Artificial intelligence allows computers to outplay grandmasters in chess and Go, make stock-trading decisions, and operate self-driving cars, performing these tasks far faster than even the speediest human. Jennings, a prominent tech entrepreneur and no stranger to disruptive technologies, predicts that AI will shape the future. Looking at the projected shifts that could take place by mid-century, he warns readers that the U.S. is unprepared for the imminent transformation. 'The fact that the United States still, late into the second decade of the twenty-first century, has no national plan for AI is both remarkable and negligent.' With Canada and China investing heavily in AI, the U.S. is still in a position to take the lead with the right investments, but the gap is widening fast. To better prepare, he advocates for every American to learn about superpowerful AI, which could soon be controlling our phones, guiding us through taxes and laws, and changing the way we learn and work. With ardent urgency, Jennings explains how AIs have the potential to remake the world, and what we should be doing to prepare.

Booklist

Tech entrepreneur Jennings brings pragmatism, humor, and a dash of self-inflation to this convincing plea for Americans to inform themselves about and engage politically with the inevitable rise of what he calls Machina sapiens. Based on his view that artificial intelligence can be a net positive for humanity—provided it’s managed correctly—Jennings warns against leaving decisions up to irresponsible parties, among whom he includes rogue states, the Chinese government, and Big Tech. Finding the U.S.’s lack of a national AI policy 'both remarkable and negligent,' Jennings calls for a 'new American technology story,' in which development is spearheaded not by private companies but by the federal government, possibly using independent monitoring bodies similar to the Atomic Energy Commission. He also brainstorms ideas for new entrepreneurial tools, encourages state and city governments to crank up AI-centered economic development, and, in general, leans his optimism on the potential of well-informed, self-directed individuals—he points to trucking and security as examples of American business sectors approaching AI with positivity rather than fear. . . . [Jennings] provides a substantial framework to support readers’ thinking about tech regulation.

Publishers Weekly

Highly Recommended - Jennings, well known in the field of AI, looks at key AI issues humanity will face in the coming decades. One of his main themes is that AI-based technologies will be unpredictable and risky, a position he supports with extensive examples and research by leading scientists. Like many other high-impact technologies, AI will be impossible to control. Even if such control were possible, scientists do not know how to implement limiting mechanisms. For example, the implementation of ethical systems is notoriously difficult. Jennings discusses in detail work funded by governments of many countries to strengthen artificial intelligence research. The AI clock is ticking increasingly fast, and the existential AI crisis major governments face is undeniable. Jennings discusses how AI impacts economies, military organizations, business, and education. Many possible scenarios are dystopian. According to some visionaries, the AI explosion that will create unimaginable powers—aka the singularity event—will happen at the end of the next decade. On the plus side, one of the brightest areas of AI application will be in education, where smart algorithms will figure out how to teach most effectively. Both important and highly entertaining, this volume will be valuable to anyone interested in current and future political and technological issues.

Choice Reviews