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A review by crybabybea
Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
An important book that showcases the human side of AI. I really appreciated Madhumita Murgia's dedication to telling personal stories that show all the nuances of AI.
I feel like in online spaces, discussions about AI are very black-and-white; most people will tell you AI is inherently evil and any of its uses are wrong and immoral. While Murgia doesn't necessarily argue that AI is morally good, she does try to widen the scope, posing AI as a tool that can be used for good and bad, and that we as humans need to recognize its limitations and dangers in order to use AI ethically.
Although Murgia does show us the bad side of AI -- those being exploited, policed, and targeted by AI programs -- there is a lot of hopefulness in her writing too. She shows how people are fighting back against AI systems, and that change is possible. On top of that, Murgia tries to show that AI is not a quick fix for human issues; humans need to put in the effort to create systems that benefit their decision-making, not as an easy way to replace humans in the equation. Choosing to showcase different human experiences with AI sold this message well.
In her writing, Murgia tackles complex & nuanced situations with grace and writes them accessibly, with enough human empathy that they don't feel like a lecture. She explains the ideas of data colonialism, AI capitalism, and the codependent relationship between humans and AI systems (hence the title). The issues talked about are so vast that they could each have their own book written about them, so I was impressed at Murgia's ability to condense mass amounts of information into something digestible and interesting. She is incredibly well-informed, and it's clear this book is the result of passionate investigative journalism and a desire to do good.
However, this does mean that the scope is quite large, favoring a look at the macro with small glimpses into micro issues. If you are looking for an all-encompassing overview of the issues perpetuated by AI systems, this might not be the book for you. BUT if you want an interesting, if sometimes simplified, overview to broaden your understanding of AI as a global system, this book serves that purpose well.
Though I’m not sure AI or mass collecting data will ever be fully ethical, it’s clear that AI is something that is here to stay, so books like this are incredibly important for getting to the root of issues and understanding AI’s limitations, so hopefully things can be made better in the future.
I feel like in online spaces, discussions about AI are very black-and-white; most people will tell you AI is inherently evil and any of its uses are wrong and immoral. While Murgia doesn't necessarily argue that AI is morally good, she does try to widen the scope, posing AI as a tool that can be used for good and bad, and that we as humans need to recognize its limitations and dangers in order to use AI ethically.
Although Murgia does show us the bad side of AI -- those being exploited, policed, and targeted by AI programs -- there is a lot of hopefulness in her writing too. She shows how people are fighting back against AI systems, and that change is possible. On top of that, Murgia tries to show that AI is not a quick fix for human issues; humans need to put in the effort to create systems that benefit their decision-making, not as an easy way to replace humans in the equation. Choosing to showcase different human experiences with AI sold this message well.
In her writing, Murgia tackles complex & nuanced situations with grace and writes them accessibly, with enough human empathy that they don't feel like a lecture. She explains the ideas of data colonialism, AI capitalism, and the codependent relationship between humans and AI systems (hence the title). The issues talked about are so vast that they could each have their own book written about them, so I was impressed at Murgia's ability to condense mass amounts of information into something digestible and interesting. She is incredibly well-informed, and it's clear this book is the result of passionate investigative journalism and a desire to do good.
However, this does mean that the scope is quite large, favoring a look at the macro with small glimpses into micro issues. If you are looking for an all-encompassing overview of the issues perpetuated by AI systems, this might not be the book for you. BUT if you want an interesting, if sometimes simplified, overview to broaden your understanding of AI as a global system, this book serves that purpose well.
Though I’m not sure AI or mass collecting data will ever be fully ethical, it’s clear that AI is something that is here to stay, so books like this are incredibly important for getting to the root of issues and understanding AI’s limitations, so hopefully things can be made better in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, Medical content
Minor: Slavery, Colonisation