by Natalie Muyres

The number of books and resources about artificial intelligence is slightly overwhelming, seems to be growing exponentially, and once a book or article is published it can quickly become outdated to some degree depending on the topic and related advancements in AI. The following list of resources is a start and includes books, podcasts, and articles that have been particularly helpful to understanding the history of AI developments and possible risks. The focus has not been to learn the technology itself, although knowledge about neural networks and the application of AI comes with the territory. This resource list is a first draft and will be updated as applicable. Links to papers and online articles are included.

If you read to the end, you’ll see what books ChatGPT recommended!

AI History and Situation Path Dynamics 

• “Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” by Max Tegmark; Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.
• “Power and Progress: Our Thousand-year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity” by Daron Acemoglu; PublicAffairs, New York, 2023.
• “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism” by Shoshana Zuboff; Public Affairs, 2019.
• “The AI Dilemma.” Your Undivided Attention (podcast), March 24, 2023.
• “The Alignment Problem, Machine Learning and Human Values” by Brian Christian; W. W. Norton & Company, 2020.
• “The History of Artificial Intelligence” by Rockwell Anyoha, Science in the News, Harvard, 2017.

Understanding AI Threats and Opportunities, Systems Change

• “Being Human Now – Work.” CBC Spark (podcast), March 1, 2024. 
• “Data Science and Engineering With Human in the Loop, Behind the Loop, and Above the Loop” by Xiao-Li Meng; Harvard Data Science Review, 5(2).
• “Is AI Coming for our Jobs?” #LSEIQ (podcast), September 7, 2023. 
• “Is Canada Ready for AI?” The Current with Matt Galloway (podcast), April 24, 2024. 
• “John Robb: ‘Networked Tribalism, AI, and Asteroids.” The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens (podcast), February 21, 2024.
• “No, AI Won’t Outsmart Our Climate Calamity” by Andrew Nikiforuk; The Tyee, April 1, 2024.
• “Peak Oil, AI, and the Straw.” The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens (podcast), March 5, 2024.
• “Superintelligence: Is Canada Ready for AI?” by David Skok; Sutherland House Books, 2024.
• “The AI Index Report, Measuring Trends in AI.” Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, April 2024.
• “The Coming Wave, Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century’s Greatest Dilemma” by Mustafa Suleyman; Crown, 2023.
• “The Hidden Cost of the AI Boom: Social and Environmental Exploitation” by Ascelin Gordon, Afshin Jafari, and Carl Higgs; The Conversation, July 18, 2023. 
• “To Understand the Risks Posed by AI, Follow the Money” by Tim O’Rilley, Illan Strauss, Mariana Mazzucato, and Rufus Rock; The Conversation, April 10, 2024.

Governance, Oversight, and Ethics

• “A First Step Toward AI Regulation with Tom Wheeler.” Your Undivided Attention (podcast), November 1, 2023. 
• “A Strong Democracy Is a Digital Democracy” by Audrey Tang; The New York Times, October 15, 2019.
• “Blind Spots in AI Ethics” by Thilo Hagendorff; AI and Ethics, 2022
• Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, multiple resources (website).
• “Future-proof Democracy in the Age of AI with Audrey Tang.” Your Undivided Attention (podcast), February 29, 2024.
• “Design for a Better World” by Don Norman; The MIT Press, 2023.
• “Governments Must Shape AI’s Future” by Mariana Mazzucato and Fausto Gernone; Project Syndicate, March 11, 2024.
• Montreal AI Ethics Institute (MAIEI), multiple resources (website).
• “The Harms of AI” by Daron Acemoglu; The Oxford Handbook of AI Governance, 2021.

Living and Working with AI

• “Artificial Intelligence, A Guide for Thinking Humans” by Melanie Mitchell; Macmillan Publishers, 2019.
• “Co-Intelligence, Living and Working with AI” by Ethan Mollick; Penguin Random House, 2024.
• “How Should I be Using AI Right Now?” The Ezra Klein Show (podcast), April 2, 2024.
• “I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic; Harvard Business Review Press, 2023.
• “One Small Thing” by Ethan Mollick on Substack. 

OpenAI’s ChatGPT Book Recommendations (April 2024)

Out of curiosity, in April 2024, I asked ChatGPT 3.5 what the most popular books on AI disruption are. Here is what ChatGPT told me: “As of my last update in January 2022, there isn’t a fixed list of ‘most popular books on AI disruption’ because popularity can vary over time and depend on different factors such as current events, trends in technology, and the target audience’s interests. However, I can suggest some books that were widely acclaimed and frequently recommended in the field of AI and its potential for disruption.” Many of these books appear on the Human Venture AI Resource List above.

1. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” by Klaus Schwab – This book discusses the impact of emerging technologies, including AI, on society and the economy.
2. “AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order” by Kai-Fu Lee – This book explores the AI revolution and its implications for global power dynamics, particularly between China and the United States.
3. “Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” by Max Tegmark – Tegmark discusses the potential consequences of AI advancements and how society should prepare for them.
4. “Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence” by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb – This book offers insights into the economic implications of AI and how it will affect various industries.
5. “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power” by Shoshana Zuboff – While not exclusively about AI disruption, this book delves into how surveillance capitalism, fueled by AI and big data, is reshaping society.
6. “Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control” by Stuart Russell – Russell discusses the risks associated with AI and proposes solutions for ensuring that AI systems align with human values.
7. “Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again” by Eric Topol – This book explores the potential of AI to transform healthcare and improve patient outcomes.
8. “The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future” by Kevin Kelly – Kelly discusses various technological trends, including AI, and their potential impact on society.