Stay Human, from the Artificiality Institute

Helen Edwards and Dave Edwards: Make Better Decisions

Oct 2, 2022
A lively dive into how to improve everyday decision making in a world of data and algorithms. Discussions cover metacognition and explanation as practical nudges, the pitfalls of big data and automation bias, and why delaying intuition can help. Topics include sketching for spatial thinking, choosing how to err, and testing beliefs by predefining disconfirming evidence.
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ANECDOTE

Pandemic Sparked The Book's Origin

  • Helen Edwards started the book during the pandemic while managing family life.
  • She became obsessed with reconciling behavioral science about biases with opaque AI and data feeds, which shaped the book's practice focus.
ADVICE

Practice Decisions Not Processes

  • Treat decision-making as a practice, not a linear process.
  • Helen Edwards recommends practicing cognitive skills repeatedly because humans and machines interact in complex, non-linear ways.
ADVICE

Use Metacognition To Check Your Knowledge

  • Engage metacognition to monitor the state of your own knowledge.
  • Helen Edwards advises 'meta-listening' and tracking presuppositions while someone explains to catch when you're overconfident.
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