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Hello World

byHannah Fry

How to be Human in the Age of the Machine

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'One of the best books yet written on data and algorithms. . .deserves a place on the bestseller charts.' (The Times)

You are accused of a crime. Who would you rather determined your fate - a human or an algorithm?
An algorithm is more consistent and less prone to error of judgement. Yet a human can look you in the eye before passing sentence.
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. In Hello World she lifts the lid on their inner workings, demonstrates their power, exposes their limitations, and examines whether they really are an improvement on the humans they are replacing.

A BBC RADIO 4: BOOK OF THE WEEK
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE AND 2018 ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE

A stylish, thoughtful, and scrupulously fair-minded account of what the software that increasingly governs our lives can and cannot do ... A beautifully accessible guide that leaps lightly from one story to the next without sparing the reader hard questions... deserves a place in the bestseller charts.

Oliver Moody, The Times

About Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry is a renowned British mathematician, author, and broadcaster whose impact spans academia, media, and public engagement. In a landmark appointment in 2024, she became Cambridge University's inaugural Professor for the Public Understanding of Mathematics in 2024, a chair created to recognize her contributions. Hannah is the author of multiple bestsellers including A Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything, The Mathematics of Love and the critically acclaimed Hello World. Hannah's work aims to translate complex mathematical ideas and the profound implications of AI for a vast international audience. Her presence extends across media, from prestigious publications like The New Yorker to global platforms like Bloomberg, TED and the BBC, earning her two Emmy nominations, a Grierson Award, and a coveted Baillie Gifford Prize nomination.
Details
  • Imprint: Transworld Digital
  • ISBN: 9781473544710
  • Length: 320 pages
  • Price: £7.99
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