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Apr 21, 2026
Award-winning University of Oxford philosopher and technology scholar Carissa Véliz joins Tim Wu for a conversation about prophecy, AI, and the power of prediction — and Véliz’s new book, Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI.
The ancient world had oracles and astrologers; today, we have computer scientists and AI. Modern predictions not only advise on war, crop output, and marriages, but algorithms also now determine whether we can get a loan, a job, an apartment, or an organ transplant. But when we cede ground to these predictions, Carissa Véliz believes that we lose control of our own lives. In this powerful, refreshing new look at the many ways prediction shapes everyday life, Véliz explores how putting too much stock in others’ predictions makes us vulnerable to con artists and self-deception.
Does more data always translate to more knowledge? Can AI see the future? Hear two brilliant thinkers as they explore the uncanny ways in which AI and other predictive technologies fit into a long history false prophecy and social control.
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