The Means of Prediction

“AI will solve the problems its owners want solved. Kasy’s book shows how. But its greater contribution is cutting through the complexities of the subject to illustrate the necessity and feasibility of democratic control over the means of prediction: the data, hardware, technical expertise, and energy that make AI possible. A simple but powerful message—and a fantastic book.”  – Dani Rodrik, Harvard University“This bold and accessible book reminds us that we are not in a conflict between humans and machines, but between power and the public interest.” – Kate Crawford, author of Atlas of AI“The future of AI, including its worst-case scenarios, will not be determined by the technology itself. It will be determined by our choices and the institutions that govern how AI will develop, including who it serves and who it harms. The Means of Prediction provides an excellent introduction to how power struggles and ideologies are intertwined with technology, and how the current trajectory will likely lead to ruin rather than abundance.” – Daron Acemoglu, author of Why Nations Fail and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics

Maximilian Kasy is professor of economics at the University of Oxford; previously he was an associate professor of economics at Harvard University. His research focuses on machine learning and the social impact of AI.