Paul Kockelman

Paul Kockelman is a Professor of Anthropology at Yale University, specializing in linguistic anthropology, semiotics, and environmental studies. He holds undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics, an MS in physics, and a PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago. His research focuses on the intersection of human agency, environmental degradation, and computational systems, with extensive fieldwork among Q’eqchi’-Maya communities in Guatemala. He served as editor of the Journal of Linguistic Anthropology (2016–2018) and is the author of numerous books and essays.

Key research areas include the pragmatics of possible worlds, the semiotic dynamics of machine learning, and the ontological coupling between humans and algorithmic models. His work bridges cultural theory, science studies, and linguistic analysis, often employing mathematical models to explore meaning-making processes.

His publications span books like Last Words: Large Language Models and the AI Apocalypse (2024) and A Mathematical Model of Meaning (forthcoming MIT Press), alongside foundational works in linguistic anthropology. His articles address topics from Mayan grammatical structures to the epistemic implications of AI. Grants include an EPA-funded dissertation on commons management. He maintains a website at www.envorganism.org.