Defeat cancer before it develops. Prevent crime before it happens. Get the perfect job without having to know the right people. Algorithms turn long-wished-for dreams into reality. At the same time, they can weaken solidarity in healthcare systems, lead to discriminatory court judgements and exclude individuals from the labor market. Algorithms are already deeply determining our lives. This book uses illuminating examples to describe the opportunities and risks machine-based decision-making presents for each of us. It also offers specific suggestions for ensuring artificial intelligence serves society as it should.

Jörg Dräger, born in 1968, is a former minister in the Hamburg state government and currently a member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board. As an expert on digital change, he is a much-sought-after speaker and a source of inspiring ideas for society's future. Ralph Müller-Eiselt, born in 1982, grew up using the Internet and social media. He heads the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Megatrends program, where he develops ideas on how digital change can be used for increasing social participation and creating more equitable opportunities.