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AI 2041

By: Kai-Fu Lee, Chen Qiufan
Narrated by: Feodor Chin, James Chen, Soneela Nankani, Mirron Willis, Emily Woo Zeller, Siho Ellsmore, Fajer Al-Kaisi
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

In this groundbreaking blend of imaginative storytelling and scientific forecasting, a pioneering AI expert and a leading writer of speculative fiction join forces to answer an imperative question: How will artificial intelligence change our world within 20 years?

AI will be the defining development of the 21st century. Within two decades, aspects of daily human life will be unrecognizable. AI will generate unprecedented wealth, revolutionize medicine and education through human-machine symbiosis, and create brand new forms of communication and entertainment. In liberating us from routine work, however, AI will also challenge the organizing principles of our economic and social order. Meanwhile, AI will bring new risks in the form of autonomous weapons and smart technology that inherits human bias. AI is at a tipping point, and people need to wake up - both to AI's radiant pathways and its existential perils for life as we know it.

In this provocative, utterly original work of 'scientific fiction', Kai-Fu Lee, the former president of Google China and best-selling author of AI Superpowers, joins forces with celebrated novelist Chen Qiufan to imagine our world in 2041 and how it will be shaped by AI. In 10 gripping short stories, set 20 years in the future, they introduce listeners to an array of eye-opening 2041 settings:

  • In San Francisco, a new industry, 'job reallocation', arises to serve displaced workers
  • In Tokyo, a music fan is swept up in an immersive form of celebrity worship
  • In Mumbai, a teenage girl rebels when AI gets in the way of romance
  • In Seoul, virtual teachers offer orphaned twins new ways to learn and connect
  • In Munich, a rogue quantum computer scientist's revenge plot imperils the world

By gazing toward a not-so-distant horizon, AI 2041 offers urgent insights into our collective future-while reminding listeners that, ultimately, humankind remains the author of its destiny.

©2021 Chen Qiufan (P)2021 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about AI 2041

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely loved this take on AI

Please listen to this book, it is a fantastic book which I journeyed through experiencing such a spectrum of emotions I was indeed sad when it ended. I love the knowledge meeting science fiction which was a thought provoking experience for me and has lead me down an AI ethics path, seeking more questions to satisfy my own curiosity. Thank you Lee and Chen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Refreshing book really!

I listened to it feeling I was in a time machine 🙌🏼 I liked the going back and forth to now and 2041.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Stories interesting, explanation not really

Made it through, but wanted to stop it earlier. Book could be shorter, because many things overlap or repetitive. Anyway stories was interesting and thought provoking. But sections after stories with explanations was very superficial, rosy, to much positive and dull. My advice would be these parts to listen like x1.5 or x2 speed.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Important read

Story lines are rather basic, but the analysis is important, its a very educational book that is easy to follow, narration flows. Highly recommended for teenagers.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Scary in many ways but possibly liberating

A very smart way of weaving stories together that paint a picture of the possibilities and pitfalls of ai and deep learning. Instructive in how applications science and psychology will intertwine as we head towards a technology filled future. Mildly Orwellian which is the only downside. The author seems to be a proponent of big government and social credit scoring similar to Chinese communist party thinking. Very thought provoking but certainly leans the listener into a particular ideological way of extrapolating the future

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great view into the possibilities in the future

Great examples of the impact AI likely will have on all of us. Highly recommended.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Well-informed science speculation

This is an interesting collaboration between someone well versed in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications and history of development and a former colleague who pivoted to a writing career . The product is one man's vision and speculation about how AI will impact on our lives in 2041, with stories illustrating the points to make the dry logic more relatable. I think this is a good method of helping a better understanding of AI and its place in our society.

Each chapter has an introduction, the story and then an analysis of the points demonstrated in the story. The final analysis given sums up the whole book as well as the final story. I do not feel as comfortable with AI development without explanation of its decisions as the author is. He places the point at which AI becomes self-governing and perpetuating beyond 2041, so skates over the concept of singularity and hopes it will be benign. Neither are the dangers of autonomous weapons highlighted, despite being included in the predictions. Maybe he thinks he has covered the topic sufficiently in his previous book about AI superpowers. You have to remember that this is only one man's (however well-informed) speculation about the future.

In contrast, there are multiple narrators and their standard differs both in consistency of accents and ability to express and differentiate the disparate characters. Kai-Fu Lee spoke in the introductions and analyses with confidence and clarity.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Interesting but wasn’t my style

I thought the analysis sections were very good but didn’t enjoy any of the stories. Shame.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Accessible read for complex subjects

This is a must read for the non techy person who wants to position themselves for possible future potentials.
If you're a Silicon Valley type it probably won't tell you anything you don't know but for the rest of us a valuable insight.
The format is fictional stories followed by a factual commentary surrounding the issues raised.
Some of the stories will resonate for each individual differently and some may not engage, but the factual content section is always insightful.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

the ideas are interesting but...

the stories are nauseating. they should have published are article outlining their vision instead of this horrible story version

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