Book Study Workbook — Prophecy, Prediction, Power (Carissa Veliz)

<aside> 📌

How to use this workbook

This is designed as an independent study with two group meetings.
Participants read and complete short reflections independently between meetings.
An optional third meeting is included if your group wants more time for application and action planning.
Suggested meeting length: 60–90 minutes. </aside>

Overview

Book: Prophecy, Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future (from Ancient Oracles to AI) — Carissa Veliz

Purpose

Build shared language about prediction, power, and accountability.
Connect historical “prediction systems” (oracles, forecasts, statistics) to modern AI.
Translate insights into practical norms for education and public-sector contexts.

Suggested group norms

Assume good intent; ask clarifying questions.
Speak from your role/experience (K–12, higher ed, Career Tech, library, admin, etc.).
Be specific: name concrete examples, stakeholders, and impacts.
Distinguish: prediction vs. decision; efficiency vs. fairness; risk vs. harm.

Materials

Copies of the book
Shared notes space (this page)
Optional: sticky notes / whiteboard / digital board

Reading plan (independent study + two group meetings)

Session	Independent reading	Group meeting focus
1	Part 1 (early chapters): prediction, history, framing	Shared language + “prediction inventory”
2	Part 2 (middle/later chapters): power, incentives, surveillance, AI	Tradeoffs + “minimum viable data” redesign
3	(Optional) Conclusion + revisit key passages	Guardrails, commitments, next steps

<aside> 🧭

Facilitator note: If your group wants a chapter-by-chapter plan, replace the “Reading” column with the actual chapter titles once you decide pacing.

</aside>