This Post Has 8 Comments

1. A must read; AI insider perspective
   I read this book in a day, and even as an industry insider, learned/gained new perspective. Parmy’s storytelling, fast-paced writing, engaging structure alternating between the two main characters, AI industry shapers—Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis CEO of DeepMind—provided unique context on leaders shaping our future. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about AI and the future! Parmy highlights today’s and tomorrow’s issues and the questions we all need to be asking.

   Reply

2. A timely examination of the people behind the AI revolution
   When much of the writing on AI these days seems to be be either fawning or foreboding, this book offers some much-needed sobriety on the topic. Olson is skeptical but not cynical — a key quality when both the huge upsides and downsides of this emerging tech.The book brings you up to speed on important questions about the world we now inhibit and the people responsible for our future. Who is behind OpenAI, DeepMind and others? How did they get here? What do they want? What are they capable of?This book recognises the enormous talents of entrepreneurs like Demis Hassabis and Sam Altman, while remembering that they are only human and will be prone to mistakes, often thanks to the pressures of competition.If you’ve read Olson’s “We Are Anonymous” you’ll know what to expect here: an entertaining, accessible read pulled together with precise, deiligent reporting and deep sourcing. Highly recommended.

   Reply

3. Timely and important
   “The idea of an extinction threat from AI was becoming a fixture in public discourse, so much so that you could bring it up with your in-laws at dinner and they’d be nodding along at its importance,” as Parmy Olson writes in this timely and important book. But she claims that this whole “AI doom” narrative is only a deliberate distraction, designed to divert our attention from real problems that machine learning algorithms were causing, such as reinforcement of bias and growing influence of Big Tech.To make her case, the author uses parallel biographies of two of the most important players in the field: Sam Altman, the creator of OpenAI, and Demis Hassabis, the CEO of DeepMind. Their stories sound disturbingly familiar: they begin with high ideals and talk of creating a better world, and end with a lack of transparency and dominance by the largest technology companies. Wasn’t Facebook also purportedly created to connect people? And Google’s motto was “don’t be evil”?“Imagine if a pharmaceutical company released a new drug with no clinical trials and said it was testing the medication on the wider public. Or a food company released an experimental preservative with little scrutiny. That was how large tech firms were about to start deploying large language models to the public, because in their race to profit from such powerful tools, there were zero regulatory standards to follow”, writes Olson.As we are on the verge of an AI revolution, it is very important to know what we are dealing with. This book provides plenty of facts and some very strong arguments, so I would urge everyone to read it.Thanks to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

   Reply

4. A Fascinating Must Read!
   I read this book in a single weekend – I couldn’t put it down! “If you wanted to conduct scientific research on a disease like Alzheimer’s, you could go to a university on the East Coast or in Europe. But if you wanted to reverse aging, you went to Silicon Valley.” The author does an incredible job of giving context and motivation behind two of the most important figures in AI – with compelling stories, well-researched backgrounds, and an approachable narrative that everyone should read. Supremacy is both thought-provoking and fascinating and provides an insightful look at one of the most formative technologies of our time.

   Reply

5. A precise and detailed history of the last 15 years advancement in AI
   This is a gentle introduction to the AI revolution.People not familiar with AI will benefit the most, as the book is very accurate but avoids too complicated technical lingo.Even people with an AI background will enjoy the read, because in order to understand Altman and Hassabis drive you need to understand their personality and their personal history.Great book!

   Reply

6. Stevo’s Business Book of the Week
   As Stevo’s Novel Ideas, I am a long-time book reviewer, member of the media, an Influencer, and a content provider. I received this book as a review copy from either the author, the publisher or a publicist. I have not been compensated for this recommendation. I have selected it as Stevo’s Business Book of the Week for the week of 9/29, as it stands heads above other recently published books on this topic.

   Reply

7. What a future we are headed for
   This is a very timely book because it deals with issues that will affect most of us over the coming years. It is clear that 1st world countries are going to continue widening their gap with 3rd world countries in the race for AI and advanced technology. Each decade we seem to be moving faster and faster in this field. The people pushing it or leading depending on how you view their motives, have big egos and lots of money behind them. The author does a good job of keeping everything as current as possible. It does appear to me that the author, at times, sides with one person over the others and the work, or influence, outside this topic is not fully developed. The people at the top have their agendas and are going to use this new technology to further their own goals. I highly recommend this book if you have any interest in what is being developed and by whom.

   Reply

8. Parmy Olson writes about complex themes in an accessible and thoroughly enjoyable manner. Supremacy reads like a science fiction novel all the while backed by serious sources and references. Throughly enjoyed it and recommend it if you’re at all curious about how AI came to be and where it’s heading!

   Reply