The Institute for Ethics in AI is delighted to announce the publication of Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI by Associate Dr Carissa Véliz (Doubleday, 21 April 2026).
In Prophecy, Dr Véliz offers a bold and original account of prediction across history; from ancient oracles to modern algorithm, arguing that forecasts are rarely neutral descriptions of the future, but powerful tools that shape it. At a time when algorithmic systems increasingly influence decisions about jobs, healthcare, finance, and more, the book challenges readers to reconsider who controls these predictions, and to what end.
Drawing on philosophy, political history, and contemporary debates in AI ethics, Véliz shows how predictive technologies can reinforce systems of control while appearing objective or inevitable. She argues that today’s algorithmic forecasts function much like the prophecies of the past: instruments of authority that can obscure accountability and limit human agency.
At the same time, Prophecy is not only a critique. It is also a call to action. Véliz makes the case that individuals and societies can resist harmful predictive practices, reclaim autonomy, and create space for uncertainty, creativity, and human flourishing.
Blending rigorous analysis with wit and urgency, Prophecy will appeal to readers interested in the ethical, political, and social implications of AI, as well as the deeper philosophical questions surrounding knowledge, power, and the future.
Carissa Véliz is Associate Professor at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford. Her previous book, Privacy Is Power, was named an Economist Book of the Year.
Prophecy is available from 21 April 2026. Dr Véliz will discuss the book at an in person event at Blackwells Oxford on 16 May. Book your tickets below.