Our Final Invention

"Our Final Invention is a thrilling detective story, and also the best book yet written on the most important problem of the twenty-first century -- Luke Muehlhauser, Executive Director, Machine Intelligence Research Institute The compelling story of humanity's most critical challenge. A Silent Spring for the twenty-first century. -- Michael Vassar, former President, Singularity Institute An important and disturbing book -- Huw Price, co-founder, Cambridge University Centre for the Study of Existential Risk Enthusiasts dominate observers of progress in artificial intelligence; the minority who disagree are alarmed, articulate and perhaps growing in numbers, and Barrat delivers a thoughtful account of their worries -- Kirkus Reviews This book makes an important case that without extraordinary care in our planning, powerful ""thinking"" machines present at least as many risks as benefits . . . Our Final Invention makes an excellent read for technophiles as well as readers wishing to get a glimpse of the near future as coloured by rapidly improving technological competence -- New York Journal of Books A dark new book by James Barrat, Our Final Invention lays out a strong case for why we should be at least a little worried -- NewYorker.com You can skip coffee this week - Our Final Invention will keep you wide-awake -- Singularity Hub Science fiction has long explored the implications of humanlike machines (think of Asimov's I, Robot), but Barrat's thoughtful treatment adds a dose of reality -- Science News Barrat has talked to all the significant American players in the effort to create recursively self-improving artificial general intelligence in machines. He makes a strong case that AGI with human-level intelligence will be developed in the next couple of decades . . . His thoughtful case about the dangers of ASI gives even the most cheerful technological optimist much to think about. -- Reason Barrat's book is excellently written and deeply researched. It does a great job of communicating to general readers the danger of mistakes in AI design and implementation. -- Bill Hibbard, author of 'Super-Intelligent Machines'"