Fartein is a PhD Candidate in Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen, where he also earned his Master’s degree. His academic journey includes an ethnographic study in Iceland focused on neopaganism, culminating in his thesis, “A New Age for Old Gods: An Ethnographic Study of Ásatrúarfélagið in Iceland.” This work explored how modernity and technological change influence the revival of pagan beliefs in Iceland and the broader Euro-American context.

For his PhD, Fartein investigates the social and cultural impacts of generative and conversational Artificial Intelligence in California’s AI industry. His research examines how AI technologies shape emerging forms of life, kinship, and personhood, with a particular focus on digital afterlife tools, AI companions, and virtual humans. By exploring AI as both a life form and a facilitator of distinct life practices, his work integrates perspectives from digital and cyborg anthropology.

Fartein’s research interests span the Anthropology of Technology, the Anthropology of Life, Artificial Intelligence, digital cultures, and New Religious Movements. Through this lens, his work examines how technology both influences and is influenced by culture.