Like a knowledgeable friend giving an honest explanation in a conversation over dinner, Fry tells stories about the things that have gone wrong, but remains optimistic, explaining what happened, why the algorithm was implemented in the first place, and reminding us what the alternatives are.įor example, in the chapter on justice, Fry describes how she was initially against the idea of using algorithms in a court room. In this book, however, mathematician Hannah Fry takes a step back, encouraging the reader to remember that algorithms don’t claim to be all-knowing, they just provide their best guess to the problems we’ve set them.įry examines topical decision-making algorithms under seven themed chapters: power, data, justice, medicine, cars, crime and art. And there’s a sense of helplessness in much of the coverage implying the inevitable take-over of corrupt corporate giants, or worse – cold, inhuman AIs. Recent news reports of intrusive political campaign tactics, for example, have seen algorithms discussed in the same breath as conspiracy theories. A lot of what we hear about machine learning in the media focuses on its potential to manipulate us. Even just reading the blurb of Hello World serves as a reminder of just of how much of our daily experiences are already and increasingly will be influenced by algorithms, a fact that sits uneasily with most people.

‘I don’t like the look of your book,’ my housemate says.

Hello World by Hannah Fry