Science fiction has tended to focus on nightmarish scenarios where machines acquire superhuman abilities and wrest power from unsuspecting human beings. These scenarios distract attention from the real problem of human control—which is not that humans will unwittingly cede control to runaway superintelligence, but that they are already surrendering control to machines that are too stupid to handle the tasks they’re charged with. A number of recent scandals around the world highlight the dangers of overtrusting our artificially “intelligent” overlords, including the now-infamous “RoboDebt” fiasco in Australia, in which thousands of welfare recipients were incorrectly issued letters requesting immediate repayment of debt allegedly owed to the government.