God AI: Boom or Doom? What to Expect When Machines Outsmart Us
About this ebook
Our fears about artificial general intelligence go deep. They touch on our very identity as thinking, feeling creatures, and on our place in the universe. Are we creating our own successor? And might this creation be a god?
In this vital contribution, leading researcher and author Professor Toby Walsh explores the existential risks posed by our accelerating efforts to realise an AI-powered future. While AI models are leading to the development of wondrous technologies such as potentially life-saving drugs, they are also disrupting the lives of millions across the globe by rapidly reshaping our relationships with work and with one another. But there are also clear risks that powerful AI threatens our very existence as a species.
In an increasingly fractured world, what happens when AI hits the singularity and gains the ability to recursively self-improve? Could we so fully outsource our own thinking to AI that we make ourselves obsolete? Could machines become so intelligent that it is game over for humanity?
With his typical lucidity and humour, Walsh explores the issues, evaluates the dangers and considers what we can do to prevent AI harms before it is too late.
‘If you only read one book about what happens when machines get smarter than us, make it this one. This is the guide you want for the scariest journey in human history.’ —Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
'With a light touch and plenty of insight, God Al is a clear-eyed overview of the current state of the Al debate . . . Walsh outlines a future where the only certainty is change. His conclusion - that Al will reflect humanity's values and flaws - is reassuring and disturbing in equal measure.' —Books+Publishing
Table of contents
Introduction: Genesis
Boom or Doom?
A Cambrian Explosion
Super Intelligence
The Singularity
X-Risk
AI Extinction
Limits
Machines of Loving Grace
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About the author
Toby Walsh is one of the world's leading researchers in artificial intelligence. He is a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales and chief scientist at its AI institute, UNSW.ai. He is the author of five books about AI, including Machines Behaving Badly, Faking It and, most recently, The Shortest History of AI. His forthcoming book is God AI.
