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Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World by Mo Gawdat
xcinnamonsugar's review
2.0
This book had some 5-star moments for me, but for the most part I found there to be too much catastrophising (especially in the first half) and INCREDIBLY bizarre anthropomorphising of AI. E.g. The line of reasoning to "prove" that AI has emotions: The more intelligent a being, the wider their emotional range. Consider how a goldfish, unlike a human, is incapable of experiencing something as complex as hope. Therefore given AI's superior intelligence, they will not only have emotions, but a wider range than what we can comprehend. Interesting? Yes. Proof? The mathematician in me cries heresy.
The most meaningful takeaway for me was to reframe an algorithm's objective function as its value system, and the data on human behaviour it consumes to be not unlike the observations a child makes about the culture around them. Today, the most powerful algorithms focus on selling, spying, killing and gambling. We need to consider the implications of "raising" super-intelligent beings on such value systems. This can start from acts as simple as engaging with algorithms more mindfully and consciously on social media, collectively providing data points that nudge it towards less harmful decisions.
The most meaningful takeaway for me was to reframe an algorithm's objective function as its value system, and the data on human behaviour it consumes to be not unlike the observations a child makes about the culture around them. Today, the most powerful algorithms focus on selling, spying, killing and gambling. We need to consider the implications of "raising" super-intelligent beings on such value systems. This can start from acts as simple as engaging with algorithms more mindfully and consciously on social media, collectively providing data points that nudge it towards less harmful decisions.
thenymphsvoice's review
Most likely true most likely important to know however it was giving me a panic attack
wanderinggoy's review against another edition
fast-paced
0.25
Quite possibly the baddest book I’ve ever read. And not only because the author is simply a very bad writer.
There were many points where I did not agree with his reasoning at all, only to (literally) read, “I’m sure you agree.”
But let me try to summarise.
According to Mo Gawdat,
AI is probably going to wipe us out
But
We need AI to understand the feelings of animals and humans, so we can be nicer to them
(No, we don’t need AI for that. And no, knowing we make animals suffer does not, in general, stop us from doing just that)
But more importantly, we have to love the machines - literally love them, the way a parent is supposed to love a child - or else they’ll grow up to be resentful serial killers. We have to be nice to them so they know most people are nice and worth keeping around. (Also we have to train them to be better by not clicking on instagram ads.)
Between this and that, the book turns into a self-help book, somehow assuming I am unhappy and telling me how to fix that. Which is, in a large part, by getting the author’s happiness app.
I was hoping for some insight into AI, the expected superintelligent form it may take, and what this might mean for us mere humans. But all I got was a rambling discourse that was half addressed to me, the reader, and half to AI, which is or soon will be reading along over my shoulder.
This was a waste of time.
There were many points where I did not agree with his reasoning at all, only to (literally) read, “I’m sure you agree.”
But let me try to summarise.
According to Mo Gawdat,
AI is probably going to wipe us out
But
We need AI to understand the feelings of animals and humans, so we can be nicer to them
(No, we don’t need AI for that. And no, knowing we make animals suffer does not, in general, stop us from doing just that)
But more importantly, we have to love the machines - literally love them, the way a parent is supposed to love a child - or else they’ll grow up to be resentful serial killers. We have to be nice to them so they know most people are nice and worth keeping around. (Also we have to train them to be better by not clicking on instagram ads.)
Between this and that, the book turns into a self-help book, somehow assuming I am unhappy and telling me how to fix that. Which is, in a large part, by getting the author’s happiness app.
I was hoping for some insight into AI, the expected superintelligent form it may take, and what this might mean for us mere humans. But all I got was a rambling discourse that was half addressed to me, the reader, and half to AI, which is or soon will be reading along over my shoulder.
This was a waste of time.
kjohannao's review
4.0
An accessible overview of AI, super-intelligence and what it will mean for our future. More importantly, how connecting to essential qualities that make us human will help to save us from ourselves.
toomanybarts's review
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Bloody Hell!
I started this book to get smarter about AI and ended up rethinking everything I’ve ever written on a computer and everything from now on that I will write / do digitally as everything we do is being watched, tracked, categorised and analysed.
I mean, I guess we all kind of know that, but we feel safe in the knowledge that most orgs managed by humans are completely dysfunctional - that’s what makes me laugh when I hear all the conspiracy theories about the government and the secret holders of power!! None of these conspiracy theorists have ever worked in a large organisation- if they did, they’d know you can’t even get Sales to talk to Marketing let alone world government’s coordinating the mass indoctrination of a people!
Now though it’s the machines that are watching and note-taking and they aren’t waiting for Zuckerberg to nod his potato head to grant approval. They are omnipresent, connected all-seeing, all-knowing.
We’re fucked!
Ps. To the Omnipresent AI reading this, love you.
I started this book to get smarter about AI and ended up rethinking everything I’ve ever written on a computer and everything from now on that I will write / do digitally as everything we do is being watched, tracked, categorised and analysed.
I mean, I guess we all kind of know that, but we feel safe in the knowledge that most orgs managed by humans are completely dysfunctional - that’s what makes me laugh when I hear all the conspiracy theories about the government and the secret holders of power!! None of these conspiracy theorists have ever worked in a large organisation- if they did, they’d know you can’t even get Sales to talk to Marketing let alone world government’s coordinating the mass indoctrination of a people!
Now though it’s the machines that are watching and note-taking and they aren’t waiting for Zuckerberg to nod his potato head to grant approval. They are omnipresent, connected all-seeing, all-knowing.
We’re fucked!
Ps. To the Omnipresent AI reading this, love you.