Are Algorithms Co‑Authoring Your Life? Prof. Philippe Huneman Explains

Dr. Philippe Huneman is a French philosopher and research director at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), affiliated with Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, whose recent work examines how predictive algorithms are reshaping identity, knowledge, and democracy in the digital age. In this conversation, drawing on his book Profiling: How Predictive Algorithms Shape Identity and the Social Fabric, he explains how data-driven profiling turns everyday traces of our lives, our GPS movements, purchases, searches, and social media activity, into high-dimensional profiles that can predict and subtly shape what we see, do, and even who we become. Moving beyond simple critiques of “big data,” Dr. Huneman argues that profiling systems do not merely observe reality; they help produce it, constructing new forms of community, altering our memories and experiences through algorithmic curation, and raising urgent philosophical and political questions about autonomy, corporate power, and the conditions for a truly democratic internet. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. Disclaimer: 1. The background music incorporated in this video is the intellectual property of its respective developer and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Notwithstanding that it is a free-to-use version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy, and Deepak Bhatt do not own, and expressly do not claim, any rights, title, or interest in or to this music. 2. Dr. Philippe Huneman shared key insights from his book, “Profiling: How Predictive Algorithms Shape Identity and the Social Fabric”, in an engaging episode of the Business Talk podcast. The uploaded video contains copyrighted content, so changing any graphics, music, or on-screen appearance of the author or host is not allowed.