
The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity
5.0
3
5
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Hardcover
USD
24.3
$24.30
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781501158568 |
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Publisher: | Atria Books |
Publication date: | 04/24/2018 |
Pages: | 336 |
Sales rank: | 258,638 |
Product dimensions: | 6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity
5 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
3 reviews.
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An excellent, hope-filled stepping stone into the realm of AI
This book was my first real encounter with AI -- as opposed to a speculative dystopian read -- and it was a delight. I applaud Reese's accessible style and contagious optimism. Multi-faceted and engaging, this is a book for readers of all ages, educational and professional backgrounds. It isn't too technical or in any way alienating. At first I assumed it was a history book, but it turned out to be more prediction and guesswork -- a book of possibilities. What I appreciate about this is that Reese isn't spoon-feeding the reader his own opinions but rather giving room for us to decide what to buy, which I find extremely relevant to our "post-truth" society (i.e. being saturated in information / not knowing what to believe). The reading 'pathway' is our choice, yet we get to see the bigger picture from other points-of-view and belief systems. Besides the fascinating topic, the writing is inclusive, empathetic and well-informed. As a side note, Reese is one of the most hopeful writers I've read -- and it's nice to find someone who believes in humanity.
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The Fourth Age: an exceptional read . . . in a class of its own
Having read scores of books, papers, and articles on AI, Automation, and Robotics, I’ve enjoyed my fair share of great reads. But The Fourth Age is truly exceptional.
It is the only book that exhaustively—and so fairly—covers every single question, concern, upside, and downside of these breakthrough technologies. And all the while, through every chapter, maintains its objectivity.
Throughout the book, the author provides readers with his own reasoning and rationale along with those from an abundance of scientists, theorists, technologists, business leaders, and futurists that stand on every side (pro and con!) of each and every issue. And whether the reader is steeped in these technologies, or altogether new to them, this book will be your friend—because it walks you through these technologies in easy-to-grasp ways.
I must admit, as a tech enthusiast, when I first bought the book, I thought I would only review a few chapters… but after a few chapters, I was so hooked that I binge-read the entire piece in a weekend! (Who says binging is only for TV content?!)
Net net: If you want a book that covers every angle—and every argument—from every side of today’s most important technologies… this is surely the one.
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The Fourth Age is a must-read for anyone who’s interested in the future of AI or of society as a whole because, as Reese explains, we’re at the dawn of a new age of technological advancement. Reese strikes the perfect balance between easy to understand and thorough. It wasn’t preachy or bogged down with technical facts, like a lot of nonfiction books on AI are. Instead, his book kept me hooked and was well-written in layman terms. Even though I have no background in AI or in computers, I was able to follow and understand Reese’s carefully laid-out arguments and thought process.
In media, we often only see polarized views with outlandish claims on the future of AI. Thus, The Fourth Age is especially eye-opening because Reese maintains a neutral point of view and provides the reader ample evidence to support his ultimate conclusions. He entertains all possible scenarios/theories regarding unemployment, affluence, quality of life, and conscious AI. Then he gives the reader the comprehensive rundown on how likely they are to happen.
But what fascinated me the most was Reese’s exploration of the big philosophical questions that the future of AI raises. He challenges us to reconsider what it means to be conscious and what it means to be a human. We often think of computers as cold and mechanistic, embedded in the STEM field, but Reese shatters that notion by showing how fundamentally connected philosophy and AI are in an incredibly provocative way.
Overall, The Fourth Age is an informative, gripping read that sheds light on the murky world of AI.
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