AI Needs You: How We Can Change AI's Future and Save Our Own

by Verity Harding Narrated by Daisy Donovan

Overview

This audiobook narrated by Daisy Donovan shares an electrifying vision of how we can safeguard AI's future for the public good Artificial intelligence may be the most transformative technology of our time. As AI's power grows, so does the need to figure out what-and who-this technology is really for. AI Needs You argues that it is critical for society to take the lead in answering this urgent question and ensuring that AI fulfills its promise. Verity Harding draws inspiring lessons from the histories of three twentieth-century tech revolutions-the space race, in vitro fertilization, and the internet-to empower each of us to join the conversation about AI and its possible futures. Sharing her perspective as a leading insider in technology and politics, she rejects the dominant narrative, which often likens AI's advent to that of the atomic bomb. History points the way to an achievable future in which democratically determined values guide AI to be peaceful in its intent; to embrace limitations; serve purpose, not profit; and to be firmly rooted in societal trust. AI Needs You gives us hope that we, the people, can imbue AI with a deep intentionality that reflects our best values, ideals, and interests, and that serves the public good. AI will permeate our lives in unforeseeable ways, but it is clear that the shape of AI's future-and of our own-cannot be left only to those building it. It is up to us to guide this technology away from our worst fears toward a future that we can trust and believe in.

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus

"We might hope that this book ends up in the hands of those who could take a leadership role, before it is too late. Harding’s optimism is tempered by experience and knowledge, and her arguments are compelling and engaging."

From the Publisher

"An Economist Biggest Book of the Year"

"A timely and fascinating new book by the former Downing Street aide-turned-tech executive Verity Harding, which argues that it’s high time the public got a say on what kind of world we actually want to live in. . . . Harding, who knows these two incestuous worlds better than most, is right, however, that this extraordinary chapter of human history doesn’t have to end in catastrophe, or in angry mobs rising up against a tech elite perceived as having gone too far. . . . For now, at least, there’s still power in being human. But only if we use it."—-Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian

"Harding is bilingual in politics and tech. . . . [She] urges politicians — and civil society — to get involved in debates about the uses of AI and help to shape the future in a positive way."—-John Thornhill, Financial Times

Library Journal ​​​​​​​

"[Harding’s] narrative provides considerable historical context for each tech milestone and draws parallels between the institution of regulatory guardrails and the importance of outlining the safe and ethical use of AI. . . . A loud and clear call to action regarding AI’s future, which is put into perspective by probing the history of three other major technological innovations."

Harper’s Bazaar

"Harding sits at the intersection of politics, policy, and technology, and she brings her knowledge to this accessible introduction to AI and how it will shape our workplaces and beyond."

Choice

"Contrary to the doomsayers of modern media, [AI Needs You] shines an optimistic light on the AI revolution."

Kirkus Reviews

2023-10-05
Regulating AI will not be easy, but there are useful lessons available.

Recently, a slew of books have warned about the dangers of AI, so it is refreshing to find one that takes a different approach. Harding has been working at the intersection of technology and regulation for many years; she used to direct policy for Google DeepMind, and she is now director of the AI & Geopolitics Project at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. The author has a positive attitude toward AI, and she walks us through the benefits already gained or on the horizon. She also acknowledges the downsides. AI has reached the stage of requiring a global regulatory framework, she notes, perhaps begun by technical experts but eventually incorporating input from other interested parties. There are instructive precedents for this, such as the UN Outer Space Treaty, which has been effective at preventing the deployment of orbiting weapons. The regulation around in vitro fertilization is another example of workable compromises involving transformative technologies. A third area to examine might be the protocols drawn up to organize the internet, which have been remarkably durable. All of these required time and effort, with conferences and written agreements. Harding believes that the U.S., as the leader in the field, has to kick-start the process. She is likely correct, but it is hard to see how global talks could take place in the current heated geopolitical climate. Russia is not willing to discuss anything, and China has clear ambitions to dominate the AI area. Nevertheless, we might hope that this book ends up in the hands of those who could take a leadership role, before it is too late.

Harding’s optimism is tempered by experience and knowledge, and her arguments are compelling and engaging.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940193339076
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos