🤖 AI: Let's read and talk about Artificial Intelligence

Join us for a deep dive into AI's current (and future?) state in tech and beyond.

This time, we won't have an author present their book and run a workshop. Instead, we will read some of the most influential and thought-provoking articles and essays about AI and then discuss them at the event.

🥁 UPDATE 🥁

When compiling this list, I wanted to avoid the voices tied to the large tech and tech investment world. The prominent CEOs, VCs and similar. There are two reasons for that:

1. These individuals had enough space to declare what they stood for. We all heard those voices already, and in the discussion about AI, these voices are overrepresented, especially given they form a fairly homogenous group.
2. They all have a vested interest in shaping AI. We should critically analyse what they do and how, and keep asking, cui bono?

So instead of giving the floor to the loud voices we all heard, I aimed to compile a list with diverse expertise and opinions. Last but not least, you’ll notice that not all links shared below are essays, papers, articles or books. Yes, I included videos. And although our meetup is proudly called a ‘bookclub’, I don’t think that is a problem :)

Dive in, and I look forward to our discussion at the event.

## ⭐️ The reading list ⭐️

I recommend taking notes of ideas you find interesting or surprising. These will come in handy in our discussion during the event.

### Stuart Russel

• Stuart Russel - AI: What if we succeed? (video)
• Stuart Russel - Will AI Be Humanity’s Last Act? (video)

### Timnit Gebru

• Timnit Gebru - The Quest for Ethical Artificial Intelligence (video)

AI ethics researcher and co-founder of Black in AI was fired from Google after highlighting the inequalities embedded in AI systems. Having spent decades in the tech industry, she has firsthand experience with discrimination.

• MIT Technology Review - We read the paper that forced Timnit Gebru out of Google. Here’s what it says.
• The Guardian - ‘There was all sorts of toxic behaviour’: Timnit Gebru on her sacking by Google, AI’s dangers and big tech’s biases

### Virginia Dignum

• Virginia Dignum - Beyond the AI Hype: Balancing Innovation and Social Responsibility (video)

### Shakir Mohamed

• Shakir Mohamed - Prosperity through Decolonial Foresight (video)

### Nick Bostrom

• Nick Bostrom - How AI will lead to tyranny (video)

### Joanna Bryson

• Joanna Bryson - No one should trust AI (video)

### Gary Marcus

• Gary Marcus - How Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and the Silicon Valley elite manipulate the public

💥 Explore further 💥
Because of the character limit, I can't include further reading and other content. Please follow this link for more content from the authors above, as well as an additional curated reading list.

After a thorough chat about the essays, we will open up the floor to a broader discussion about the implications of AI. Some topics that I expect to surface are:

• Businesses prioritising AI features because of FOMO
• How do we integrate AI into our work in an ethical and sustainable way
• Impact of AI on society
• Intellectual property
• Life after AI

...and more.

Do you have thoughts to share and discuss about the topic of AI that permeates everything? Then you really shouldn't miss this event.

The Bookclub will be hosted by AND Digital, who kindly let us use their cozy venue at Covent Garden.

I look forward to seeing you all at the event!

Jiri