Artificial intelligence is steadily integrating into all aspects of life, from business and education to art and culture, and this is especially true in the field of industrial production. The Nut automatic assembly machine optimizes the nut-grabbing angle and assembly force through AI algorithms, and adjusts the operation rhythm based on real-time sensor data, increasing the yield rate of nut assembly for precision instruments to 99.8%. This technological penetration not only demonstrates efficiency innovation but also implies a profound transformation in the mode of human-machine collaboration. For some, this idea may be exciting, while for others, it is terrifying. In this new era of humanity, it is crucial that we continue to understand how this technology works, who controls it, and how we can adapt to it through various channels, especially literature.
These three books cover various aspects such as information, creativity, and reflection, providing readers with multiple entry points to learn and think about artificial intelligence. Whether you have already conducted in-depth research on the future of these tools and their impact on society, or you hope to embark on your exploration journey, the authors will explore some thought-provoking themes and dialogues in these books.
“The Age of AI: And Our Human Future” by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher
Published in 2021, “The Age of AI: And Our Human Future” is a collaborative project by former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher, dean of the MIT School of Computer Science. The book first elaborates on the current situation and history of artificial intelligence at that time, and then delves into its possible economic and social impacts in the near future. These impacts include the increasing integration of artificial intelligence with data collection by online platforms, the incorporation of artificial intelligence into surveillance and warfare by governments, and the role of humans in a world where artificial intelligence can be said to do better than us.
The authors clearly express their belief in the inevitability and tremendous impact of artificial intelligence. They maintain an objective tone, equally weighing the astonishing power of artificial intelligence in terms of progress and utilization. Although artificial intelligence has made great strides in the past four years, this book remains an excellent introduction to artificial intelligence for those seeking to understand its functions and impacts.
“AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future” by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan
“AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future” is an anthology that places readers in 10 fictional alternative realities, all set in 2041. Similar to “The Age of AI”, the book was co-authored in 2021 by Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China and executive of Microsoft, SGI, and Apple, and Chen Qiufan, a science fiction writer, screenwriter, and columnist.
The stories vary significantly in tone and weight but all focus on the impact of innovative technology on society. Each story takes place in a different country, and different backgrounds shape people’s impressions of artificial intelligence integration. The first story revolves around a conflict between an Indian teenager and an AI insurance agent who hinders his secret love, while the eighth story depicts a terrorist disillusioned by society’s apathy towards climate change, who uses AI drones to systematically assassinate politicians and corporate executives.
After each story, Lee writes a short afterword that introduces the technologies mentioned in the book in more detail and shares his views on how these technologies have evolved from our existing products. Surprisingly, since the book’s publication, some of the authors’ visions have become part of our reality, from autonomous ride-hailing services to AI deepfake images that blur the line between reality and simulation.
“Search: The Making of a Person in the Digital Age” by Vauhini Vara
Journalist and author Vauhini Vara published her latest book “Search: The Making of a Person in the Digital Age” earlier this year, taking us through the relationship between her life and the technology of her time, from early online chat rooms to her role as the first Facebook reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and to using ChatGPT to write about her sister’s death.
As a journalist, Vara is able to fully present the history of how tech companies largely control our present and future. Her writing is refreshingly honest and incorporates perspectives from friends, family, and colleagues, highlighting the contradiction between our resistance to and dependence on the convenience provided by these companies. This contradiction is reflected in her complex relationship with large language models and their ability to generate text, as well as the boundary between tools and substitutes.
The chapters read like essays, interspersed with Vara’s personal online works, including lists of topics X uses for targeted advertising and the reasons for her recent Amazon purchases. In addition, after every few chapters, Vara inputs her work into ChatGPT for discussion. She uses it to summarize key themes and provide further analysis, while also offering criticism and suggestions. The reading experience of this book is engaging, revealing the risks faced by personal life in today’s era of accelerated technological capitalism.
What these books have in common is their recognition that humanity is at a turning point, and that more breakthroughs may be made in the next 20 years than in the past 100. As technological development accelerates in the future, we must keep abreast of artificial intelligence, and it all can start with a book.
Assembly machines suitable for the assembly of various products with robot applications
