The next wave

The Next Wave , by Mustafa Suleyman and Michael Bhaskar, is an urgent warning about the risks that artificial intelligence and other rapidly developing technologies pose to the world, and what can be done to avoid them while there is still time.

Soon, the world will be surrounded by artificial intelligence. AIs will organize routines, operate businesses, and be responsible for key public services. Humanity will live in a world of DNA printers, quantum computers, artificially engineered pathogens, autonomous weapons, robot assistants, and abundant energy.

But nobody is prepared.

As fragile governments trudge in the dark toward catastrophe, humanity faces an existential dilemma: on the one hand, unprecedented evils that may emerge from the uncontrollable emergence of new technologies and possibilities; on the other, the threat of authoritarian supersurveillance. Is it possible to find a middle ground between catastrophe and dystopia?

In The Next Wave , Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, a leading artificial intelligence company, explains what AI represents for the next decade, and how these forces will create immense prosperity, but can also put at risk nation states, the foundation of the global order.

“The Next Wave is a fascinating, well-written, and fundamental book. It explores the existential dangers that AI and biotechnology pose for humanity and offers practical solutions to counter this threat. The next technological wave promises to endow humanity with divine powers of creation, but if we don't manage it wisely, it could destroy us.” —YUVAL NOAH HARARI, author of Sapiens and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

"AI will change the way we work, communicate, learn, travel, and access healthcare. It's an incredibly exciting opportunity, but we need to proceed with caution. The next wave serves as an excellent guide for navigating these unprecedented times." – Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft

“This important book is a vivid wake-up call. It carefully outlines the threats and opportunities associated with the exciting scientific advances of recent years. The Next Wave is rich in compelling facts, captivating arguments, and compelling observations; it is essential reading.” – DANIEL KAHNEMAN, Nobel Prize winner and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow

“The AI revolution is underway, but how well do we really understand it? The Next Wave offers a grounded and lucid guide to both the history of this radical technological shift and the profound policy challenges that lie ahead.” – ANNE APPLEBAUM, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian