How To Think About AI

Abstract

How to Think about AI: A Guide for the Perplexed explores the profound impact of artificial intelligence on humanity, addressing both its promises and risks. Beginning with his personal history and decades of experience in AI, Richard Susskind acknowledges the rapid advancements in the field, exemplified by systems like ChatGPT, and the challenges they pose to public debate. The book is structured into five parts, delving into understanding AI, encouraging different ways of thinking, practical applications, addressing risks, and contemplating future possibilities, including the prospect of conscious machines. It stresses the importance of balancing optimism with caution, urging that AI be discussed not only by technologists but by all sectors of society. Lastly, it positions AI as the defining challenge of our age, suggesting it will reshape industries, professions, and even human identity itself.