2062: The World that AI Made

By 2062 we will have built machines as intelligent as us – so the leading artificial intelligence and robotics experts predict. But what will this future look like? In 2062, world-leading researcher Toby Walsh considers the impact AI will have on work, war, economics, politics, everyday life and even death. Will automation take away most jobs? Will robots become conscious and take over? Will we become immortal machines ourselves, uploading our brains to the cloud? How will politics adjust to the post-truth, post-privacy digitised world? When we have succeeded in building intelligent machines, how will life on this planet unfold? Based on a deep understanding of technology, 2062 describes the choices we need to make today to ensure that the future remains bright. ‘As Toby Walsh convincingly puts it, “the golden age of philosophy is just about to begin”– a testament to both the richness and the urgency of the questions that confront us between now and 2062. This is a compelling invitation to imagine the future we want, and a lively provocation to make it happen.’ —Brian Christian, author of The Most Human Human and co-author of Algorithms to Live By ‘If you want to explore what the disruptive future shaped by AI could be, read this book’ –James Canton, CEO of the Institute for Global Futures, and author of Future Smart: Managing the Game Changing Trends that will Transform Your World ‘One day, machines will surpass humans in all forms of general intelligence. When will that happen? The answer, according to a survey of experts, is the year 2062. If you want to read a lively and well-informed speculation about what could happen next, you can't do better than Toby Walsh's amazing new book.’ –Erik Brynjolfsson, Director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy and co-author of the New York Times best-seller The Second Machine Age ‘Clarity and sanity in a world full of fog and uncertainty – a timely book about the race to remain human.’ –Richard Watson, author of Digital Vs. Human and futurist-in-residence at Imperial College, London ‘“What happens next?” is the question that drives human curiosity and innovation. In 2062, Toby Walsh asks that question of one of the most critical junctures on our horizon – the point at which machines become as intelligent as humans. If you’re looking for a roadmap to help navigate that future, look no further.’ —Joel Werner, broadcaster and science journalist 'One of the deepest questions facing humanity, pondered by a mind well and truly up to the task. Rip in!' –Adam Spencer, broadcaster