Carissa Véliz Warns About the Influence of Predictive AIs in Our Lives

In a recent episode of the Sifted podcast, John Thornhill welcomed Carissa Véliz, an AI ethicist and associate professor at the University of Oxford, to discuss the impact of algorithms and data on our daily and professional lives.

Carissa Véliz recently published a book titled "Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future." In this work, she explores how the predictions of modern AIs, much like the oracles of antiquity and the seers of the Middle Ages, tend to reinforce the powerful in their decision-making. This trend raises crucial questions, especially when these technologies are used for hiring or firing decisions in companies and venture capital firms.

During the conversation, John Thornhill and Carissa Véliz also addressed the issue of self-regulation among tech giants. They discussed the possibility for these companies to engage in meaningful regulation of their practices. Carissa Véliz suggested that AIs should be designed to serve individuals rather than surveil them, thus raising questions about purpose and ethics in the development of these technologies.