World-leading cybernetics pioneer receives ANU honorary doctorate

One of the world’s leading cybernetics thinkers and pioneers, Jasia Reichardt, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from The Australian National University (ANU). 
 
Ms Reichardt received her Doctor of Letters from ANU Chancellor the Hon Julie Bishop in a special ceremony in London for her revolutionary work and ongoing contributions to the field of cybernetics.  
 
Over seven decades, Ms Reichardt has been a leading proponent of cybernetics and its potential to transform our ideas about the arts and creativity, as well as the relationship between technology and humans.   
 
Her ideas have had a profound influence on building the technologies millions of people engage with daily today. 
 
Her ANU honorary degree recognises the significant global impact she continues to have as a writer, art critic, and exhibition organiser. 
 
Born in Poland in 1933, Ms Reichardt was the organiser of the landmark exhibition Cybernetic Serendipity, held in London in 1968.   

Cybernetic Serendipity imagined and demonstrated a relationship between humans and machines that was interactive rather than inanimate and showed how machines could be used to make art as well as be art. 
 
“Ms Reichardt’s contributions have been transformative, shaping the way we perceive and interact with technology and art,” her ANU citation reads.  
 
“Her work continues to inspire new generations of artists, scholars and innovators, highlighting the enduring relevance of cybernetics in our rapidly evolving world.”  
 
Ms Reichardt’s is the first honorary doctorate in the ANU School of Cybernetics, which has a mission to “revive and refit” cybernetics for the 21st century.   
 
The school aims to build and scale cutting-edge and transformative systems like generative AI and the Internet of Things in a safe, sustainable and responsible way.   
 
Deputy Director of the ANU School of Cybernetics Andrew Meares said: “Jasia helped create the future we enjoy today. 
 
“Her astonishing contributions spanning exhibitions, writing, books, articles, education and talks provide rich histories and diverse perspectives that challenge us and also help us find different ways of how we consider and build new technologies.  
 
“Jasia’s ongoing legacy is oriented to the optimistic and this hope and joy inspires the futures the ANU School of Cybernetics is creating today.  

“We are delighted Jasia has been recognised and celebrated as a global leader by ANU.” 

---

Read a timeline of Ms Reichardt’s incredible contribution to the field of cybernetics and humans’ relationship with technology at the ANU School of Cybernetics. 
 
Photos of Ms Reichardt, including from her ANU honorary doctorate ceremony, are available online.