Publishers Weekly
07/08/2024
This animated report from Olson (We Are Anonymous), a technology columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, recounts the competition between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis to bring artificial intelligence software to market. She explains how Altman’s belief that it was in humanity’s best interest for OpenAI to create the technology as soon as possible led him to abandon the organization’s nonprofit status so it could partner with and receive funding from Microsoft. Hassabis followed a similar trajectory, establishing DeepMind in 2010 out of a desire to develop AI capable of answering “where humans had come from and what their purpose was” before he sold the company to Google to secure long-term funding. Though Olson frames the narrative as a clash of titans, there’s surprisingly little direct conflict between Altman and Hassabis, aside from a tense 2020 dinner during which Hassabis accused Altman of enabling bad actors by releasing GPT-3 (the precursor to ChatGPT) to the public. Nonetheless, Olson’s punchy prose and eye for detail brings her subjects to vivid life (she writes that Altman is “bright as any geek, charismatic as any jock”). Though somewhat lacking in drama, this attests to how quickly humanitarian ideals devolve into brazen profit-seeking in Silicon Valley. Agent: David Fugate, Launch Books. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"We gain a jarringly clear sense of the radical social and economic changes already being brought about by AI and of at least some of the risks posed by them....An accessible, insightful exploration of the history and evolving impact of AI technologies." – Kirkus Reviews
“Supremacy makes the topic of artificial intelligence approachable and entertaining by telling the human stories of the people building AI companies. There is never a dull moment in this gripping book.” – Arvind Narayanan, professor of computer science at Princeton University and co-author of AI Snake Oil
“Money, power, and a Faustian bargain that may change the world frame this timely and deeply researched account of two of the biggest players in the race to AI.” — Gary Marcus, professor emeritus at New York University and author of Taming Silicon Valley
“Parmy Olson is that rare author who writes with technological expertise about artificial intelligence without losing track of the underlying humanity informing its arrival. She’s intimately familiar with AI’s roots and reach and she’s drawn a rich blueprint for understanding the revolution it heralds. “Supremacy” is a sweeping and indispensable account of AI’s promises and perils — and a lush tutorial about our brave new world.” – Timothy L. O’Brien, Senior Executive Editor, Bloomberg Opinion
“A clear and compelling read about one of the most consequential races in the world - the invention of Artificial General Intelligence - filled with surprising and juicy details about the powerful men at the heart of it. This fascinating book re-frames AGI from a fundamental scientific pursuit to a contest between highly ambitious individuals, as personal and corporate goals collide Supremacy provides the rich context and perspective needed to understand today’s hottest news story, showing expertly how lofty ideals can evolve into commercial goals, when money and power are at stake.” – Madhumita Murgia, AI editor of the Financial Times, author, Code Dependent
