Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI
AI Industry
Karen Hao
NYT bestseller exposing the hidden costs of OpenAI's race for dominance — data extraction, labor exploitation, and the ideology driving Silicon Valley's AI empire. Essential reading.
Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World
AI Industry
Parmy Olson
Bloomberg columnist profiles Sam Altman (OpenAI) and Demis Hassabis (DeepMind) in the race to build AI that could transform or endanger humanity.
Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other
Human-AI
Sherry Turkle
The foundational text on how technology is changing the way we relate to each other and ourselves. MIT researcher's seminal work on digital intimacy.
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age
Human-AI
Sherry Turkle
Why face-to-face conversation matters more than ever, and how to reclaim it from the pull of screens and simulated connection.
The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values
AI Safety
Brian Christian
How machine learning reflects human values — and where it goes wrong. Explores the gap between what we tell AI to do and what we actually want.
Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines
AI Ethics
Joy Buolamwini
The founder of the Algorithmic Justice League shares her journey exposing bias in facial recognition and fighting for AI accountability.
The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the 21st Century's Greatest Dilemma
AI Future
Mustafa Suleyman
DeepMind co-founder on the coming wave of AI and biotech — and the challenge of containment. A warning and a roadmap.
Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control
AI Safety
Stuart Russell
Leading AI researcher on why we need to rethink AI from the ground up. Proposes a new approach to building beneficial machines.
Introduction to AI Safety, Ethics and Society
Textbook
Dan Hendrycks
Comprehensive textbook covering the full landscape of AI safety and ethics. Used in university courses worldwide.
Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind
Philosophy
Susan Schneider
Can AI be conscious? Should you upload your mind? A philosopher explores identity, consciousness, and what it means to be human.
Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence
Politics
Kate Crawford
The hidden costs of AI — labor, resources, and power. AI Now Institute co-founder reveals what it really takes to build these systems.
Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans
Overview
Melanie Mitchell
Clear-eyed look at what AI can and can't do — cutting through the hype. Accessible introduction for general readers.
Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy
Philosophy
David Chalmers
Philosopher of consciousness on virtual worlds, AI minds, and what's real. If an AI seems conscious, does that make it so?
Reclaiming AI
AI Ethics
Karen Hao
Tech journalist's investigation into who really controls AI and what we can do about it. Companion to Empire of AI.
