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1. The ultimate duality of promise and risk.
   This is, without a doubt, the most absorbing book I have read this year. And the topic couldn’t be more timely or relevant to all of us.By way of housekeeping, the authors do not wander into the weeds of algorithms or the technical details of machine learning. The book is a conceptual analysis of the possible future of AIs relative to politics, security/warfare, prosperity, and science. That analysis, moreover, is thorough, incredibly insightful, and balanced. Few conclusions yet, for as the authors point out we are early in the journey. It is a journey, nonetheless, that is proceeding much faster than anyone expected.I admit that before starting the book I was expecting both a more assured assessment of the future and a decidedly more anthropomorphistic take on the technology itself. I naturally lean the other way. While I am enthralled by quantum physics and quite comfortable in the world of advanced mathematics, I naturally bring a contrarian’s suspicion to most topics. While I understand and admire technology for what it is, I am inclined to believe, as Freud said, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”Early in the book I thought the authors might prove me right. Not far into it, however, I realized I was decidedly mistaken. For authors who helped to shape, and were undoubtedly amply rewarded by, the tech revolution, I found them to be pleasantly balanced in their perspective. These are people who think deeply and conscientiously. There were hints at biased projection but that was ultimately brought back into a candid assessment of reality.My concern about AI has been less about its promise, or its risk, than in who is controlling its development and deployment. For now, it is the owners of capital, not the citizenry, and I have come to question their motives. They will invest in developing that AI which promises the greatest return on capital, not that which propels the world forward.In the forward, Niall Ferguson writes: “Technological advances can have both benign and malign consequences, depending on how we collectively decide to exploit them.” The problem is that “we” are deciding nothing when it comes to AI. That is all being decided by the owners of capital who may or may not share our collective values or even have our collective interests at heart. I fully expect that AI will release untold wealth. As it stands now, however, that wealth will accrue to a handful of people, not society at large.One of the most promising fountains of wealth creation is the development of AI-empowered weapons systems that are designed to think independently of human overseers. That is happening today. There are already people working diligently to develop autonomous weapons systems before the world at large has developed comprehensive guidelines for the technology’s application. That, to me, is frightful.I am particularly concerned because it has become commonplace, in our frenzied modern world, to oversimplify everything. The most relevant truth always exists in context and context is made up of a near-infinite number of variables, all inter-connected. If we oversimplify in the world of AI, we risk annihilation, or worse, enslavement.The authors write, “We are trying to build something modeled on the brain – and superior to the brain – while still not fully understanding the brain itself.” That is scary. Politicians do the same thing when it comes to the economy, and it seldom ends well.In the end, the philosophical dissonance that AI seems to generate, brings me back to a question asked since the beginning of time: “Does evil exist?” I don’t think so, but I’m not quite ready to let the capitalists take this ball and run without any constraints.A great book, extremely well written. It will make you think. I highly recommend it.

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2. There is no stopping this ai train
   Difficult to read at times. Big words made it more challenging. Wealth of knowledge for the future that is now.

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3. Profound Discourse on the future of AI
   This book made me stop and think about the future that my kids and grandkids will face. The AI revolution from AI 1.0 (i.e. machine learning : voice and face recognition in the mobile devices) through ChatGPT (LLM) to AGI and beyond has already changed our daily lives….A real deep book that I highly recommend.

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4. It’s a maze
   It’s a so-so book about a very important subject yet it’s abstract and feels like it’s lost in the maze of where do we go.

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5. Humans as Pets
   The science fiction novels I read 50 years ago are now becoming actual experience. This is the most important book I have read this year. Will AI bring heaven or hell? Will our own creations destroy us. Or will they rule over us? Will they someday rule the world doing all the work and making all the decisions? While keeping us as pets to feed and care for? Will they breed us turning us from wolves into lap dogs?

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6. Important issue in our near future
   Thorough discussion of a serious issue in our near future. Not complicated and lots of appropriate quotations. Highly recommend.

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7. thought provoking
   This is my second read on AI. The first was “Nexus” by Harari. Together they provide a good introduction to the subject, “Genesis” more philosophical and hopeful, “Nexus” more grounded and scary.My summary thinking at this point is that the rapid further development of AI is now inevitable, and humanity, as I see it, is most likely to mishandle it. Both books lay out the criteria for its success very well and very carefully. “Nexus” gives some specific examples, in the use by Totalitarian countries like Russia, and in the handling of race in the US. “Genesis” lays out quite fully the safeguards and recovery mechanisms that will be necessary for AI not to result in great harm to the human race.If AI in its most complete implementation overcomes all its obstacles, humanity will be lifted to another level.

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8. In depth AI assessment
   Excellent and in depth review of the status and challenges of AI and the ability to align humans and AI

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9. Just as no one is aware of when the soul enters the fetus, nor will AI be able to do as well. The soul is where our awareness and consciousness comes from. The beautiful and powerful way love’s magnetic power merges the body and soul into one, is one of the mysteries in this universe. Love is who we are. AI may eventually help us understand this.

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10. An interesting book no doubt which allows the reader an insight to AI (Artificial Intelligence). For my liking there is more than a whiff of religiosity and faith, not to mention all the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. The authors claim AI can resolve many of the current problems faced by humanity, but at what cost? Students are already using ChatGPT to answer simple problems. Already they are swapping over to the ‘better’ Chinese version called DeepSeek. Read this book yourself and decide whether or not letting Artificial Intelligence solve our problems is a good idea or not. Are the authors’ claims wishful thinking or is AI already the path we all must accept? I don’t know.

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11. J’ai été déçu de “Genesis” après avoir beaucoup apprécié “The Âge of AI”. Trop souvent on voit la métaphysique envahir l’IA, où elle ne devrait rien avoir à faire, c’est le cas de Genesis sur son dernier tiers.

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12. Hat meinem Mann sehr gefallen

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13. That Kissinger chose to make his final efforts at helping humankind navigate its destiny to consider AI is starkly troubling. Utopians and doomists can argue but his attention is almost prophetic.

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