“When it comes to shaping the future of artificial intelligence, the single most important factor will be the actions of human beings.” ~ Kai-Fu Lee
By Catherine Austin Fitts
If you have the time to read only one book on artificial intelligence and the future of work, Kai-Fu Lee’s AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley & the New World Order should be the one.
I purchased this book because I watched an interview with Dr. Lee and was struck by the quality of his character, which was more impressive than his AI and software credentials, which are quite impressive.
Born in Taiwan and raised and educated in the United States, Dr. Lee lead speech recognition efforts at Apple, the creation of Microsoft’s research lab in China and then started Google’s efforts in China. Striking out on his own, he then started his own venture capital firm in Beijing, Sinovation Ventures, which has placed him at the heart of the Chinese entrepreneurial ecosystem, including the explosion in Chinese Internet development and applied AI.
Dr. Lee compares the effort to develop AI in both China and the US. He argues that China is moving faster to develop and apply AI than the US, which is currently in the lead. On one hand, Dr. Lee is “talking his book.” On the other, he does an excellent job of helping his reader understand the Deep Learning aspects of AI as they are applied in business, enterprise and the economy – and how fast this change is accelerating.
One of the key points of the book is that China and the US maintain significant leads in AI that have the potential to shift significant wealth from the rest of the world, further concentrating wealth in these two superpowers. Another is that the quality of AI Deep Learning applications are driven by the volume and richness of the data accessed. Whether efforts to force 5G or smart meters or to ionize the sky, there is a reason for the rapacious hunger for data as the US tries to generate richer data streams than China with it’s much larger population.
One point Dr. Lee stresses several times is the power that China’s approach to mobile payments has added to the speed of innovation. A customer can make a direct bank-to-bank transfer with no fees on their mobile phone in China – leading to explosive growth in mobile payments and data flows. Whatever the pros and cons of a one party system, China’s leadership is less a prisoner of their financial industry than ours.
Dr. Lee’s final section addresses approaches we should use both to apply and govern AI and ensure that the wealth and productivity generated serve to create a more loving society. His discussion of the policy issues and potential solutions is the most thoughtful I have read yet by someone in the field.
The implementation of existing AI technology is moving quickly. It is impacting each one of us now. Dr. Lee’s book will help you understand what is happening and inspire you to explore with both heart and mind what it means in your life, your work and to those you love.
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I heard an interview with Patrick Wood – author of Technocracy Rising: The Trojan Horse Of Global Transformation yesterday who seems to have been covering this for a long time. RE: the human background / history of the future use of AI. Would you recommend his work to get another perspective? Thanks
https://player.fm/series/the-common-sense-show/technocracy-threats-are-growing-patrick-wood
Yes. Wood’s book is in the Best Books for 2019 in the Annual Wrap Up https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/best-books-for-2019/
For those not in NY. One can listen to the live webcast.
‘AI Superpowers’: A Conversation With Kai-Fu Lee
Live Webcast
Can’t make it to this program? Tune in Monday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m. New York time for a free live webcast of the program. Viewers are encouraged to submit questions to moderator@asiasociety.org or via Twitter by using the hashtag #AsiaSocietyLIVE.AsiaSociety.org/Live
https://asiasociety.org/new-york/events/sold-out-ai-superpowers-conversation-kai-fu-lee
Thanks for finding this book. Though I find it hard to believe that Silicon Valley competitors are so “gentlemanly”. In his comment Robert Lord raises some pertinent questions….
When this much power on the table, manners are rare. However, Lee communicates a lot of valuable information that gets us out of the fear (which is legitimate) and into the nuts and bolts of what is happening and what it means to us. A lot of valuable insight.
Catherine
I could hear your excitement in your voice when you were telling me about what a great book you were reading about A.I. I guess I have to buy it. Really enjoyed listening to Dr. Lee’s Ted talk.
If China & America combine their superpowers to work as one will they be forced into a more common share type of government?
If A.I. as declared by Dr. Lee will take away many jobs will that force a form of government where the wealth is shared among the populace to maintain law and order? Will that be a form of Roman Law based on the many edicts of the Vatican, Rerum Novarum as an example?
The problem with A.I. is not A.I. but with man. As Al Pacino said in the movie Devil’s Advocate “Vanity, definitely my favorite sin” what stops man wishing to physically improve himself with merging with A.I.? That is tempting, become smarter, stronger and live longer. How could one turn that down?
We could easily live in a world of hell if man has to satisfy his vanity needs in less than a few decades. To be rule by people who have embraced the A.I. upgrades with no sense of humanity. We are talking about the survival of the pure human species.
Gee, maybe that is why there has been so many movies about people with super human abilities to promote a receptive mindset to A.I. upgrades.
I’m glad Dr. Lee’s cancer is in remission.
No way of knowing how it will go – we are in creation mode. Each of us makes a difference.