Artificial Intelligence

July 8, 2019
Tech entrepreneur Jennings (The Hundredth Window) brings pragmatism, humor, and a dash of self-inflation to this convincing plea for Americans to inform themselves about and engage politically with the inevitable rise of what he calls Machina sapiens. Based on his view that artificial intelligence can be a net positive for humanity—provided it’s managed correctly—Jennings warns against leaving decisions up to irresponsible parties, among whom he includes rogue states, the Chinese government, and Big Tech. Finding the U.S.’s lack of a national AI policy “both remarkable and negligent,” Jennings calls for a “new American technology story,” in which development is spearheaded not by private companies but by the federal government, possibly using independent monitoring bodies similar to the Atomic Energy Commission. He also brainstorms ideas for new entrepreneurial tools, encourages state and city governments to crank up AI-centered economic development, and, in general, leans his optimism on the potential of well-informed, self-directed individuals—he points to trucking and security as examples of American business sectors approaching AI with positivity rather than fear. Jennings offers more polemic and less exploration than he promises, but, in the midst of expressing his strong opinions, provides a substantial framework to support readers’ thinking about tech regulation.