Recommended reading

Future Shock by Alvin Toeffler

Sam says: “This book presents such an interesting, informative, and imaginative perspective, even though it was published more than 50 years ago (1970)! The author coined the term “future shock” — like a culture shock but when it’s the speed of technological change that makes you feel disoriented. I loved the bold predictions that he made, even that people would live in underwater cities (not yet?!) I also enjoyed his discussions on the way shifting work patterns influence societal patterns and vice versa. It’s a really accessible book with pretty straightforward writing and limited jargon.”

You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane

Sam says: “If I could credit one book with making me wish I could code, it would be this one! I love Janelle Shane’s fun experiments, like teaching AI to tell knock-knock jokes, and asking it come up with ice cream flavours. It’s also good to see that AI isn’t as all-powerful as the companies invested in it would have us believe, and there’s still a long (and humorous!) way to go until the robots take over.”

Move Fast and Break Things by Jonathan Taplin

Hello World: How to Be Human in the Age of the Machine by Hannah Fry

Sam says: “I remember reading Freakonomics back in college, and to me, this book is the perfect update, with its focus on the way algorithms govern our daily lives. The discussion on algorithms in the justice system was particularly eye-opening for me and made me question where else decisions might be better made by machines. Hannah Fry has a gift for talking about complex topics in an easy to understand and relatable way, and I would actually recommend getting the audiobook for this one, because the warmth and humour in her stories comes out best narrated in her own voice.”

Inside the AI factory, Today Explained

Thinking Intelligently about AI, by Margaret Boden

The promise and challenges of AI, American Psychological Association

Artificial intelligence and your child’s education, Lawrence Brown (op-ed)

What an Endless Conversation with Werner Herzog Can Teach Us about AI, Scientific American

The End of High-School English, The Atlantic

How Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Affect Children? HealthyChildren.org

AI could make more work for us, instead of simplifying our lives, The Conversation

Responsible AI: The business risk of doing AI badly is too high, Verdict

What America’s top economists are saying about AI and inequality, NPR