How to Stay Smart in a Smart World: Why Human Intelligence Still Beats Algorithms

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Is more data always better Do algorithms really make better decisions than humans Can we stay in control in an increasingly automated world Drawing on decades of research into decision making under uncertainty, Gerd Gigerenzer makes a compelling case for the enduring importance of human discernment in an automated world that we are told can - and will - replace our efforts. From dating apps and self-driving cars to facial recognition and the justice system, the increasing presence of AI has been widely championed - but there are limitations and risks too. Humans are the greatest source of uncertainty in these situations and Gigerenzer shows how, when people are involved, trust in complex algorithms can lead to illusions of certainty that become a recipe for disaster. Filled with practical examples and cutting-edge research, How to Stay Smart in a Smart World examines the growing role of AI at all levels of daily life with refreshing clarity. This book is a life-raft in a sea of information and an urgent invitation to actively shape the digital world in which we want to live.

Reviews

Enlightening, impassioned, powerful . . . exposes the hunger for autocratic power, the political naivety and the commercial chicanery that lie behind the rise of AI -- Simon Ings * The Times *
Using personal anecdotes, cutting-edge research and cautionary real-world tales, Gigerenzer deftly explains the limits and dangers of technology and AI -- Chen Ly * New Scientist *
Compelling . . . over many years, Gerd Gigerenzer has provided evidence that humans are smarter than economists. Now he shows that they are (where it matters) smarter than computers -- John Kay * co-author of Radical Uncertainty *
One of the world's most eminent psychologists * Spectator *
A fascinating invitation to keep thinking for ourselves... Vital reading for a world populated by algorithms -- Konstantinos Katsikopoulos, Professor of Behavioural Science, University of Southampton

Author Bio

Gerd Gigerenzer is Director of the Harding Centre for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam and partner of Simply Rational- The Institute for Decisions. He is former Director of the Centre for Adaptive Behaviour and Cognition at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and a former Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago. He is the author of several books on heuristics and decision-making, including Risk Savvy and Reckoning with Risk.