The coming wave - book overview

Ebook from the local library - The coming wave by Mustafa Suleyman, published 2023. The book has had a host of good reviews from the technology industry and as such, provides a perspective into how the people who develop AI and other future technologies, understand the world. Its a percursor to the up coming book by Yuval Noah Harari - Nexus - which, from the marketing blurb, has a similar argument. See Nexus book chapter sample on Guardian.com - which warns on not summoning a power that we are not able to control. 

As with many offerings from the tech industry, there are youtube videos summarising the book's premises.

The main argument is that AI and biological synthesis, will rapidly change the world that we currently know. Many are not ready for the consequences and many do not understand the fundamental science, underpinning these technologies. 

Of importance is the need for 'containment' through better knowing how these technologies work. We are not able to hold things back, but need to ensure that there are sufficient guardrails and national/international policies, to not so much control, but to rein in the rapid developments currently happening. 

A good book to evaluate what is now happening and the background for the development of AI and biological synthesis. The book is written in approachable language and draws on current developments and examples.