A new beginner-friendly book on artificial intelligence (AI) risk and safety has been released by author Darren McKee.
Uncontrollable: The Threat of Artificial Superintelligence and the Race to Save the World is a first-of-its-kind publication and call-to-action to address the defining issue of our time.
Using engaging analogies and relatable examples, Uncontrollable summarizes AI for beginners, and unpacks AI risk and safety for readers without a technical background.
“This book is the culmination of years of detailed analysis on developments in AI,” said McKee. “There is a significant disconnect between the rapidly increasing capabilities of advanced AI systems and the public’s understanding of them. My objective with this book is to empower any and all citizens to take action to ensure safe AI systems are built, and that we all have a say in the type of future we want to build.”
With its rapid technological progress, AI is poised to be the most significant development of our lifetime.
Uncontrollable provides answers to questions such as: Is artificial intelligence dangerous? How does artificial intelligence work? Will artificial intelligence take over?
The book examines AI as a concept and technology, describes what AI is, and how image generators and language models work. It provides evidence to show that artificial superintelligence presents a risk to humanity, and demonstrates that it will be very difficult to understand, control, or align as it rapidly increases in capabilities and becomes more integrated into how we work, live, and play.
Despite its warning call, this is ultimately a hopeful book.
Uncontrollable clearly communicates the urgency to act now, while providing solutions that anyone can implement to create a safer, more prosperous future with AI.
McKee is a senior policy advisor based in Ottawa. He also sits on the Board of Advisors for the leading AI safety and governance network in the country.
