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The Unaccountability Machine

Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions - and How The World Lost its Mind

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The Unaccountability Machine

By: Dan Davies
Narrated by: Peter Dickson
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'A corporation, or a government department isn't a conscious being, but it is an artificial intelligence. It has the capability to take decisions which are completely distinct from the intentions of any of the people who compose it. And under stressful conditions, it can go stark raving mad.'

When we avoid taking a decision, what happens to it? In The Unaccountability Machine, Dan Davies examines why markets, institutions and even governments systematically generate outcomes that everyone involved claims not to want. He casts new light on the writing of Stafford Beer, a legendary economist who argued in the 1950s that we should regard organisations as artificial intelligences, capable of taking decisions that are distinct from the intentions of their members.

Management cybernetics was Beer's science of applying self-regulation in organisational settings, but it was largely ignored - with the result being the political and economic crises that that we see today. With his signature blend of cynicism and journalistic rigour, Davies looks at what's gone wrong, and what might have been, had the world listened to Stafford Beer when it had the chance.

©2024 Dan Davies (P)2024 Profile Books Computer Science Con Artists, Hoaxes & Deceptions Corruption & Misconduct Organisational Behavior Political Science Politics & Government True Crime United States Workplace & Organisational Behavior World Artificial Intelligence Government Management Capitalism
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I enjoyed this a lot, quite possibly because it confirmed a lot of my prejudices about economics, management thinking, finance, capitalism, and systems design - but also supplied me with a lot of background on where some of those ideas originated.

In fact, given I've been reading Davies' stuff for over 20 years, many of my opinions on these topics have probably been passively absorbed through exposure to his thinking via various blogs and tweets. (We used to move in similar blogging circles back in the day, so I recognised many of the names in the acknowledgements, and know I've met him in person at least a couple of times through mutuals.)

As such, his ability to combine insightfulness with dry humour, leftish opinions, and a deep understanding of finance and economic theory is exactly what I was expecting.

Fascinating take on the failures of management, economics, finance and politics

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Great analysis. Unique insights about the GFC, and general societal pathologies. Covid decision making problems were covered from a new angle.

Fascinating stuff.

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Fascinating exploration of a topic that was entirely new to me, but also one of the best and most readable analyses of what’s gone wrong with the economy and with economics. And beautifully, wittily written.

Fascinating, thought provoking and fun.

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a good introduction to cybernetics, talks about current problems. one of my favourite books. starts quite slow, maybe a bit boring, but becomes wow by the end

so good

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A very interesting story. Stafford Beer comes across as quite a character and certainly more intelligent than I ( I got a bit lost in places…). I came away feeling a lot more upbeat about the future than when I started. Quite unusual in these days!

Not the easiest but very enlightening

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