Life 3.0 – Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Author: Max Tegmark, MIT Professor

 

Overview:

The rise of artificial intelligence is changing the world and has the potential to transform our future.  This tech phenomenon raises the age-old question about how to tackle the change and not ignore its impact on people and their lives.  Professor Tegmark covers these topics from various angles, including the impact of AI on people, behavior, expectations, laws, jobs, weapons and, finally, the roles people play in our society.  Starting in the present, his book takes readers to not only the near future but also 10,000 years from now, generating ideas and potential dialogs around what we need to do now in order to improve our future and not allow technology and AI to destroy the universe.

 

Reviews:

“Often when we think about technology and outsourcing our thinking is steeped to the past or current times.  Outsourcing in this new world will have a totally different approach to solving business problems.  It will no longer be about human resources only. But at the same time, if we don’t focus on the impact of AI and technology on service delivery, we may be doing humankind a disservice.  I recommend this book as a must-read for everyone engaged in looking at the future and how business profiles are and will be changing – not just in the next decade but well beyond. ” – Jag Dalal, COP, Chief Advisor, Thought Leadership IAOP

“All of us – not only scientists, industrialists and generals – should ask ourselves what can we do now to improve the chances of reaping the benefits of future AI and avoiding the risks. This is the most important conversation of our time, and Tegmark’s thought-provoking book will help you join it.” – Professor Stephen Hawking, Director of Research, Cambridge Centre for Theoretical Cosmology

“This is a compelling guide to the challenges and choices in our quest for a great future of life, intelligence and consciousness – on Earth and beyond.” – Elon Musk, Founder, CEO and CTO of SpaceX and Co-Founder and CEO of Tesla Motors
Book Topics:

Life 3.0 deals with related topics in a manner that builds from current to future.  Chapters are:

  1. Welcome to the most important conversation of our time – This opening sets the stage for the book by discussing why AI is suddenly on everyone’s radar and is very likely to be extremely important over the coming decades.
  2. Matter turns intelligent – Provides definitions on intelligence and lays the groundwork for the question of what happens as artificial intelligence grows ever more powerful.
  3. The near future: breakthroughs, bugs, laws, weapons and jobs – Addresses questions of what happens in the near term as more and more human jobs can be done by AI.
  4. Intelligence explosion? – This chapter explores the exciting – and potentially terrifying – aspects of the impact of AI.
  5. Aftermath: the next 10,000 years.
  6. Our cosmic endowment: the next billion years and beyond.
  7. Goals – Explores the goals of individual, society and machines.
  8. Consciousness – Looks at such questions as to whether we can design machines with consciousness.

Available formats: Print and digital versions.

 

For more: Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

 

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