Oxford philosopher Carissa Véliz joins Thinking on Paper to explore AI ethics, prediction algorithms, social media manipulation, self-fulfilling prophecies, and the growing power of tech platforms to shape human behaviour.
As well as her new book Prophecy, we discuss TikTok, engagement algorithms, Silicon Valley futurism, predictive AI, democracy, and why the future becomes dangerous when predictions are mistaken for facts.
Please enjoy the show.
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Thinking on Paper is a technology podcast about AI, computing, science, and the systems shaping the future.
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CHAPTERS
(00:00) Intro
(01:00) What is the good life?
(02:00) Why knowing yourself matters more than strategy
(04:44) The analog world vs the digital world
(06:45) How prophecies exploit our need for security
(08:47) Ancient Rome
(10:11) The illusion of safety
(12:27) When predictions work
(15:00) Altman, Amodei, Huang
(28:29) How to resist prophecies
(29:53) Prediction markets
(31:49) TikTok, algorithms, and the Molly Russell case
(36:08) Engagement algorithms
(40:54) Self-fulfilling prophecies
(43:44) Comedy
(46:59) Seinfeld
(52:16) Karikó
(53:40) Serendipity
(56:13) Why Epicurus beats the Stoics