Synopsis
The figure above demonstrates the Müller-Lyer illusion, where equal-length lines appear different due to cognitive processing, illustrating how perceptions can mislead us – a key concept in Behavioural Economics. This field explores how psychological attributes affect economic decisions. Our lecture will first examine examples of how these attributes lead to seemingly irrational decisions. Then we will discuss leveraging an understanding of behavioural biases to subtly influence decision-making contexts, nudging individuals towards more desirable choices.
Speaker
Jonnie Penn
 | Jonnie Penn, FRSA, is an Associate Teaching Professor of AI Ethics and Society at the University of Cambridge. He is a historian of technology, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, and public speaker. Penn serves as a Faculty Affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University, a Research Fellow and Teaching Associate at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, a Research Fellow at St. Edmund’s College and as an Associate Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. He was formerly a MIT Media Lab Assembly Fellow, Google Technology Policy Fellow, Fellow of the British National Academy of Writing and popular broadcaster. |
Malavika Jayaram
 | Malavika is the Executive Director of the Digital Asia Hub. She is currently an Affiliate of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and has previously been a Fellow in residence, and a Faculty Associate. In a former life as a practising technology lawyer, Malavika was an Associate at Allen & Overy, London, and was Vice President and Technology Counsel at Citigroup EMEA. She taught India’s first course on information technology and law in 1997 (not a typo). Her activism around biometric identifiers, data privacy, and inequality in India and the majority world led her to pivot towards civil society and academia. She is interested in the stories we tell about technology, and in elevating Asian and non-Western narratives and perspectives. |
In Partnership With
