1KHO 714: Do We Have Free Will in an Algorithmic World? | Kartik Hosanagar, A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence

Get our free Top Ten 1000 Hours Outside Podcast Books from 2025⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kartik Hosanagar has been tracking AI long before “ChatGPT” became a household word, and in this conversation with Ginny Yurich, he helps parents see what’s already shaping their homes (and possibly children). AI can affect what we watch, what we buy, what we believe, who we date, and our career paths. Drawing from his book A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence, Kartik explains how machines stopped simply following “recipe-like” instructions and began learning like children do—surprising us, improvising, and sometimes operating as black boxes we can’t fully interpret. You’ll hear the jaw-dropping story of the early chatbots that felt like real friends, why recommendation engines narrow our options without us noticing, and what it looks like to reclaim agency by adding “friction” back into family life. This episode is both a wake-up call and a steadying roadmap for staying human in an algorithmic world.

Get a copy of the Book: A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence

Check out Kartik’s Substack Creative Intelligence: https://hosanagar.substack.com

A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them ALL out below: 

• BetterHelp: Visit  www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS  today to get 10% off your first month.

• Quince - Visit www.quince.com/outside and get free shipping and 365 day returns

• Hungry Root - Go to www.hungryroot.com/1000HOURS and use code 1000HOURS to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your choice for life.

• IXL Learning - Head to www.ixl.com/1000hours to get an exclusive 20% savings on your membership

• Wayfair - Go to www.wayfair.com and shop all things home

• Cure Hydration- head to www.curehydration.com/outside to find a retailer near you

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices