Prediction has always shaped the way we live – from the oracles of the ancient world and the astrologers of the Middle Ages, to today’s algorithms determined by computer scientists and statisticians. In this conversation with technology journalist Jamie Bartlett, Carissa Véliz uncovers the unspoken truths of putting too much stock in predictions about the future, and the practical and philosophical risks we face when we hand our hopes and data to AI.
In her latest book Prophecy, the University of Oxford professor looks at medicine, climate, technology and society, revealing how predictions about humans are often self-fulfilling, why more data doesn’t mean better outcomes, and how prediction is much more about power than it is understanding the future.
