Includes bibliographical references and index.

part I. Decoding the technologies: The imperfections of the optimization mindset ; The problematic marriage of hackers and venture capitalists ; The winner-take-all race between disruption and democracy -- part II. Disaggregating the technologies: Can algorithmic decision-making ever be fair? ; What's your privacy worth? ; Can humans flourish in a world of smart machines? ; Will free speech survive the internet? -- part III. Recoding the future: Can democracies rise to the challenge?

"System Error" exposes the root of our current predicament: how big tech's relentless focus on optimization is driving a future that reinforces discrimination, erodes privacy, displaces workers, and pollutes the information we get. Armed with an understanding of how technologists think and exercise their power, three Stanford professors share their provocative insights and concrete solutions to help everyone understand what is happening, what is at stake, and what we can do to control technology instead of letting it control us.

A forward-thinking manifesto from three Stanford professors--experts who have worked at ground zero of the tech revolution for decades--which reveals how big tech's obsession with optimization and efficiency has sacrificed fundamental human values and outlines steps we can take to change course, renew our democracy, and save ourselves.