{"product_id":"prophecy-prediction-power-and-the-fight-for-the-future-from-ancient-oracles-to-ai","title":"Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCarissa Véliz\u003c\/b\u003e is an associate professor at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford. Her first book, \n\u003ci\u003ePrivacy Is Power\u003c\/i\u003e (Melville House) was an \n\u003ci\u003eEconomist \u003c\/i\u003ebook of the year and has been published in seven languages. Her academic work has been published in \n\u003ci\u003eThe Harvard Business Review, Nature, AI \u0026amp; Society, \u003c\/i\u003e and \n\u003ci\u003eThe American Journal of Bioethics\u003c\/i\u003e, among others. She is the author of the forthcoming \n\u003ci\u003eThe Ethics of Privacy and Surveillance\u003c\/i\u003e (Oxford University Press) and the editor of the forthcoming \n\u003ci\u003eOxford Handbook of Digital Ethics\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Witty and surprising. . . . [Veliz] shows how Big Tech has accrued enormous amounts of wealth and power by promising insight into the future. These modern oracles claim to make us safer, but, she argues, they are doing precisely the opposite. . . . Lively. . . . Rousing. . . . A book like \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy\u003c\/i\u003e--roving, intelligent, irreducibly idiosyncratic--can expand our sense of possibility, starting now.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"[Veliz's] sweeping account of prediction across history demonstrates why we would do well to approach most forecasts with the skepticism we now show to prophets. . . . The author makes a strong case that since prophecy shapes the future, we need to take the ethics of prediction seriously. . . . [ \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy\u003c\/i\u003e's] insights, provocations and vivid examples are presented with both passion and clarity of thought. Whether or not it changes how you think about prediction, I cannot say, but I am left convinced that it should.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"[An] ingenious, scathing and often profound assault on our contemporary obsession with predictive algorithms. . . . Véliz's polymathic survey of prediction from the ancient world to the digital age is well timed. . . . \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy\u003c\/i\u003e scorns conventional boundaries of both substance and style. Its citations range from Thales of Miletus to Ted Lasso. . . . Penetrating. . . . Charming.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Financial Times \u003c\/i\u003e(UK)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A masterpiece. \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy \u003c\/i\u003eexposes the biggest trick powerful people use to get what they want--and they've been pulling it off for the longest time. Big tech's AI predictions are the power plays in disguise of the ancient oracles and medieval astrologers. Delightfully written, refreshingly original, and masterfully argued for, \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy \u003c\/i\u003elifts the veil on our forecasting practices. \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy \u003c\/i\u003eis the most important book you will read for years.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Roger McNamee, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eZucked\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"Carissa Véliz so cleverly deflates the hype that spouts from the prophets of Silicon Valley--and in the process, offers a sharp new way to examine how people exercise power in our world.\" \n\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e--Karen Hao, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eEmpire of AI\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"At a time of inhumanity and indeed anti-humanity, nothing could be more welcome than this performance of the humanities. We will not make it without philosophy, and this is the sort of philosophy we must have.\" \n\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e--Timothy Snyder, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eOn Tyranny\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Some of the best books are those that make you examine that which you take for granted in daily life. \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy \u003c\/i\u003eunravels the many ways prediction has become a mainstay of our existence, and in its own way, a source of power over our lives. A great read that will make you think.\" \n\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e--Tim Wu, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Age of Extraction\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"This is a book that will make you see the world quite differently--while also eliciting gasps of recognition. Passionate, erudite and punchy, \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy \u003c\/i\u003ewill linger long in the memory.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e--Tim Harford, author of\u003ci\u003e The Data Detective \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Oxford philosopher Carissa Veliz traces the invisible forces that are insidiously manipulating us, stealing our data \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003c\/b\u003eand our agency. From the ancient oracles to the algorithms deciding who gets a job, a loan, or even medical care, \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy \u003c\/i\u003ereveals a profound truth: prediction has always been about power. With piercing insight, she exposes artificial intelligence as a \"bullshit machine\" that fuels a surveillance state, turning probabilistic guesses into self-fulfilling verdicts that threaten our jobs, justice, and liberty. She urges us to fight back, demand better, and embrace the creativity, courage, and uncertainty that makes us truly human. Read this before the algorithms decide you can't!\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and author of\u003ci\u003e How to Stand Up to a Dictator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"From oracles and horoscopes to algorithms, from dice to data: how we try to predict the future and the risks of the safety we crave. Carissa Véliz explains it with overpowering intelligence and an ironic humor that strips emperors bare. \" \n\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e--Irene Vallejo, author of \u003ci\u003ePapyrus\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Véliz exposes the con of Silicon Valley's coup to define the future. This book serves as a stark warning that we must see through the charade of technological prophecy if we are to reclaim our agency in the age of AI.\" \n\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e--Christopher Wylie, Cambridge Analytica whistleblower and author of \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMindf*ck\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"The world runs on predictions, and it always has. Readable and rigorous, \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy \u003c\/i\u003euncovers how predictions have shaped our lives from ancient Greece to the new oracles of AI, often acting as the avatars of hidden (or not so hidden) power. Written with verve, acuity, and humour, this is essential reading for the times we live in.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e--Anil Seth, author of \u003ci\u003eBeing You \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Captivating . . . Véliz elucidates complex philosophical and technological concepts with ease, while covering a vast range of topics. Lively and erudite, this impresses.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e (starred)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A brisk, lively tour of humanity's long fascination with foretelling, arguing that prediction and power have always been intertwined. . . . A sharp, engaging, and often unsettling meditation on humanity's enduring hunger to know--and control--the future.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\"Lively. . . . Rousing. . . . \u003ci\u003eProphecy\u003c\/i\u003e--roving, intelligent, irreducibly idiosyncratic--can expand our sense of possibility, starting now.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTech empires are the prophets of the modern day, and like the ancient oracles and medieval astrologers that preceded them, they're not in it for the common good--they're in it for power. Award-winning University of Oxford professor Carissa Véliz brilliantly argues why we must reclaim that power, and shows us how. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A masterpiece. . . . The most important book you will read for years.\" --Roger McNamee, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eZucked\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor thousands of years, oracles, seers, and astrologers advised leaders and commoners alike about the future. But predictions are often power plays in disguise, obfuscating accountability and stripping individuals of their agency. Today we face the same threat of powerful prophets but under a new facade: tech. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNot only do modern predictions made by tech companies advise on war, industry, and marriages, but artificial intelligence also now determines whether we can get a loan, a job, an apartment, or an organ transplant. And when we cede ground to these predictions, we lose control of our own lives. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDrawing on history's cautionary tales and modern-day tech companies' malfeasance--from surveillance and biased algorithms to a startling lack of accountability--Carissa Véliz demonstrates that big tech's prophecies are just as shallow, dangerous, and unjust as their ancient counterparts'. What she uncovers in the process is chilling. Artificial intelligence is increasing risk in business and society while creating a false sense of security. In this incisive, witty, and bracingly original book, Véliz contends that the main promise of prediction is not knowledge of the future but domination over others. Powerful people use predictions to determine our future. \n\u003ci\u003eProphecy\u003c\/i\u003e is an invitation to defy those orders and live life on our own terms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 02\/01\/2026 (EAN 9780385550970, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 02\/02\/2026 (EAN 9780385550970, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Doubleday Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496059535638,"sku":"9780385550970","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780385550970.jpg?v=1783052181","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/prophecy-prediction-power-and-the-fight-for-the-future-from-ancient-oracles-to-ai","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}