Theory of prediction in the digital society

Historical and sociological research has shown that the forms of time and prediction change with time and with the structures of society. The great cultures of prediction were ancient divinatory cultures, whose specific form of rationality was supplanted by modern scientific rationality and by the idea of an open future that cannot be known in advance. Now algorithms focused on prediction are moving away from classical scientific procedures and allow us to explore and rediscover different logics.

AIM: to investigate a more extensive form of rationality in contemporary prediction

Modern society produced complex reflections on planning and its techniques but does not have a general theory of prediction. We want to propose it building on the findings of our empirical research in three sub-projects:

• personalized insurance
• precision medicine
• predictive policing