About
Speaker John Ash is an interdisciplinary artist and machine learning engineer whose work defies easy labels. He blends folk‑rooted songwriting with digital textures and philosophical provocations[1], crafting performances that double as systems storytelling – immersive narratives about how we coexist and evolve. In both his music and his coding, John challenges binary thinking at every turn[2]. He even jokes that he’s “performance arting [his] way into systems change”[3], embracing the role of a self‑described “Qualia Engineer” who designs experiences to shift perspectives.
John’s background spans over a decade in computational linguistics and AI[4] alongside a lifelong devotion to music and poetry. The result is a creator equally at home debugging neural networks or strumming a guitar. He identifies as uncertain – always questioning, exploring, and integrating new ideas – and invites his audience to do the same. Whether he’s coding a collective intelligence prototype or singing a ballad on stage, John Ash is ultimately fostering connection and transformation through creative insight.
Music
John Ash’s music is both intimate and innovative. His debut concept album Strange Hymns introduced a genre‑blending style: folk storytelling woven with electronic ambient soundscapes[1]. From the gentle acoustic strains of “The Rising Sun” to experimental, AI‑generated visuals in “The Earth Reprise”, Strange Hymns invites listeners into a world of uncertainty, identity, and emergence[5]. These aren’t just themes in his songs – they are lived experiences, often enhanced by creative tech (for example, lyric videos where neural networks “dream” the imagery[6]).
Following up on that journey, John is now developing Cryptographic Apophenia, a forthcoming album that pushes musical storytelling into new territory. Debuted in live performances at events like DWeb Camp 2023[7], this project explores encrypted patterns, hidden messages, and the human tendency to connect the dots. With its release anticipated in 202?, Cryptographic Apophenia continues John’s mission of making music for those “who don’t buy into the default settings”[8] of reality. In other words, if you’re ready to “take the purple pill” and question the world around you, John’s music provides the soundtrack.
Engineering & AI Projects
John is the architect behind Cognicism, a framework for democratic AI empowering communities to collaborate with generative models and amplify shared wisdom ethically[9,10]. He developed a prototype platform centered on Iris, a generative language model built to encode and mediate collective belief[11]. Rather than a black box, Iris serves as a communal brain—absorbing input from many voices and reflecting back a synthesis that honors every contributor[12,13]. This embodies “Ŧrust” – a decentralized reputational signal that ensures reliable, value‑aligned contributions are elevated[14].
John also writes extensively on Medium about these subjects. His “Cognicist Theory of Capitalism” essay argues that profit alone is an insufficient driver for society—likening it to a misaligned reinforcement signal[15]—and advocates for new incentives that harness collective intelligence. In his Purple Pill Manifesto, he envisions a more reflexive, regenerative culture[16,17,18].
Systems Engineering & Regenerative AI
Regen Network – Ceres
Commissioned by Regen Network, John developed Ceres as an early prototype for what would later evolve into the Iris architecture. Long before fine‑tuning was common, Ceres demonstrated how a language model could integrate ecological knowledge, systems logic, and institutional memory.
Over several months, John distilled Regen’s key concepts—from eco‑credits and carbon markets to inter‑subjective verification and ecological state machines—into a queryable, responsive AI. It answered stakeholder questions, offered land stewardship advice, and generated original regenerative narratives. One narrative moved Regen’s CEO to tears, confirming that Ceres wasn’t just intelligent—it was attuned.
Ceres was never just a chatbot—it was an oracle for a regenerative economy.
Society Library – Muse of Truth & Autonomous Research Infrastructure
John currently serves as Lead Engineer at The Society Library, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming how we collect, structure, and synthesize knowledge at scale. The organization builds systems for public reasoning using AI to scaffold understanding of complex, contentious topics through evidence‑based debate mapping and claim verification.
At Society Library, John is engineering the backend for Muse of Truth—an AI infrastructure that evaluates arguments, tracks ideological conflict, and facilitates collective sensemaking. This work lies at the intersection of AI alignment, information ethics, and narrative infrastructure, building the memetic scaffolding for a healthier epistemic ecosystem.
Where Ceres encoded the wisdom of a single regenerative network, the Muse of Truth encodes the tensions and truths of the entire public sphere.
By John Ash
"By John Ash" is the creative engine behind diverse endeavors. If you want something By John Ash, you can explore code, art, music videos, clothing, or even oracle decks. Discover these unique offerings at byjohnash.etsy.com.
You can also hire John Ash for AI engineering, music video directing, public speaking, etc through By John Ash.
Connect & Support
John Ash’s work spans music, code, sound, and art. Whether you're interested in booking him for a speaking engagement, performance, or workshop — or hiring him as a consultant or creative force (video, art, ads, or any project that demands the output of a team of 20, driven by his AI‑powered efficiency) — get in touch:
References
- 9,10,12,13,14 Cognicism – Medium
- 3,16 DO 9 / Purple Pill Manifesto – YouTube
- 7 DWeb Camp 2023: Schedule
- 1,2,5,8,11,19 John Ash on Twitter/X
- 4 Patreon Bio
- 17,18 Purple Pill Manifesto – Medium
- 15 The Cognicist Theory of Capitalism
- 6 The Rising Sun (Lyric Video)