scholar for publications about the relationship between chatbots and wellness. Oh how useful: a systematic literature review! Let's dig into the findings. 🧵
I was poking around Google Scholar for publications about the relationship between chatbots and wellness. Oh how useful: a systematic literature review! Let's dig into the findings. 🧵
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
Latest post live on Substack... a companion piece to my book review in Science Magazine of @vxchang.bsky.social's 'The Body Digital.'
apothek.substack.com
apothek.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Latest post live on Substack... a companion piece to my book review in Science Magazine of @vxchang.bsky.social's 'The Body Digital.'
apothek.substack.com
apothek.substack.com
Excited to see my book reviewed in @science.org
It means a great deal to see the book's ideas about embodiment, technology, and humanity resonating across disciplines and communities. Thank you to @amitchandramd.bsky.social for engaging so thoughtfully with my work!
It means a great deal to see the book's ideas about embodiment, technology, and humanity resonating across disciplines and communities. Thank you to @amitchandramd.bsky.social for engaging so thoughtfully with my work!
Sharing my book review of @vxchang.bsky.social's book, The Body Digital, published yesterday in @science.org: 🧪
From phonographs to AI, Chang traces the impact of technology on the human experience. A poetic meditation on the machines that make us human.
From phonographs to AI, Chang traces the impact of technology on the human experience. A poetic meditation on the machines that make us human.
A human history of machines
Our lived experiences inform technology and are, in turn, transformed by it
www.science.org
December 5, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Excited to see my book reviewed in @science.org
It means a great deal to see the book's ideas about embodiment, technology, and humanity resonating across disciplines and communities. Thank you to @amitchandramd.bsky.social for engaging so thoughtfully with my work!
It means a great deal to see the book's ideas about embodiment, technology, and humanity resonating across disciplines and communities. Thank you to @amitchandramd.bsky.social for engaging so thoughtfully with my work!
Reposted by Vanessa Chang
ChatGPT is 3 years old this week — what was the world like in late 2022, and how did that shape what ChatGPT has become? I wrote about ChatGPT as a pandemic technology, centered on expectations of social isolation in ways that continue to define it. mail.cyberneticforests.com/what-was-cha...
What Was ChatGPT?
A Chatbot Optimized for Social Distance
Three years after the launch of ChatGPT, we can finally speak in hindsight about what it was and how it came to be. Its meteoric rise shocked the world, gather...
mail.cyberneticforests.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:16 AM
ChatGPT is 3 years old this week — what was the world like in late 2022, and how did that shape what ChatGPT has become? I wrote about ChatGPT as a pandemic technology, centered on expectations of social isolation in ways that continue to define it. mail.cyberneticforests.com/what-was-cha...