By Rich Palmer • December 20, 2019
Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Books List: AI Superpowers
AI Books Series
At Gravyty, we can't keep our hands off of a good read, especially if that book is a useful resource on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Great literature has always moved society forward, and our Top AI Books List sheds light on the research and work that's being done in the fields of AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics. Today, we're adding AI Superpowers by Kai-Fu Lee to the Top AI Books List.
It's telling that, as of the time of this writing, one of the most popular books about the geopolitical aspects of AI is on backorder through Amazon for several weeks. AI Superpowers by Kai-Fu Lee juxtaposes an East vs West approach to AI through the lens of innovation, politics, and the human experience. It covers a tremendous amount, tackling a broad range of pertinent issues and current solutions, while being very accessible and relatable.
One of the main points is that in the wave of AI disruption, robots and technology aren't to fear - it's the social psychological effects on people. The same technology can take a utopian turn, leading to the final frontier of human flourishing for innovative new business models, life-saving products, and maximizing the broader social good. The flip side is also true, in which a techno-utilitarian or dystopian view will portend downsides for certain individuals and industries - leading to job loss, growing income inequality, erosion of unskilled labor market advantages, and more.
With this backdrop, and with AI projected to add $15.7 trillion by 2030 to Global GDP ($7 trillion to China and $3.7 trillion to the U.S. alone, according to a PwC report), the book takes a decidedly positive tone. According to Lee (and we agree), we are in the Age of AI Execution vs. the Age of AI Discovery. Many of the algorithms used today have been well vetted and researched for decades. They were just waiting for the ample computing power, abundance of data, and engaged user based that we are blessed with in the present tense.
Through the journey, Lee covers everything from autonomous vehicle policy to workforce development and reward redistribution to reduced work hours. As a former U.S.-based Apple and Microsoft engineer, former China-based Google engineer, and current venture capitalist, the differences and similarities between the two countries is very clearly explored. In the professional sector, it is imperative to adopt and learn to leverage AI tools as they arrive. According to the Lee, workers will find new tools imperfect in their uses and potentially threatening in implications; but, in the long run, resistance may be ill-fated and symbiosis will be rewarded. We are writers of our own history.