Craig Ryder
Doctoral Researcher, SOAS
“The very idea that deepfakes exist in the wider world means that people can question any video. And that is the bigger existential crisis than an actual deepfake video. That kind of spells the end of reality.”
Craig Ryder is a digital anthropologist concerned with the intersection of disinformation and social media, with a special interest in recommendation algorithms, bot amplification and video manipulation. His PhD research focuses on Sri Lanka and uses algorithms to map incendiary content and decode the communicative dynamics that follow.
Craig also relies on traditional ethnographic methods, observing and understanding how journalists, bloggers and influencers are renegotiating the online information ecosystem. Having previously worked as a Creative Strategist for Roar Media, one of South Asia’s fastest-growing media startups, and having since co-founded his own mental health startup, EverMind, Craig is embedded in, but critical of tech and startup culture.
Listen to Episode 22 Truth & Synthetic Realities in Sri Lanka