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Human Compatible

AI and the Problem of Control

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Creating superior intelligence would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, according to the world's pre-eminent AI expert, it could also be the last.

In this groundbreaking book on the biggest question facing humanity, Stuart Russell explains why he has come to consider his own discipline an existential threat to his own species, and lays out how we can change course before it's too late. There is no one better placed to assess the promise and perils of the dominant technology of the future than Russell, who has spent decades at the forefront of AI research. Through brilliant analogies and crisp, lucid prose, he explains how AI actually works, how it has an enormous capacity to improve our lives - but why we must ensure that we never lose control of machines more powerful than we are. Here Russell shows how we can avert the worst threats by reshaping the foundations of AI to guarantee that machines pursue our objectives, not theirs.

Profound, urgent and visionary, Human Compatible is the one book everyone needs to read to understand a future that is coming sooner than we think.

 Computer Science Future Studies History & Culture Machine Theory & Artificial Intelligence Social Sciences Technology & Society Technology Artificial Intelligence Robotics Data Science Machine Learning

Critic reviews

Surely the most important book on AI this year. (Ian Sample)
A brilliantly clear and fascinating exposition of the history of computing thus far, and how very difficult true AI will be to build. (Steven Poole)
Fascinating and significant. (James McConnachie)
Worth reading Human Compatible by Stuart Russell (he's great!) about future AI risks and solutions. (Elon Musk)
A thought-provoking and highly readable account of the past, present and future of AI . . . Russell deploys a bracing intellectual rigour . . . but a laconic style and dry humour keep his book accessible to the lay reader.
It's asking a lot of a book about the potential end of civilisation to be strewn with humour and wry asides, but this is what Russell manages . . . it's worth sticking with, for the sake of the species. (Best Science, Nature and Ideas Books of 2019)
An excellent, nuanced history.
Russell is an assiduous and conscientious scholar ... [he] provides a wealth of information. This is one of those intellectual voyages where both the journey and the destination matter. (John Naughton)
This is the most important book I have read in quite some time. It lucidly explains how the coming age of artificial super-intelligence threatens human control. Crucially, it also introduces a novel solution and a reason for hope.
Of the many books published this year on artificial intelligence, this is probably the best. Stimulating and scary stuff. (Best Books of 2019: Technology)
All stars
Most relevant
Engaging, easy to follow, and very well read. This audiobook gives a good overview of AI and the challenges ahead considering human uncertainty

Nice to listen

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The book contains both technological explanations and philosophical arguments about AI. I wouldn’t say all of them are easy to understand, but it’s definitely worth reading to gain an overall view of the current state of AI and its future potential.

Comprehensive and entertaining

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A compelling exploration of why AI designers are deeply concerned about the future of artificial intelligence. I picked up the book to understand these fears, and it more than delivered—clarifying not just the existential risks but also the growing use of AI to displace jobs, tighten control, and power flawed defense systems. Stuart Russell’s argument for rethinking AI’s objectives is persuasive, and the narration was first class.

A Clear and Eye-Opening Look at AI’s Risks and Future

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Great book - good balance of accessible and informative. Narrator tone and intonation often unsuitable and distracting though. Incorrect/misleading word emphasis sometimes makes sentences difficult to follow/understand, or changes their meaning entirely. You get used to it. And one or two amusing passages

Enjoyable, entertaining

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Excellent introduction to the topic. Flawless narration. I recommend “The Alignment Problem” for further reading.

Solid work but the deep insights are few and far between

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