The Mirror Problem

The Algorithmic Mind: Book 1 - The Mirror Problem

How AI Reflects Human Bias

When machines learn to discriminate with mathematical precision, who's really to blame?

A facial recognition system mistakes a Black politician for a criminal. Amazon's recruiting algorithm downgrades CVs containing "women's." Predictive policing perpetuates racial profiling with algorithmic efficiency.

Welcome to the mirror problem—where our most sophisticated machines become perfect reflections of our most troubling biases.

The Algorithmic Mind: Book 1 exposes the uncomfortable truth: we've created systems to eliminate human bias using the most biased development process in technological history. It's artificial intelligence with the emotional intelligence of a particularly dense brick—sophisticated within Silicon Valley's worldview, utterly baffled by anything beyond.

What You'll Discover

The Diversity Paradox - How the most homogeneous industry in modern history claims to democratise intelligence whilst systematically excluding entire communities.

When Machines Learn to Discriminate - Real cases of AI systems that don't malfunction—they work exactly as designed, reflecting their creators' prejudices with algorithmic precision.

Cultural Algorithms - Why AI trained in Western contexts fails spectacularly globally, and how different cultures approach artificial intelligence development.

The Governance Gap - How democratic institutions struggle to regulate technologies evolving faster than legislative processes.

Why This Matters Now

We've built machines that beat humans at chess but can't recognise a Black woman might be a doctor. Systems that compose symphonies but can't work out that advertising diet pills to people with eating disorders is problematic. The irony would be hilarious if the consequences weren't so serious.

This isn't another doom-and-gloom critique or breathless AI evangelism. It's a clear-eyed examination of how we got here and what we can do about it. Whether you're a technologist building these systems, a policymaker trying to govern them, or simply someone navigating an increasingly algorithmic world, this book provides the conceptual tools you need.

What Makes This Different

Written with analytical rigour and irreverent humour by tech industry veteran Gari Johnson (30+ years across Asia Pacific), who's watched too many "democratising AI" panels delivered by people who look like a 1950s country club reunion.

The book itself embodies its central theme—created through thoughtful human-AI collaboration, demonstrating that the future isn't purely human or artificial, but intelligently integrated.

Part of The Algorithmic Mind Trilogy

• Book 1: The Mirror Problem - How AI reflects human bias
• Book 2: The Surveillance Mirror - How AI shapes behaviour
• Book 3: The Human Interface - Adapting to life with AI

The Bottom Line

The mirror problem isn't going away. AI systems will continue reflecting our biases, amplified and legitimised by technological mythology, until we have the courage to look honestly at what we've created and the wisdom to build something better.

This book gives you the tools to do exactly that.

Get ready to see artificial intelligence—and yourself—more clearly than ever before.