In Our Own Image: Savior or Destroyer? The History and Future of Artificial Intelligence

Greek science writer Zarkadakis, armed with a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and an eclectic tech industry background, rigorously and richly weaves together narrative threads on technology, philosophy, and literature to provide a fascinating history of AI. While many published studies of the human/machine analytic have tended to focus on one development or invention, specialists will recognize that Zarkadakis has left no cybernetic stone unturned—Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, René Descartes, George Boole, Norbert Weiner, and Jacques de Vaucanson all play significant roles in this history. In doing so, Zarkadakis provides the most comprehensive history of AI for our digital age. With a rare combination of literary know-how and scientific knowledge, he demonstrates a keen ability to convey scientific, philosophical, and technical expertise. Zarkadakis passionately, yet carefully, leads readers chronologically through the development of key concepts in the understanding of mind and intelligence. While the book lacks analysis of AI from non-Western perspectives, particularly Japan’s influence on cybernetic thought, Zarkadakis deftly addresses the West’s obsession with the development of artificial beings. By the conclusion of this highly accessible work, Zarkadakis convincingly posits a future in which “post-humanism will have morphed into trans-humanism,” showing how a romance with AI will present humans with a daunting dilemma. (Mar.)