Reviews

AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Kai-Fu Lee, Chen Qiufan

in_my_mind's review

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.25

toomanybarts's review

informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I love the structure of this book : using stories (case studies?) to demonstrate an AI use and then the technical review tying the concepts back to (somewhat) real world developments.

dennistraub's review

informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

slb80's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

amberraetoro's review

4.0

This was a fun look at what AI technology will look like in 2041. While there was nothing particularly surprising it was fun to look at what the world could look like in 2041 through short fiction stories that highlight technologies and challenges we will likely face in the future.

teenagelightning's review

2.0

This is a good concept for a book and theoretically right up my alley; a blend of fiction and non-fiction, using short stories accompanied by non-fiction exploration of the topic to educate people about the potential and dangers of AI.

It's a shame then that the stories weren't good. The characters were shallow, the plots contrived - they were very obviously trying to Explore A Concept rather than being organically inspired from the concepts. Don't expect Ted Chiang here.

The non-fiction accompaniments didn't do much for me either, because I'm already pretty interested in AI so I was familiar with what they were saying. This book would be better for someone who doesn't know much about AI, and would probably be best as as a text to discuss in a course on AI Ethics.

tiurina's review

3.0

1.5 points for fiction, 3.5 points for non-fiction, and 5 points for the idea.

I was captivated by the concept of blending fiction and non-fiction to explore the potential impact of AI on our lives. However, the fiction part turned out to be quite disappointing, lacking depth and failing to resonate with me. Whereas, the non-fiction part was great, featuring well-structured essays and easy language for complex subjects.

The literary version of Black Mirror.

also, no references??

thatscotguy's review

2.0

DNF. The format was such that it was too easy to put down and never pick up. If I had bought the book, perhaps I would have finished it but it would have taken a long time. Instead, I had borrowed it from the library and thus only had a finite amount of time to read it.

eowyns_helmet's review

4.0

Such an interesting premise: the reality of AI paired with science fiction short stories that explore the concepts. This put directly between the covers of a book something that often happens in speculative fiction, the working out of how changing technology reshapes humans and their relationships. My one reservation is that the book seems to take the position that AI is neutral in relation to politics and especially oppression. This at a time when AI is increasingly being used in placed like western China (the Uyghurs) and Israel to track, control, and imprison people -- and foment a genocide against the Uyghurs. So I was left a little frustrated with the happy talk of the Intro, especially from someone who should be intimately aware of these atrocities.

vickywoodburn's review

hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I really liked what this book was trying to do and I found the format to be a very engaging one for breaking down science. However, the authors were alarmingly overly optimistic with their views of AI applications and I feel that potential roadblocks were highly glossed over.