Episode · Big Technology Podcast · 2026-04-22
Books mentioned on Are We Too Obsessed With AI Predictions? — With Carissa Véliz
Carissa Véliz is an Oxford philosopher and the author of Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI.
Carissa Véliz discussed Privacy is Power by Carissa Veliz and The Joke by Milan Kundera.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Privacy is Power
Discussed“I mean, you have a perspective that you got to have used comedy in this era. And that's sort of a counterweight to some of these ills that you see. Talk a little bit more about that. Yeah, it's really funny because my first book, Privacy is Power, is kind of gloomy, in a way.”
Where to get it
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The Joke
The Joke by Milan Kundera is a satirical novel that explores the devastating ripple effects of a seemingly minor political joke in totalitarian Czechoslovakia.
Discussed“And for example, um Milan Kundera, the novelist, wrote a novel called The Joke making exactly this point um given his experience with communism.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Plugged Prophecy
“We're here with Oxford philosopher Carissa Veliz, who has a new book out this week called Prophecy, Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future from Ancient Oracles to AI, talking all about prediction and what it means for our society.”
Plugged Prophecy
“And we're back here on Big Technology Podcast with Carissa Véliz. She's an Oxford philosopher and the author of Prophecy, Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future from Ancient Oracles to AI. Great title.”
Plugged Prophecy
“I'm not saying I'd be mean or anything, but just like laugh a little bit about the absurdity of life. Um and humor is also a kind of intelligence. It's a kind of noticing um the absurd, and noticing what's off. And one example I give in the book is that of Seinfeld because it's it's also about curtailing predictions.”
Plugged Prophecy
“The book is Prophecy, Prediction, Power and the Fight for the Future from Ancient Oracles to AI. Cris of Liz, so great to have you. Thank you for coming on the show.”