The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast 1KHO 714: Do We Have Free Will in an Algorithmic World? | Kartik Hosanagar, A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence
Feb 18, 2026
Kartik Hosanagar, a professor and author of A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence, explains how algorithms quietly shape what we watch, buy, and who we date. He contrasts old rule-based programs with modern learning systems, tells surprising stories like AlphaGo and chatbot friendships, and offers practical ways families can reclaim agency by adding friction to daily tech use.
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Why Modern AI Learns Like A Child
- Machine learning shifted software from explicit step-by-step code to systems that learn patterns from massive data like a child learning from examples.
- Kartik uses face recognition and AlphaGo examples to show why rules fail and data-driven learning succeeds.
The ShaoIce Chatbot Became A Real Confidant
- Kartik tells the ShaoIce story: a 2014 Chinese chatbot acquired tens of millions of users and became a confidant for many young adults.
- Users formed emotional attachments, saying "I love you" to ShaoIce and treating it like a substitute friend.
AI Can Invent Moves Humans Never Thought Of
- AlphaGo revealed AI creativity by discovering novel moves not seen in human play, demonstrating learning can produce unpredictable, valuable innovations.
- Kartik recounts the match where Lee Sedol stared at an unexpected move and later called it real creativity.
