Hello World cover art

Hello World

How to Be Human in the Age of the Machine

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Hello World

By: Hannah Fry
Narrated by: Hannah Fry
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Hello World, written and read by Hannah Fry.

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.
You need a liver transplant to save your life. Who would you want in charge of organ allocation?
An algorithm can match organ donors with patients, potentially saving many more lives. But it may send you to the back of the queue.
You’re buying a (driverless) car. One vehicle is programmed to save as many lives as possible in a collision. Another promises to prioritize the lives of its passengers. Which do you choose?
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.

'Wise, sharp and witty, the definitive guide to living in the age of social media, algorithms and automation.' Adam Rutherford

©2018 Hannah Fry (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks
Law Physics Programming Programming & Software Development Science Social Sciences Software Development & Engineering Technology Software Development Software

Critic Reviews

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)
With refreshing simplicity, Fry explains what AI, machine learning and complicated algorithms really mean, providing some succinct explanations of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, driverless cars and many other unnerving modern phenomena…This book illustrates why good science writers are essential. (Katy Guest)
Brilliantly clear...Fry succinctly outlines the ethical issues that beset AI (James McConnaiche)
All stars
Most relevant
I love Hannah Fry and the book didn't disappoint. An interesting walk through the pros and cons of algorithms in different applications. super interesting and pitched just right for any level of expertise.

Love Hannah Fry!

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Easy listening and narrated with the emotion that is warranted for some of the heavier themes.

Great for Math nerds

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Hello World is a masterpiece that tells the stories of the many algorithms and neural networks that work behind the scenes in our day to day lives. While most of these machines are created with good intentions, learning the extent of their knowledge and their capacity for error is often a sobering experience.

Engaging, Insightful and a Little Bit Terrifying

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something for everyone. from the geek to the person who doesn't know how to turn on their computer.

I wrote this using my predictive text algorithm

brilliant

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This book was excellent in its capacity to take the complex world of algorithms, bias and broader philosophy, breaking it down into bite-size chunks with a number of case studies prepared to elaborate on each claim. A very well-written and informative book that embraces the challenge of unpacking algorithms with vigour.

Elaborate ideas, simple explanations

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