The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future: The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the ultimate AI insider Hardcover – 7 Sept. 2023

This is a must-read. Written by an expert but not technical; It describes what AI can and will do and also deals with the risks. We are on the brink of a second industrial revolution. Its effects are already being seen. Desk jobs will go. Politicians and anyone involved in industry or commerce should read this book.In a long life and having read many books, this is one of the most important and among the best.

There were two things that drew me to reading The Coming Wave. Firstly, that it was written by someone actively involved in the development of AI over the last decade. The second was that having only been released last autumn, it hopefully wasn't too out of date yet. At the current rate of progress, this isn't a given.There are two main technologies that Mustafa Suleyman tells us are propelling the coming wave, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Synthetic Biology (SynBio). He also touches a little on Quantum Computing in relation to these topics, but if you are after a more in-depth view on this subject, you should really look elsewhere.At £10.99 for the Kindle edition, this isn't a cheap book. In fact, I don't think I've ever paid that much for a non-technical eBook before. However, due to its content a book of this type is likely to date very quickly, so the publishers probably want a return on their investment sooner rather than later.Suleyman accepts some liability for what is about to be unleashed and is part of a growing voice wanting to temper the rapid changes happening around us. Yes, the potential benefits of AI and SynBio are likely to be life changing, but there will always be downsides. From out-of-control AIs and acts of bioterrorism to the breakdown of the nation state as we know it.This leads to the latter part of the book which tries to look ahead to the short and medium term. It's really a thought exercise on approaches for reining in these technologies. How can we get the benefits without the potentially devastating drawbacks? How can we ensure bad actors don't gain access to the more powerful AIs?It's an eye-opening book in many ways, although it does take the shine off the current advances in AI to a degree. Whilst I'd love to think that there could be a global consensus on how to deal with these technologies going forward, the sceptic in me thinks it won't happen until something untoward forces us to.Would I recommend reading The Coming Wave? Yes, I would. Overall, it's an insightful and thought provoking read, that doesn't require any prior knowledge of AI or SynBio. However, be prepared to slog though some sections where the author seems to get bogged down. Oh, and try not to worry about our potential dystopian future too much.

This is the book that everyone with an interest in the future should read. The book is written by an author who understands is subject from first hand experience and the implications of the changes AI will bring in the near future.Explaining the changes, some for the better in medical advances and some that will possibly be of concern when science invents computers that are self learning faster than we can understand.

Written by the founder of Deep Mind, you have to take note of this perspective. However, as a layperson, it’s a bit dry, and a bit repetitive. I feel better informed on a strategic level, but this is not an entertaining, page-turning read, in fact it becomes a bit of a grind.

I made the awful mistake of reading this directly after Huxley's A Brave New World. They pair well together if you intend to give up on humanity and go live in the woods.The tone is serious, invoking images of plausible apocalyptic and dystopian hypothetical futures in turn.Yet it manages still to be constructive, a guide to the possible near-future, a warning to be sure, but never merely that. Suleyman's proximity to the subject is evident and well-used, as he shares his personal experience in directly with the challenges that he presents, as well in as the history of his field and the development of the alignment/containment problem that he describes. This should be essential reading for policy makers and technologists alike, the world over. I can't recommend this book enough. Just don't read Huxley first.

Very good but not as good as Tie Stories by Tom H.H. Kelly.