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  • Hello World

  • Being Human in the Age of Algorithms
  • Written by: Hannah Fry
  • Narrated by: Hannah Fry
  • Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (60 ratings)

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Hello World

Written by: Hannah Fry
Narrated by: Hannah Fry
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Publisher's Summary

Shortlisted for the 2018 Royal Society Investment Science Book Prize   

A look inside the algorithms that are shaping our lives and the dilemmas they bring with them.   

If you were accused of a crime, who would you rather decide your sentence - a mathematically consistent algorithm incapable of empathy or a compassionate human judge prone to bias and error? What if you want to buy a driverless car and must choose between one programmed to save as many lives as possible and another that prioritizes the lives of its own passengers? And would you agree to share your family’s full medical history if you were told that it would help researchers find a cure for cancer?   

These are just some of the dilemmas that we are beginning to face as we approach the age of the algorithm, when it feels as if the machines reign supreme. Already, these lines of code are telling us what to watch, where to go, whom to date, and even whom to send to jail. But as we rely on algorithms to automate big, important decisions - in crime, justice, healthcare, transportation, and money - they raise questions about what we want our world to look like. What matters most: Helping doctors with diagnosis or preserving privacy? Protecting victims of crime or preventing innocent people being falsely accused?   

Hello World takes us on a tour through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of the algorithms that surround us on a daily basis. Mathematician Hannah Fry reveals their inner workings, showing us how algorithms are written and implemented, and demonstrates the ways in which human bias can literally be written into the code. By weaving in relatable, real world stories with accessible explanations of the underlying mathematics that power algorithms, Hello World helps us to determine their power, expose their limitations, and examine whether they really are improvement on the human systems they replace.

©2018 Hannah Fry (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

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Really level headed book about algorithms

I went into this book very much with a pro algorithm mindset, but left it with a much more level headed perspective. Like the author of Weapons of Math Destruction, Hanna Fry makes it quite clear that algorithms can be very flawed and they often lack the perfect objectivity we think they have. However, she also acknowledges that human judgement can be equally flawed, but in different ways. She concludes with the outlook that we need not discard algorithms, nor should we think they are going to solve all our problems, but rather we should keep applying our strengths to compensate for weaknesses of algorithms, and vice versa.

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  • 2022-11-06

Hannah Fry delivers!

This book was expertly narrated by Hannah Fry. Never a dull moment, all the while bringing up thought provoking questions about the nature of AI. The level is also just right for most people not familiar with the subject to get an idea of the challenges, and possible approaches to deal with said challenges.

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Fascinating

Very entertaining and informative. Not some thing I knew much about, I found the level of Information perfect.

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A book written for me!

This book presents a wonderful introduction to a lay person like me with a basic understanding of how algorithms are affecting my life . Focusing on topics such as law, medicine, policing and so on, and with plenty of anecdotes and examples, Hannah Fry has done a welcome service by writing this book. I now have a better understanding of the influence of algorithms have on my life, but with the reality check that humans are still in control. Allelluiah to that.

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