About the book
You are buying your first driverless car. One manufacturer promises their vehicle will be programmed to save as many lives as possible in a collision. Another promises they’ll always put the life of you, the driver, first. Which car should you choose? (And which car do you want?)
Welcome to the age of the algorithm, the story of a not-too-distant future where machines rule supreme, making important decisions – in healthcare, transport, finance, security, what we watch, where we go even who we send to prison. So how much should we rely on them? What kind of future do we want? Hannah Fry takes us on a tour of the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the algorithms that surround us, lifting the lid on their inner workings, demonstrating their power, exposing their limitations, and examining whether they really are an improvement on the humans they are replacing.
About the author
Hannah Fry is an Associate Professor in the mathematics of cities from University College London. In her day job she uses mathematical models to study patterns in human behaviour, and has worked with governments, police forces, health analysts and supermarkets. Her TED talks have amassed millions of views and she has fronted television documentaries for the BBC and PBS; she also hosts the long-running science podcast, The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry with the BBC.
