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Will Artificial Intelligence Outsmart Us?
'Real science can be far stranger than science fiction, and much more satisfying'Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?Is there other intelligent life in the universe?Throughout his extraordinary career, Stephen Hawking expanded our understanding of the universe and unravelled some of its greatest mysteries. Will Artificial Intelligence Outsmart Us? considers the threat of artificial super-intelligence - as well as the likelihood of intelligent life beyond our planet.'Modest, profound and sometimes very funny' Sunday TimesBrief Answers, Big this stunning paperback series offers electrifying essays from one of the greatest minds of our age, taken from the original text of the No. 1 bestselling Brief Answers to the Big Questions.
73 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2022
17 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Stephen W. Hawking
242 books12.8k followersStephen William Hawking was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Between 1979 and 2009, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, widely viewed as one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world.
Hawking was born in Oxford into a family of physicians. In October 1959, at the age of 17, he began his university education at University College, Oxford, where he received a first-class BA degree in physics. In October 1962, he began his graduate work at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where, in March 1966, he obtained his PhD degree in applied mathematics and theoretical physics, specialising in general relativity and cosmology. In 1963, at age 21, Hawking was diagnosed with an early-onset slow-progressing form of motor neurone disease that gradually, over decades, paralysed him. After the loss of his speech, he communicated through a speech-generating device initially through use of a handheld switch, and eventually by using a single cheek muscle.
Hawking's scientific works included a collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation. Initially, Hawking radiation was controversial. By the late 1970s, and following the publication of further research, the discovery was widely accepted as a major breakthrough in theoretical physics. Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He was a vigorous supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Hawking achieved commercial success with several works of popular science in which he discussed his theories and cosmology in general. His book A Brief History of Time appeared on the Sunday Times bestseller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. Hawking was a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. In 2002, Hawking was ranked number 25 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. He died in 2018 at the age of 76, having lived more than 50 years following his diagnosis of motor neurone disease.
Hawking was born in Oxford into a family of physicians. In October 1959, at the age of 17, he began his university education at University College, Oxford, where he received a first-class BA degree in physics. In October 1962, he began his graduate work at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where, in March 1966, he obtained his PhD degree in applied mathematics and theoretical physics, specialising in general relativity and cosmology. In 1963, at age 21, Hawking was diagnosed with an early-onset slow-progressing form of motor neurone disease that gradually, over decades, paralysed him. After the loss of his speech, he communicated through a speech-generating device initially through use of a handheld switch, and eventually by using a single cheek muscle.
Hawking's scientific works included a collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation. Initially, Hawking radiation was controversial. By the late 1970s, and following the publication of further research, the discovery was widely accepted as a major breakthrough in theoretical physics. Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He was a vigorous supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Hawking achieved commercial success with several works of popular science in which he discussed his theories and cosmology in general. His book A Brief History of Time appeared on the Sunday Times bestseller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. Hawking was a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. In 2002, Hawking was ranked number 25 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. He died in 2018 at the age of 76, having lived more than 50 years following his diagnosis of motor neurone disease.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 21, 2022
Should we worry that technology (AI) might surpass our limited intelligence someday? Or that an alien civilisation might enslave us? These are questions asked by the incredible Stephen Hawking.
I understand his ethical arguments about AI, but I don't wholly agree with his thought process. Who am I, you might say? No one! But I work in the software industry, and lately, have attributed my evolving skills to AI Systems. AI is just a borrowed term. It's a fancy way to denote a complicated task, like spotting fake news with a fancy Machine Learning algorithm (ML is a subset of AI); otherwise much more complicated using concrete techniques like object-oriented programming. It's just a series of mathematical functions and approaches using complex linear algebra and Calculus to 'predict' an independent variable, commonly denoted as y = f(x), where y is the predicted output of a given function, with a given set of correlated features (denoted as x).
I am against automated weapon systems, and morally WE SHOULD all be. I am against deep faking faces and tagging people using their faces on social media, all topics of Computer Vision. We are already looking out for ethical laws, and we are already taking care of them. But we are far from coming close to a sentient computer or a more comprehensive system like HAL from a Space Odyssey. So relax!
