Ben Byford is a ...
games designer,
AI ethicist,
teacher,
web designer,
space maker,
artist.
Bio:
This website is a collection of my articles and essays, design work, publications, talks, art projects and exhibitions, and various code bits.
I have been mostly a freelance web designer since 2009. I also freelanced as an AI / ML teacher, speaker and ethicist and developer tinkerer – Now I am mostly working on computer games projects as well as talking about AI Ethics. I can be found in Bristol, UK.
I have worked on large scale projects as a web designer with companies such as Virgin.com (providing point of contact for technology and design decisions internal at Virgin), medium scale projects with clients including BFI, CEH, Virgin and Virgin unite, as well as having created a myriad of sites for smaller businesses, start ups and creatives' portfolios - see my portfolio here.
I've mostly been a design and front-end guy, with extensive knowledge of other tech and development languages and have previously worked as a mediator between dev teams and clients. I pride myself in being able to successfully cut through the jargon and help technologists and non-tech savy personnel work effectively. As an extension of this I also teach with Decoded who run technology workshops all over the world.
My public speaking and lecturing blends my insights within AI and ethics, web technologies, games and entrepreneurship; focussing on the usage of technology as a tool for innovation, social good and creativity.
I author the Machine Ethics Podcast: interviews with academics, writers, technologists and business people on the theme of AI and autonomy. I also do talks and workshops on Machine Ethics and AI Ethics.
I previously co-founded the company Eulergy.com in 2012, a research matchmaking initiative, which blossomed with the extensive efforts of @tigerchops, @CharlotteBRF, @danielebarch, @DaisyJCooper. After 3 years of part-time hard work from all involved, Eulergy as a company stopped trading in 2016. Find more about eulergy here.
I also ran my own co-working space for games developers for a year called Co-op Mode, before we got priced out of the market by our landlord.
Programming:
Mostly HTML, CSS, Javascript (vanilla / jquery), C#, Python, Lua.
Preferred technologies:
Website: HTML, CSS / LESS, vanilla JS, Processwire CMS.
Games / interactives: Unity3D / PixiJS, C#, Lua, Javascript.
ML: Python, JupyterLab, TensorFlow / TensorFlowJS / Keras.
Qualifications:
MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, 2010 [Merit] Goldsmiths University.
NESTA / CIDA Insight out course, 2008 short creative entrepreneurial course.
BSc Creative Music and Sound Technology, 2007 [First Class Honours] Leeds Metropolitan University.
A/AS levels in Fine Art, Music Technology, Photography, Electronics, Maths from Cirencester College.