Janet Vertesi

About Janet Vertesi

I don\'t just study \"technology and society\"- I use social science insights to build better technical teams, more functional social technologies, and alternative systems that challenge the status quo.I worked on NASA\'s high-functioning robotic spacecraft teams for twenty years, where my research reveals novel insights into how great teamwork involves people and technologies-human and artificial intelligences-working together to produce fundamental understandings about our universe. I use these insights to design and develop alternative approaches to collaboration, automation, and mixed-autonomy teams that blend social science insights with computing.A conscientious objector to the personal data economy since 2012, my highest profile \"Opt Out Experiment\" in keeping my pregnancy undetected from data brokers went viral in 2014. I am a passionate advocate for mobile linux, on-the-box and on-prem AI, radical data sovereignty, and privacy-first solutions. I am currently using critical design to build at-scale sovereign AI systems that put humanity, governance and geopolitical realities first.(Yes, it\'s really me;))

Experience

1. Associate Director

   Keller Center

   Mar 2025 — Present

   I am building Princeton\'s transdisciplinary program in Design, developing societally responsible and thoughtful interventions that take seriously the social implications of what we build and implement.

Education

• University of Cambridge

  Master of Philosophy - MPhil, History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

• The University of British Columbia

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Science Studies

• University of Cambridge

  Master of Philosophy, History and Philosophy of Science

• Cornell University

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Science & Technology Studies