Digital Human Twins
Our Future Data Selves
2021 – ongoing

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Ghislaine has written and presented about her digital human twin concepts many times across the last 25 years linked to her extensive dedicated practice-led research work on the digital representation of the living body, and in particular in the conclusions to her AI&Society (Springer) journal article:

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• The Internet of Bodies - alive, connected, collective: the virtual physical future of our bodies and our senses. G. Boddington. AI and Society. Springer. ISSN 0951-5666, 1435-5655 DOI: 10.1007/s00146-020-01137-1, 2021. (17k accesses / republished and cited in numerous other journals)

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The outputs below used content gained from the deep dive research to transfer knowledge into a range of audiences:

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• Exploring existing digital human twins across multiple sectors and conducted deep dive research to examine the present state of the scenario,

• Examining the prospective potentials (positive and negative) of digital human twins in shaping identity, healthcare, professional development and lifelong learning,

• Enabling debate on the complex ethical, security, technical and privacy challenges involved.​

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• Commission – BBC World Service radio documentary and podcast ‘The Documentary – Me and my digital twin’ researched, written and presented by Ghislaine Boddington, and produced for BBC World Service by Boffin Media Ltd, this documentary follows the journey of Ghislaine towards the creation of a personal digital human twin. It examines today’s options by exploring medical, wellbeing, sports, entertainment, workplace and education models already in place and discusses the ethical challenges linked to sustainability, cultural requirement and data/AI regulations. One of 12 commissioned documentaries for BBC World Service 2024/25, it was first broadcast on 30th Nov 2024 across all global regions. Me and my digital twin is available as a podcast on BBC Sounds and she answers listeners' questions in Over To You (50 mins).

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• Guest Editorship of a Special Issue “Digital Human Twins – our future data selves” for the respected journal AI&Society (Springer). Papers received globally from academics, creative industries, entrepreneurs, arts and creatives (September 2025 onwards). Access the journal here.

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Keynotes and Presentations

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• Plenary Keynote – International Display Workshops 2025 – IDW25 at the International Conference Center Hiroshima, Japan. “Digital Human Twins – our future data selves”. (December 2025) more here →

• Closing Keynote – Possible Futures Festival at Casa Firjan, Rio de Janiero, Brazil  “Digital Human Twins – our future data selves”. Creative Industries sector (October 2025) more here →

• Impulse Statement, presentation and hosting – Businessabc AI Global Summit at the Royal Kensington Town Hall – Me and my digital twin. (June 2025)

• Co-curation and panel presentation – Animating Digital Identities Symposium Day – Diverse Perspectives on the “Avatar” in the Age of Distributed Digital Environments – My AI Hybrid Biotwin – University of Greenwich. (June 2025) more here →

• Keynote – FICTA 2025 (13th Frontiers of Intelligent Computing: Theory and Applications) – AI & data science – My AI Hybrid Biotwin – London Metropolitan University and University of Greenwich. (June 2025) more here →

• Keynote – Export Tag Day 25, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA / Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce, Vienna. “People at the centre of innovation: shaping hybrid futures” exploring speculation around digital human twins plus panel input “Innovation as the key to resilience in times of crisis”. (June 2025)

• Podcast co-host – Somewhere on Earth, The Global Tech Podcast – regular podcasts on digital human twins, health and wellbeing deep fakes, AI in education, AI regulation and AI intentions, listen here →

• Presentation – Innovate UK Human Futures event series: Human Longevity – fireside opening presentation on My AI Hybrid Biotwin – Royal Academy of Engineering London. (March 2025)

• Podcast – The Global Tech Podcast – Somewhere on Earth – Biometrics Special. Ghislaine is a regular expert commentator on this podcast distributed by Evergreen, and in December 2024 prepared and recorded a special show on the present state of body data / biometric gathering with guest expert Dr Stephanie Hare and presenter Gareth Mitchell.

• Opening Keynote - Digital Body Festival conference “Bodies of Knowledge” - “Digital Human Twins – our future data selves” for dance tech and immersion sectors. (London, November 2024)

• Opening Keynote for Disruptia – The Light Collective – (London, 10th October 2024) “Digital Human Twins - our future data selves” for light and AV sectors.

• Presentation and panel moderation at University of Cambridge Tacit Engagement in the Digital Age 2024 conference on "Digital Human Twins - our future data selves" for academic sector (Cambridge, October 2024).

• Debate Leader on Digital Human Twins - our future data selves at the BOLD Unconference Austria for international pioneer and innovation experts. (Vienna and regions, June 2024)

• Expert Roundtable debate “What is next for DHT Digital Human Twins?” - Lead - Ghislaine Boddington as part of The Hybrid Presence Research Cluster, University of Greenwich. (London, October 2023 and December 2024)

• The Navigator Podcast - University of Greenwich Generator Mind over Machine - round table debate/podcast on the ethical implications and yet vast potential of using AI in the future. Ghislaine talks about how digital human twins will affect both education and the future world of work. (London, October 2024)

• Podcast research, scripting and presentation on digital human twins for Tomorrow Unlocked Fast Forward Series 2. Ep 4 “The Extended Self; Our future digital twins" looking at the quantified self and the issues of fitness and health biometric data harvesting linked to data protection and gender/cultural bias. (July 2023)

• Radio Interview - BBC Radio 4 - "How to Spot Potential" - invited expert on future skills for young people linked to innovative digital tools, including AI companions for education and work searches. Ghislaine Boddington discusses the concept of digital twins, our very own personalised form of AI. (BBC Oct 2023)

• Keynote Speaker - Synthetic Syntax Conference, Ars Electronica. For digital artists and immersion experts examining different perspectives on virtual and haptic bodies, their impact, liveliness and procedures in the context of performance. (Online to Austria - September 2023)

• Podcast - Writer and presenter on digital human twins for Tomorrow Unlocked Fast Forward Series 2. Ep 4 “The Extended Self; Our future digital twins" looking at the quantified self and the issues of fitness and health biometric data harvesting linked to data protection and gender/cultural bias and Ep 5 “Cyborg Shifts” – embedding technologies into our bodies” focussing on prostheses, implants and the convergence of technology with the human body, unravelling the evolution of extended selves and the intricate relationship of the body-mind interface and proprioception. (July 2023)

• Radio interview - BBC Radio 3 - "Free Thinking" as invited expert to talk about digital human twins. (BBC May 2023)

• Radio interview - BBC Radio 4 - "Super Senses" as invited expert to talk about touch and intimacy in the digital age and digital human twins. (BBC May 2023)

• Radio show - BBC World Service  'Digital Planet says goodbye": In the last ever episode of this long running show Ghislaine Boddington was interviewed by expert commentator Bill Thompson about her long-term, practice led research work, talking about ‘The Internet of Bodies’ and about her new work (practise led research) “My AI Hybrid Bio-Twin”. (March 2023)

• Radio show / podcast research and presentation - BBC World Service Digital Planet show  “Digital identity: Where are we now?” Ghislaine Boddington explored and overviewed the biometric led digital identity systems fast emerging in various continents – with interviews linked to China, the US, India and Europe. The present day scenario is fragmented and confusing.
 (BBC March 2023)

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