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The Unaccountability Machine

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

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About this listen

'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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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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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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very well written and shaped arguements, enjoyed it a lot even though it's kinda a techy subject

food for thought

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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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It's probably worth listening for the first part alone where the author explains the problems of accountability. After that it goes on a very long tangent on Cybernetics which takes up most of the book. The history of Cybernetics was interesting and probably gave an okay overview understanding of the subject but not really relevant to accountability. The part where Cybernetic theory is explained in more detail is seriously complicated and I highly doubt most of the people who recommend this book understood or even read this part of the book.

Interesting but confused

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