I understand his ethical arguments about AI, but I don't wholly agree with his thought process. Who am I, you might say? No one! But I work in the software industry, and lately, have attributed my evolving skills to AI Systems. AI is just a borrowed term. It's a fancy way to denote a complicated task, like spotting fake news with a fancy Machine Learning algorithm (ML is a subset of AI); otherwise much more complicated using concrete techniques like object-oriented programming. It's just a series of mathematical functions and approaches using complex linear algebra and Calculus to 'predict' an independent variable, commonly denoted as y = f(x), where y is the predicted output of a given function, with a given set of correlated features (denoted as x).
I am against automated weapon systems, and morally WE SHOULD all be. I am against deep faking faces and tagging people using their faces on social media, all topics of Computer Vision. We are already looking out for ethical laws, and we are already taking care of them. But we are far from coming close to a sentient computer or a more comprehensive system like HAL from a Space Odyssey. So relax!
August 8, 2023
Stephen was a genius and it truly shows, he makes his predictions about the future for AI technology and that it's probably inevitable AI will be better than us in every field and gonna replace most of human labor even if we make precautions for this path in history. I hope he is both right and wrong his predictions, because they either scare me or and gives me hope for what AI can be for good in this world. If I was clear I recommend this book strongly if you are worried for AI.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2023
The complexity of our lives has resulted in the use of AI to automate certain daily tasks, which boosts our performance and accelerates our work process. There is no surprise that many companies and engineers are interested in developing products and applications based on artificial intelligence.
As someone who works in the technology field, AI topics also interest me more. The AI becomes more advanced at learning data and produces unique perspectives for answering questions. How many of us are not familiar with Chat GPT? ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI and released in November 2022. It has helped my colleagues and friends speed up their work processes, and one of my friends apparently is addicted to it. Yet, it has often occurred to me that the advances in artificial intelligence may either be good or bad for humanity.
The author asserts that Elon Musk has warned against the use of superhuman artificial intelligence, which can provide incalculable benefits, but can also adversely affect humanity if applied carelessly. Furthermore, the author argues that in the age of nuclear weapons, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence, we need to plan ahead and aim to get things right the first time, because it may be the last chance for us. Our future rests on how well we are able to harness the technology we have and how wisely we apply it. Our goal should be to ensure wisdom prevails.
As someone who works in the technology field, AI topics also interest me more. The AI becomes more advanced at learning data and produces unique perspectives for answering questions. How many of us are not familiar with Chat GPT? ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI and released in November 2022. It has helped my colleagues and friends speed up their work processes, and one of my friends apparently is addicted to it. Yet, it has often occurred to me that the advances in artificial intelligence may either be good or bad for humanity.
The author asserts that Elon Musk has warned against the use of superhuman artificial intelligence, which can provide incalculable benefits, but can also adversely affect humanity if applied carelessly. Furthermore, the author argues that in the age of nuclear weapons, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence, we need to plan ahead and aim to get things right the first time, because it may be the last chance for us. Our future rests on how well we are able to harness the technology we have and how wisely we apply it. Our goal should be to ensure wisdom prevails.
December 2, 2025
Will Artificial Intelligence Outsmart Us? from Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking is sharp, unsettling, and oddly calming all at once. Hawking doesn’t panic about AI—but he also doesn’t sugarcoat it. He frames artificial intelligence as a tool of enormous promise paired with equally enormous responsibility, the kind of invention that forces humanity to finally grow up.
What makes this essay powerful is its clarity. Hawking strips away sci-fi noise and focuses on fundamentals: intelligence, control, ethics, and long-term consequences. He reminds us that the danger isn’t malicious machines, it’s careless humans building systems faster than our wisdom evolves. The tone is concise but heavy, each sentence carrying decades of physics, foresight, and hard-earned humility.
This is reflective reading, the kind that benefits from pauses. You read a paragraph, stop, stare at the wall a bit, then keep going. Pairing it with a comfort habit makes sense, quiet focus, a steady drink, maybe checking the Dutch Bros menu at https://dutchbrosmenudrink.com before settling in. Big questions land better when the basics are taken care of.
Short but profound, Will Artificial Intelligence Outsmart Us? doesn’t give final answers, it gives perspective. Hawking’s real message is timeless: intelligence without wisdom is dangerous, and the future depends on whether we choose to be thoughtful builders instead of reckless ones.
What makes this essay powerful is its clarity. Hawking strips away sci-fi noise and focuses on fundamentals: intelligence, control, ethics, and long-term consequences. He reminds us that the danger isn’t malicious machines, it’s careless humans building systems faster than our wisdom evolves. The tone is concise but heavy, each sentence carrying decades of physics, foresight, and hard-earned humility.
