The Coming Wave: Ai, Power, and Our Future

For someone not involved in the world of AI, the book was very enlightening.

Didn’t read it yet

I am not a fan of the author, he tries too much to be like Steve Jobs. I have listened to his Ted talk and thought I would give the book a shot. I did not complete more than 1/3 of the book because it was about everything except AI. He rattles on and on about the industrial revolutions, steam engines etcetc. He basically did a dump of wikipedia focused on the last 4 industrial revolutions. I get the impression he was desperately trying to fill pages with anything and everything related to industrial revolutions no matter how much of a stretch it was. Makes me think he has little to say on the topic that is original but felt it was a good idea to have a book behind his name.

The beginning is genuinely engaging, with sharp insights and fascinating comparisons that make you stop and think. Unfortunately, the book quickly gets lost in endless repetitions. The same points are made over and over again. Tiring and boring. Too often it slips into a self-congratulatory tone, and at times feels hypocritical: Suleyman criticizes the system, but he is also very much part of it. I lack concrete suggestions at the end. A book with a brilliant opening that could have been much stronger if it had been more concise and less self-indulgent.

I don’t know what is going on with ordering books lately. They are coming dirty and scratched… this came with bird waste on it and it was not clean at all I had to through away the cover…

The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future** by Mustafa Suleyman offers a clear, insightful look at how emerging technologies are reshaping society. Suleyman combines deep technical understanding with ethical reflection, showing both the opportunities and risks of the AI revolution. It’s a well-balanced and thought-provoking read that challenges us to prepare responsibly for a rapidly changing future.

Mustafa Suleyman and Michael Bhaskar have written an excellent book, "The Coming Wave." Unlike many authors who project unbridled optimism, the authors strike two notes simultaneously: one of inevitability and the other of caution and concern. They divided the book into four sections, which they call 'Homo Technoligicus,' 'The Next Wave,' 'States of Failure,' and 'Through the Wave.' They devote the first section to explaining how waves of technological innovation have transformed humanity for thousands of years. Even the slightest pause will convince anyone of this truism. Since we fashioned stone tools centuries ago, humans have innovated, changing the world and society. The next wave will create changes at an exponential rate, a topic they discuss. When I was a child, we did not possess direct dialing telephones, and now the mobile phone often appears to extend our brains. They discuss artificial intelligence and its impact–now and in the future. A person growing up now will live a different life than we do today. When will machine intelligence overtake human intelligence? Most people cannot perform the most straightforward calculations and resort to a calculator. No one knows of Trachtenberg's system of speed mathematics anymore! The book's third section focuses on the dangers of this advancing wave of technology: misinformation, disinformation, cyberwar, and the changing nature of war, amongst others. Yet, as the authors emphasize, technological advances are improving our lives–at least, the lives of those with access to the benefits. Technology does not benefit a starving person. Unlike most authors who present us with an overtly sunny view of these advancements, Mustafa Suleyman and Michael Bhaskar acknowledge that the sunlight warms us but can also burn us. The book's fourth section focuses on the necessity for responsible containment. It proposes ten steps (or means) by which governments, society, and corporations can work together to contain the dangers this new 'machine technology' poses to society while retaining the benefits. They end with a provocative question: how will the nature and meaning of humanity change in the coming decades? The book is excellent, well-written, and accessible to everyone, including the lay reader. It is a book that many people must read to educate themselves on current and future developments in AI and synthetic biology. People must read the book now. In five years, it will be outdated.

I was amazed by how its well put in a way that anyone who reads understands all the perspectives and concepts about AI and how it could create a better world and how it could also bring the end of it. A real perspective on AI and especially coming from someone who is in the field and one of the most influential and knowledgeable person. An honest piece!