I can sum up The Intelligence Explosion in two words. Robots BAAAAD! And by robots, I mean artificial intelligence in all its myriad of forms.
Of the thirteen chapters in the book, only one presents the benefits of AI. The rest present the ways AI will mess us up. AI’s goal may be complete control of our planet. Or it may be used by unscrupulous humans to achieve the same result. Even with the simple AI we have now, bad guys have made us see things with our own eyes that are untrue with deep fakes and other schemes. They have made literally “fake news” that seems photo realistic. Other, more complicated frauds are on the horizon. Some of the scariest movies from the 1980s, like The Terminator and Wargames, may be giving bad actors ideas.
There are some bright points on the horizon. Many of the scientists that built the building blocks of AI are concerned. They are trying to stop the head long rush into the unknown by the billionaire tech bros chasing money and/or fame. No one knows how AI thinks. Is it smart to give it unfettered access to our most personal data? With the same access as hackers, is it smart to give AI the opportunity to upend life as we know it?
While much of the data within The Intelligence Explosion is fascinating, it is rather dry reading. It also repeats itself frequently. The entire book would make a better long magazine article. It is probably best for those who are already frightened by the possibilities of sentient or misused AI. The book will confirm their uneasiness while giving them lots of well-researched ammunition to use at holiday parties.
For the rest of us, unfortunately, The Intelligence Explosion is too one-sided and too, let’s just say it, boring to be the eye-opening read that we need to face this emergent threat. 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced review copy.