A little bit more about us
As of September 2025, this is a brand new publication and for now, 'us' is just one person (Sherif), but hopefully there will be more of us soon 😄.
System Change is about technology, people, society and planet. I am not pro or anti-technology as I don't think this is the right framing. I think of technology as part of us, not separate. I am fascinated by assembly theory, a scientific framework that brings together physics and biology to explain how complexity and evolution emerge in nature.
An implication of assembly theory is that technology is part of the evolution of life, and as such we can think of life on Earth as a techno-biological sphere. With System Change, I want to explore the ideas that can help its different components thrive - whether they are people, societies or the technology itself.
About Sherif
Hello! I am Sherif. Born in Paris, grew up in Cairo and lived in London since 2003. I am a lapsed civil engineer, an entrepreneur, startup advisor, and policy, tech and science nerd. My main interests are:
- AI and machine learning: ways to make the economics of AI fairer, AI/ML for industrial applications, materials science, and decarbonization.
- Human-machine interaction: how people use AI chatbots, how we will integrate humanoid robots in society in the near future, and how we can make our everyday interactions with computers better.
- A better internet: a quieter, high quality internet built for the people who use it. Curated search and discovery; users control the ads they see; publishers, artists and creators decide how their content is used. People not bots.
- Better cities: ways to make cities more enjoyable, greener and liveable. How we can seamlessly integrate nature into urban design.
- And most importantly, our understanding of life and our place in the universe.
More about me on my personal website sherifea.com. Get in touch at sherif@sherifea.com