Atlas AIEnergy, Politics and Artificial Intelligence Planet Costs
By Kate Crawford, Yale University Press £ 20 / $ 28
AI has been hailed as an amazing technology. But in this forensic book, Kate Crawford examines its social, political, and environmental costs. Read about how AI accelerates democratic governance and increases inequality.
Beyond: The amazing story of the first man to leave our planet and go into space
By Stephen Walker, William Collins £ 20 / Harper $ 29.99
To mark the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic space flight, Stephen Walker tells a white-collar story about the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States. According to Walker, the Soviets defeated the Americans in 23 days because of their expertise and high tolerance for rocket designer Sergei Koralev.
A thousand brainsNew Knowledge Theory
By Jeff Hawkins, Basic Books £ 22.99 / $ 30
In this fascinating book, Jeff Hawkins develops a new theory of human reasoning and the recurring debate between the old instinctual mind and the thinking box in mammals neocortex. Hawkins explores the consequences of creating truly intelligent robots, which can be achieved in decades.
2021 Books of the Year.
This week, FT writers and critics share favorites. Some highlights are:
Monday: Business by Andrew Hill
Tuesday: Politics by Gideon Rachman
Wednesday: Economics by Martin Wolf
Thursday: Novel by Laura Battal
Friday: History by Tony Barber
Saturday: Choice of critics
DescriptiveHow technology is accelerating leaves us behind and what to do
By Azim Azhar Random Home Business £ 20 / Promotion $ 28.99
This book is hard to beat because of our recent multi-dimensional technological revolution and how it is rewriting the laws of society, economics and politics. As a guide on how to close the “expressive gap” between technology and society, it is not very convincing. But that is a bad problem.
AI 2041Ten visions for the future
By Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Kyufan, WH Allen £ 14.99 / Currency $ 30
What will the world look like in 2041? The former president of Google China is collaborating with the country’s top science fiction writers to imagine how life will change. In 10 mind-boggling short stories, they explore the possibilities that swing between the bright future of mankind and the vast majority of challenges and dangers.
Tell us what you think
What are your favorites from this list – and which books have we missed? Tell us in the comments below
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