Dr Carissa Véliz: Beware the power of prediction, a new TED Talk and the launch of 'Prophecy'
Original reporting by Oxford Institute for Ethics in AI
Dr. Carissa Véliz is captivating global audiences with her timely and urgent new book, "Prophecy: Prediction, Power and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI," which makes its highly anticipated debut this month. Following a wave of international media appearances, Véliz recently earned a resounding standing ovation for her TED Talk, "Beware the Power of Prediction," underscoring the profound resonance of her core message. In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and data, Véliz issues a compelling challenge to our fundamental understanding of foresight. She meticulously argues that predictions, spanning the millennia from the enigmatic pronouncements of ancient oracles to the sophisticated analyses of modern artificial intelligence, are far more than passive glimpses into what may come.
Instead, Véliz reveals them as potent instruments of power, actively influencing the very outcomes they claim merely to foresee. Her work demonstrates how these forecasts subtly, yet profoundly, guide human behavior and decisions, often transforming mere possibilities into self-fulfilling realities. This insightful perspective forces a critical examination of the narratives of prediction that pervade our culture, particularly as AI’s predictive capabilities expand exponentially across every facet of society. As her work sparks crucial conversations in outlets from *The Economist* to *MIT Tech Review*, Véliz compels us to consider not just *what* is predicted, but *who* holds the power to predict, and the profound implications this holds for shaping our collective future.
Dr. Carissa Véliz's compelling exploration ultimately reframes our understanding of prediction, challenging the passive notion that forecasts simply describe an inevitable future. Her work reveals how predictions, from ancient prophecies to sophisticated AI models, are often instruments of power, actively shaping the outcomes they purport to foresee. In an increasingly data-driven world, where artificial intelligence now serves as our most pervasive oracle, offering insights on everything from economic trends to individual behaviors, Véliz’s timely warning carries profound implications.
The transition from AI as a mere predictor to a powerful shaper of reality demands critical scrutiny. If left unexamined, the widespread dissemination of AI-generated forecasts could subtly steer collective and individual decisions, inadvertently creating self-fulfilling prophecies on an unprecedented scale. This dynamic risks reinforcing existing societal biases, concentrating influence in the hands of those who control the algorithms, and potentially eroding human agency by fostering a reliance on algorithmic foresight. Looking ahead, the imperative is clear: society must develop a sophisticated literacy regarding predictive AI. This involves not only questioning the accuracy of its outputs but also understanding its inherent capacity to influence, and holding developers accountable for the ethical frameworks governing such powerful systems. Véliz's insights provide a crucial lens through which to navigate this complex future, urging us to remain vigilant against the seductive power of prediction and to proactively define the future, rather than letting algorithms predict it for us.