Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI (SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION)
28 March 2024Synopsis
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024
'The intimate investigation of AI that we’ve been waiting for, and it arrives not a moment too soon' – Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Harvard Business School Professor Emeritus
Technology that marks children as future criminals. An app bringing medical diagnoses to a remote tribal community. A British poet, an Indian doctor and a Chinese activist in exile. In this propulsive, illuminating work, Madhumita Murgia, AI editor for the Financial Times, shows how automated systems are reshaping lives all over the world.
What does it mean to be human in a world that is rapidly changing thanks to the development of artificial intelligence, of automated decision-making that both draws on and influences our behaviour?
Through the voices of ordinary people in places far removed from the cosy enclave of Silicon Valley, Code Dependent explores the impact of a set of powerful, flawed, and often exploitative technologies on individuals, communities, and our wider society. Murgia exposes how AI can strip away our collective and individual sense of agency – and shatter our illusion of free will.
The ways in which algorithms and their effects are governed over the coming years will profoundly impact us all. Yet we cannot decide what preferences and morals we want to encode in these entities – or what controls we may want to impose on them. And thus, we are collectively relinquishing our moral authority to machines.
Murgia not only sheds light on this chilling phenomenon, but also charts a path of resistance. AI is already changing what it means to be human, in ways large and small. In this compelling work, Murgia reveals what could happen if we fail to reclaim our humanity.
Details
28 March 2024
9788119300808Reviews
'Murgia’s book is an essential read, particularly at a time when lawmakers around the world are drafting legislations around AI.'
– JOHN XAVIER, Hindu
‘Exposes the hidden consequences of our existing AI technologies’ – Times
‘A penetrating look at how we’re allowing artificial intelligence to infiltrate all parts of society, from policing, welfare, justice and health, to the point where whole lives are being altered – often ruined – by systems that hardly any of us understand’ – Daily Telegraph
‘The power of this book lies in the rich stories it tells of individuals . . . Drawing on interviews from around the globe, this highly readable and deeply important book exposes AI’s sordid underbelly’ – Guardian
‘Given the topic’s ubiquity, it is refreshing when a new perspective comes along. And Code Dependent is just that, making it a must-read for those struggling to reckon with the AI revolution.’ – New Scientist
‘Every chapter in Code Dependent shocks . . . Simultaneously a thoughtful introduction and a deep dive for anyone who already knows quite a lot about AI, or thinks they do’ – Irish Times
‘There’s nothing like a long plane journey to rediscover the joys of reading an entire book in one sitting and I have just had that pleasure (with Madhumita Murgia’s Code Dependent), understanding the dangers of where AI might take us’ – Anne Sebba, Guardian
‘Code Dependent is the intimate investigation of AI that we’ve been waiting for, and it arrives not a moment too soon’ – Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
‘Brilliant storytelling. Books about AI often put the tech centre-stage but Murgia makes you, the human, the hero, and sadly, often the victim, in this fascinating collection of stories about the impact of code on our future’ – Marcus du Sautoy, author of The Creativity Code
‘Murgia explores what the rise of AI means for us as a society by looking at the impact it has on nine ordinary people around the world’ – BBC Culture, ‘2024’s Most Anticipated Books’
‘A testament to the power of storytelling in unraveling the complexities of AI. Murgia’s profound insights and meticulous research offer a rare and invaluable perspective on the intersection of technology and society’ – Azeem Azhar, founder of Exponential View
‘Provides a much needed corrective to the trendy breathless Silicon Valley insider AI history’ – Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, co-founder of the AI Now Institute
‘This isn’t your usual artificial intelligence (AI) story … Code Dependent explores the gray, murkier areas, putting the common folk and their stories into the spotlight’ – Shubhangi Shah, Financial Express
‘Gripping’ – Anjuly Mathai, Week
‘In a world full of “the promise and potential of AI”, Murgia’s reality check comes as a breath of fresh air and a warning signal’ – Dinesh C. Sharma, Tribune
‘Madhumita Murgia unveils these unseen societal ramifications of artificial intelligence’ – Article 14
‘An expansive book that covers everything from AI digital sweatshops in Nairobi and data mining, to the looming spectre of unregulated AI in public life’ – Akansha Mishra, Print
‘This book will make you think twice, thrice or perhaps a dozen times’ – Federal
