The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI

I think the most useful thing here isn’t about AI at all: it’s the concise formulation of the idea that all technology supports power dynamics. “The most important thing about the gadget isn’t what it does, it’s who it does it for and who it does it to.” Yes, this applies to AI, but it’s a lens that should be used with all technology.

I found this book useful in its clarity. I don’t know that it’ll change anybody’s mind, but for people already prone to be skeptical of big tech’s AI obsession, it provides some useful framing, facts, and arguments.

It’s also a fun read. Which, given the subject matter, is not a given. I breezed through it; you might too.

Doctorow makes an excellent argument about the economic harm of AI and how it can be terrible for workers. His approach of discussing who AI does things for and to who works for his argument, but a lot of the harms of AI aren't given much time in this book. Doctorow is always witty and delivers superbly researched material, but I feel like there's more book we missed out on because of the lens he chose to use.