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The Coming Wave
- Technology, Power, and the Twenty-First Century's Greatest Dilemma
- Narrated by: Mustafa Suleyman
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
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Publisher's Summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An urgent warning of the unprecedented risks that AI and other fast-developing technologies pose to global order, and how we might contain them while we have the chance—from a co-founder of the pioneering artificial intelligence company DeepMind and current CEO of Microsoft AI
“A fascinating, well-written, and important book.”—Yuval Noah Harari
“Essential reading.”—Daniel Kahneman
“An excellent guide for navigating unprecedented times.”—Bill Gates
A Best Book of the Year: CNN, Economist, Bloomberg, Politico Playbook, Financial Times, The Guardian, CEO Magazine, Semafor • Winner of the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award • Finalist for the Porchlight Business Book Award and the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award
We are approaching a critical threshold in the history of our species. Everything is about to change.
Soon you will live surrounded by AIs. They will organize your life, operate your business, and run core government services. You will live in a world of DNA printers and quantum computers, engineered pathogens and autonomous weapons, robot assistants and abundant energy.
None of us are prepared.
As co-founder of the pioneering AI company DeepMind, part of Google, Mustafa Suleyman has been at the center of this revolution. The coming decade, he argues, will be defined by this wave of powerful, fast-proliferating new technologies.
In The Coming Wave, Suleyman shows how these forces will create immense prosperity but also threaten the nation-state, the foundation of global order. As our fragile governments sleepwalk into disaster, we face an existential dilemma: unprecedented harms on one side, the threat of overbearing surveillance on the other.
Can we forge a narrow path between catastrophe and dystopia? Is it possible to contain the threat of AI?
This groundbreaking book from the ultimate AI insider establishes “the containment problem”—the task of maintaining control over powerful technologies—as the essential challenge of our age.
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What the critics say
“A heartfelt and candid exploration of what the future may hold for us . . . Eloquently articulated. Reading [The Coming Wave], what came to mind was Gramsci’s famous adage that what we need is ‘pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.’ To his great credit, [Mustafa] Suleyman has both.”—The Guardian
“[A] sweeping look at the future of artificial intelligence and other transformative technologies. . . . Suleyman is intimately familiar with the technologies, companies and personalities at the heart of the A.I. revolution.”—The New York Times
“Dazzling . . . You have by now read a great deal of both hype and doom-mongering on the subject [of AI]. But Suleyman’s is the book you cannot afford not to read. . . . Brilliant.”—Niall Ferguson, Bloomberg
What listeners say about The Coming Wave
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-10-01
Brilliant, balanced and deeply concerning
The recent surge in groundbreaking technologies is merely the tip of the iceberg in a wave of advancements set to transform our world in both beneficial and concerning ways. The author, a pioneer in the current AI revolution, offers deep, long-term insights into these pressing issues. The book is not only timely but also thoroughly researched, enhanced by the author's clear and concise narration. Far from sensationalizing the subject, the author provides a balanced view, considering all facets of the debate. Be prepared for an intense read, as the potential ramifications for humanity are significant.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-12-04
Great way to understand how to create a safe AGI
Good book and very informative although a bit repetitive at times. The information learned is very useful.
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- Daniel Plante
- 2023-10-05
A Deep Dive into its Rapid Rise and Transformative Impact
This reading is profoundly captivating and offers an enlightened perspective on the challenges and consequences of the unrestrained development of artificial intelligence. A fascinating explanation that not only reveals the “how”, but also the “why” behind AI’s rapid rise, and how it’s already transforming our daily lives.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-12-17
Pretty good
Enjoyable but not great. A little boring and maybe needs a little more entertainment for me. But very informative
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-10-13
Well written. Well researched. Thank you.
This is a very nice listen. Very well read. It’s a great overview of AI and it’s implications. Balanced, credible approach to difficult questions. Recommended.
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- Aylan C
- 2024-04-28
An AI MUST READ
Anyone interested in AI should be listening to this book, even if you're just curious you will learn a lot. Phenomenal and engaging. I'm only on Chapter 5 and I'm already ordering a hard copy to add to my research.
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- Anonymous
- 2023-11-07
Excellent book
This is an excellent book. I think it is the best AI book I have read so far.
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- Nancy Steinhausen
- 2023-11-13
A clear measured path forward
With clear narration, this book gives insight and information about the technological wave we are living through. Fascinating and inspiring.
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- Britnuck
- 2023-12-04
Forthright and honest
This is a no holds barred description of the imminent future of humanity based on something that humanity itself has created.
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- Vadim Avkhimenia
- 2024-04-04
techno-alarmism
good perspective and good overview of technology and inventions through time but some of the capabilities of modern technologies are GREATLY overstated and non-alarmist optimist perspectives are never discussed leading readers to believe that dystopia is the only way the game will end
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