Carissa Véliz

Carissa Véliz is a Mexican, Spanish, and British philosopher. She is an associate professor of philosophy and ethics at the University of Oxford (Institute for Ethics in AI, Faculty of Philosophy).

Life and career

Carissa Véliz earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy at the University of Salamanca. Later she earned an MA in philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center. She received a doctorate (PhD) in Philosophy from the University of Oxford, with the doctoral thesis "On Privacy", which concerns the ethics and political philosophy of privacy.

She is an associate professor of philosophy and ethics at the University of Oxford's Institute for Ethics in AI in the Faculty of Philosophy, and a Fellow at Hertford College. Her work and area of specialisation is ethics of artificial intelligence, applied philosophy, ethics, moral philosophy, political philosophy and practical ethics. It became an Economist Book of the Year. .

In 2026 she published her second book, Prophecy, which examines the history of prediction from ancient oracles to modern AI and argues that algorithmic forecasting serves as a tool of power over individuals rather than genuine foresight.

She is also a board member of the Proton Foundation, the majority owner of the Swiss technology firm Proton AG.

Books

Privacy Is Power (2020) Privacy Is Power: Why and How You Should Take Back Control of Your Data was first published in 2020 by Bantam Press (an imprint of Transworld/Penguin Random House) in the United Kingdom, and in 2021 by Melville House in the United States. The book argues that personal data collection by corporations and governments constitutes a threat to individual autonomy and democracy, and calls for structural reform of the data economy rather than relying solely on individual action. It was named an Economist Book of the Year and has been translated into seven languages. Hannah Fry, author of Hello World, described it as "an essential guide to one of the most pressing modern issues." The book traces the history of prediction from ancient oracles to modern algorithmic forecasting, arguing that the primary function of prophecy has always been power over others rather than genuine knowledge of the future. Véliz contends that AI-driven prediction systems — governing access to loans, jobs, housing, and healthcare — strip individuals of agency and pose a threat to democracy.

The Wall Street Journal described it as witty, surprising, lively, and rousing, calling it a book that "can expand our sense of possibility." Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review, calling it "a sharp, engaging, and often unsettling meditation on humanity's enduring hunger to know—and control—the future." Publishers Weekly also awarded it a starred review, describing it as "lively and erudite." Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny, wrote that the book represents exactly the philosophy society needs to navigate the age of AI. Christopher Wylie, the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, described it as a stark warning about the charade of technological prophecy and the need to reclaim human agency. Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, urged readers to engage with the book before algorithms determine what futures are available to them.