Gemma Milne is a Glasgow-based writer and researcher focused on narratives surrounding, activism in and political economy of science and technology. She is author of 'Smoke & Mirrors: How Hype Obscures the Future and How to See Past It'; is an Interdisciplinary Research Fellow in Digital Society and Economy at Glasgow University and is completing her PhD at Edinburgh University focused on corporate futurism. Gemma writes for outlets such as The Guardian, WIRED, Forbes, the BBC and others; is co-host of the Radical Science podcast; and is the editor of The New Real Editions - a magazine focused on the intersection of AI and art. Gemma is a Fellow of the Creative Industries Research Centre Europe (CIRCE), an Assessor for Innovate UK, a Fellow of the Institute for the Future of Work, and an Innovation Jury Member for SXSW and has previously been a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, an Expert Advisor for the European Commission and a Scout for Backed VC.

Futurism, deep tech, STS, economic sociology, metamodernism, market studies, critical management studies, political economy of science and technology, journalism, space, biotech, agritech, AI, quantum computing, arts-based research.

List by: Type | Date

2023: Urban Studies (masters dissertations)

2023: Science Journalism (masters) - course lead

2023: Digital Society Learning Lab (masters) - visiting lecturer

2021: Science Journalism (masters) - PGTA (UCL)

Research fellowships

• 2023 - 2023: CIRCE Fellow (Creative Industries Research Centre Europe)

Selected international presentations

• 2023: IMSW (International Market Studies Workshop) (Edinburgh)
• 2023: COSS Workshop (Centre for Outer Space Studies) (London)
• 2022: REAL ML (Online)

Before academia, I’ve had a meandering interdisciplinary career in the science and technology sector. Most recently, I’ve been a freelance journalist and broadcaster for outlets such as The Guardian, WIRED, Forbes, the BBC and others, and during which I published my first book ‘Smoke & Mirrors: How Hype Obscures the Future and How to See Past It’. I’ve also worked as a Scout for a Venture Capital fund in the deep tech space, I’m an assessor for Innovate UK across SME science and technology funds, I’ve worked as a Tech Innovation Strategist in a big advertising firm, I’m co-host of the Radical Science podcast, I’m the editor of The New Real Editions - a magazine focused on the intersection of AI and art, and I’m a Fellow of the Institute for the Future of Work, an Affiliate Researcher with the Edinburgh Futures Institute Centre for Technomoral Futures, an Innovation Jury Member for SXSW and have previously been a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and an Expert Advisor for the European Commission. My initial academic background is as a mathematician. In short, I feel more at home in interdisciplinary spaces than in siloed disciplines...!