In his book How to Stay Smart in a Smart World, Gerd Gigerenzer poses a scenario.

Imagine a digital assistant who does everything better than you. Whatever you say, it knows better. Whatever you decide, it will correct. When you come up with a plan for next year, it will have a superior one.

At some point, he says, you will probably cede control of your life to this digital assistant. You will let it manage your finances, write your messages, and even order products you didn’t know you needed. You...