Shared Wisdom

Cultural Evolution in the Age of AI

Alex Pentland

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Hardback

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English

MIT Press
16 December 2025

Science: general issues

How to build a flourishing society by using what we know about human nature to design our technology-rather than let technology shape our society.

How to build a flourishing society by using what we know about human nature to design our technology-rather than let technology shape our society.

In Shared Wisdom, Alex Pentland delves into the history of innovation, emphasizing the importance of understanding how technologies and cultural inventions impact human society. Humanity's great leaps forward-the rise of civilizations, the Enlightenment, and the Scientific Revolution-were all propelled by cultural inventions that accelerated our rate of innovation and built collective wisdom. Solving current global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and failing social institutions will require similarly fundamental inventions.

Shared Wisdom provides a unique perspective on human society and offers insights into how we can use technologies like digital media and AI to aid, rather than replace, our human capacity for deliberation. Drawing on his expertise in both social science and technology, the author bridges the gap between these two disciplines and offers a holistic view of the challenges and opportunities we face in the age of AI. By looking deep into our history, Pentland argues that the better we understand the key factors that accelerate cultural evolution, the greater our chances of surmounting our current problems.

By: Alex Pentland
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 567g
ISBN: 9780262050999
ISBN 10: 0262050994
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 16 December 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Alex Pentland is a Stanford HAI Fellow and MIT Toshiba Professor. Named one of the ""100 People to Watch This Century"" by Newsweek and ""one of the seven most powerful data scientists in the world"" by Forbes, he is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, an advisor to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Lab, and an advisor to the UN Secretary General's office. His work has helped manage privacy and security for the world's digital networks by establishing authentication standards, protect personal privacy by contributing to the pioneering EU privacy law, and provide healthcare support for hundreds of millions of people worldwide through both for-profit and not-for-profit companies.