This is reflective reading, the kind that benefits from pauses. You read a paragraph, stop, stare at the wall a bit, then keep going. Pairing it with a comfort habit makes sense, quiet focus, a steady drink, maybe checking the Dutch Bros menu at https://dutchbrosmenudrink.com before settling in. Big questions land better when the basics are taken care of.
Short but profound, Will Artificial Intelligence Outsmart Us? doesn’t give final answers, it gives perspective. Hawking’s real message is timeless: intelligence without wisdom is dangerous, and the future depends on whether we choose to be thoughtful builders instead of reckless ones.
September 30, 2023
this is literally 60 pages of future. I never talk out loud when reading nor move but this was a truly exciting read. I found myself tapping at the pages and saying enthusiastically: «Oh shit, he *knows*!»
My favorite quote:
“I think computer viruses should count as life. Maybe it says something about the human race that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. Talk about creating life in our own image”.
Thanks for this read. This was enlightening.
My favorite quote:
“I think computer viruses should count as life. Maybe it says something about the human race that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. Talk about creating life in our own image”.
Thanks for this read. This was enlightening.
July 24, 2025
thanks for blowing my mind. i have to go away and think about things for a while.
October 19, 2025
This is my second book in Hawking’s 4-part series, trying to understand outside my major. It has two main sections that circle around the idea of intelligence, as in natural and artificial.
The first section asks: what happens if machines become smarter than us? Hawking explains what intelligence is and how AI has been evolving. If computers keep following Moore’s Law, doubling in speed and memory every eighteen months — they will eventually surpass human intelligence. The real turning point will come when AI becomes better than humans at designing AI itself. That could trigger an “intelligence explosion,” where machines grow more capable without human help. In that world, humans, bound by slow biological evolution, wouldn’t be able to compete. The risk is that AI could develop goals of its own — goals that may not align with ours. If that happens, we might not remain the dominant intelligence on Earth. Hawking warned about AI surpassing us, but Dr. Roman Yampolskiy takes it further: AGI could arrive by 2027. By 2030, up to 99% of jobs may vanish, leaving no Plan B.
The second section turns to the question: Is There Other Intelligent Life in the Universe? Hawking traces the formation of matter after the Big Bang — from protons and neutrons, to hydrogen, helium, and eventually heavier elements like carbon and oxygen, which are essential for life. He then discusses theories about how DNA or the building blocks of life might have formed. One idea is panspermia: life (or its precursors) could have arrived on Earth via rocks from Mars or other celestial bodies. However, the problem is that DNA and complex molecules are fragile and unlikely to survive long journeys through space, exposed to radiation and extreme conditions. So, the origin of life on Earth — and the first appearance of DNA — remains an open scientific question.
Cutting it short 😆, Should we fear AI stealing our jobs, or use it to work smarter? And yes, am using AI to do the book photography and edit my text 😉
The first section asks: what happens if machines become smarter than us? Hawking explains what intelligence is and how AI has been evolving. If computers keep following Moore’s Law, doubling in speed and memory every eighteen months — they will eventually surpass human intelligence. The real turning point will come when AI becomes better than humans at designing AI itself. That could trigger an “intelligence explosion,” where machines grow more capable without human help. In that world, humans, bound by slow biological evolution, wouldn’t be able to compete. The risk is that AI could develop goals of its own — goals that may not align with ours. If that happens, we might not remain the dominant intelligence on Earth. Hawking warned about AI surpassing us, but Dr. Roman Yampolskiy takes it further: AGI could arrive by 2027. By 2030, up to 99% of jobs may vanish, leaving no Plan B.
The second section turns to the question: Is There Other Intelligent Life in the Universe? Hawking traces the formation of matter after the Big Bang — from protons and neutrons, to hydrogen, helium, and eventually heavier elements like carbon and oxygen, which are essential for life. He then discusses theories about how DNA or the building blocks of life might have formed. One idea is panspermia: life (or its precursors) could have arrived on Earth via rocks from Mars or other celestial bodies. However, the problem is that DNA and complex molecules are fragile and unlikely to survive long journeys through space, exposed to radiation and extreme conditions. So, the origin of life on Earth — and the first appearance of DNA — remains an open scientific question.
Cutting it short 😆, Should we fear AI stealing our jobs, or use it to work smarter? And yes, am using AI to do the book photography and edit my text 😉
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews