The Digital Ape: How to Live (in Peace) with Smart Machines

by Nigel Shadbolt, Roger Hampson

The smart-machines revolution is reshaping our lives and our societies. Here, Sir Nigel Shadbolt, one of the world's leading authorities on artificial intelligence, and Roger Hampson dispel terror, confusion, and misconception. We are not about to be elbowed aside by a rebel army of super-intelligent robots of our own creation. We were using tools before we became Homo sapiens , and will continue to build and master them, no matter how complicated they become. How we exercise that control--in our private lives, in employment, in politics--and make the best of the wonderful opportunities, will determine our collective future well-being.

Chapter by chapter, The Digital Ape outline how our choices and the use and adaptation of the tools we've created can lead to opportunities for the environment (both built and natural), health, and our security. Shadbolt and Hampson are uniquely well-suited to draw on historical precedent and technical know-how to offer a vision of the future that is exciting, rather than nerve-wracking, to contemplate.

360 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2019

Reviews

[Terry Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the evolution of digital tools, machines and resources and the impact of these tools on humans. The authors pose some thought-provoking questions about the choices we face and the future trajectories it all could take.

[Adam Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of interesting, digestible ideas and insights, that nicely blends together elements of biology, philosophy and technology. Could at times be a little challenging to read, not because it was too technical, but due to the authors' habit of indulging in tangents that were often unnecessary.