Cathy O'Neil

Weapons of Math Destruction

Cathy O'Neil

Weapons of Math Destruction examines how opaque models turn partial data and narrow goals into decisions about education, work, credit, policing, insurance, and politics. It asks when prediction becomes harm, and shows how feedback loops, secrecy, and weak accountability reproduce inequality—while transparency, contestability, and human judgment can redirect models toward public benefit.

12 chapters