The stories are terrific. Kai Fu used his extensive contacts and knowledge network as well as his own incredible depth and breadth of knowledge to think through a roadmap for what he expects AI capabilities will be 20 years from now. He bases his imagination-based forecasting on ongoing actual AI R&D developments, things currently being done by AI start-ups in China, US and other countries, and by his own very well-informed judgement on how to extrapolate today’s current state-of-best-industry-practice with deploying AI to what should realistically be possible at scale 20 years from now.
Except - the book does not present this roadmap per say. Rather, the book conveys this information in a much more interesting, imaginative, and highly contextualized way. Based on Kai-Fu’s roadmap and undoubtedly based on intensive conversations and collaborative review with Kai Fu, the science fiction writer Chen Qiufan (aka Stanley Chan) creates 10 stories. Each story is a remarkably high-fidelity portrayal of real, every-day life in the year 2041. The use of AI capabilities at that future point in time is just part of how things happen, woven into the fabric of what everyday reality is, though 20 years from now.
Each story revolves around capabilities enabled by a few key AI areas. In this sense, each story has a very focused set of themes it elaborates per AI capabilities. At the same time, the stories are not about the AI per say. Each story is deeply and realistically contextualized so that it is about selected aspects of human life, experience, and interaction, as well as the surrounding human social and political environment in the year 2041. The way each story is crafted, certain AI capabilities are deeply interwoven into what life is like and how things happen. Through the collection of stories, the reader can tangibly grasp and vividly experience how AI will very plausibly be changing the way we live and the nature of our lives and interactions across our personal and work-related dimensions.
After each story, Kai Fu gives his analysis of the AI capabilities highlighted in that story. This part is non-fiction. Kai Fu gives his views on where certain AI capabilities will be (those highlighted or implied in that story), and why he thinks this is the case. This supporting analysis, written in an easily understandable and accessible way, is a terrifically informative complement to each of the seemingly very real science fiction stories crafted by Qiufan. The post-story analysis helps to reinforce key points on how the AI capabilities featured in the story are likely to evolve over the next two decades.
This really is story telling at its best. It is the best effort I have come across to help one envision and nearly experience how aspects of everyday life and work and the broader social/political environment are likely to be 20 years from now because of the pervasive usage of increasingly capable AI . Yet, there are no assumptions of magic or miracles per future AI capabilities when they envision these human-centric stories set in a future setting. The projections of capabilities 20 years into the future are to a very large extent--- fact and reality based given what is already observable now across the spectrum of leading-edge research to state-of-the-industry-practice deployment. Of course, the two authors do allow themselves to do some very creative, though reality-grounded “imagineering” of this uncertain future, and this allows them to explore new possibilities of how people and society may function within the stories.
The approach this book takes of combining “evidence-based” science fiction with supporting post-story fact-based analysis on AI technology directions helps me to envision the forthcoming AI-permeated future 20 years from now better than anything else I have come across. I suspect you will feel likewise after you read this book.
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By contrast, in order for deep learning to function well, the following are required: massive amounts of relevant data, a narrow domain, and a concrete objective function to optimize.Highlighted by 717 Kindle readers- IT IS BETTER TO LIVE YOUR OWN DESTINY IMPERFECTLY THAN TO IMITATE SOMEBODY ELSE’S PERFECTLY.Highlighted by 537 Kindle readers
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Reviews with images
Intriguing narrative, page-turner, eye-opening AI technology
Strongly recommended! In short, if you want to learn about AI -- but also read REALLY GOOD science fiction -- then you really can't find a better book. I can't label this as either fiction or non-fiction, it's certainly one-of-its-kind and honestly couldn't be created by a team with less expertise in AI research and literary genius.I was most moved by the two authors' introduction. As author Chen Qiufan expresses with hope and sincerity in the opening to the book, "with every future we wish to create, we must first learn to imagine it." This is exactly THE book that will serve as a sturdy anchor to the ever-evolving turbulent reality, simultaneously letting your imagination soar high and bringing it back down to Earth.
Top reviews from other countries
Hussain A.
Surprisingly grounded and elaborate visions of the AI future
Reviewed in Canada on August 6, 2023Anderson R.
Excellent book! Totally recommended.
Reviewed in Brazil on October 22, 2021Christoph
Super Kombination aus Techvision und Science Fiction Romanen in 10 Geschichten!
Reviewed in Germany on February 26, 2024