Cory Doctorow’s The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI takes a critical look at the huge promises being made about artificial intelligence. It asks a simple but important question: is AI working for us, or are we starting to work for AI?
- AI itself is not necessarily the problem. The real issue is how people and companies choose to use it.
- A centaur is a person using technology to help them work better.
- A reverse centaur is the opposite. The person ends up changing how they work to suit the machine.
- The important thing is who is in control.
- Technology should save people time and make work easier.
- Doctorow thinks some of the claims made about AI are exaggerated.
- Huge amounts of money are being invested in AI, but it is not clear whether this can continue.
- Some companies hope AI will allow them to employ fewer people.
- AI cannot always replace the skill, experience and judgement of real people.
- Once experienced workers leave, their knowledge can be difficult to replace.
- AI can sometimes create more work. If people can work faster, they may simply be expected to do more.
- More workers are now being managed by software, targets and algorithms.
- Doctorow is less interested in science fiction fears about AI taking over the world.
- He is more concerned about the problems AI is already creating in workplaces and society.
- One of the most useful questions to ask about AI is: who actually benefits from it?
- Useful forms of AI are likely to stay, even if some of the current excitement around AI disappears.
- The main message of the book is simple: AI should work for people. People should not end up working for AI.
In short, the book is not really arguing that AI should be stopped. It is asking us to think much more carefully about how it is used, who controls it and whether it genuinely makes people’s lives better.
The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI by Cory Doctorow is available from Amazon UK. View the book on Amazon UK
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