‘An excellent starter for those who want to gain an insight into how AI works and why it’s likely to shape our lives.’ -  Telegraph

‘It is short, gloriously succinct and yet manages to cover all four bases of the history, technology, business and politics of AI in page-turning detail.’ -  UKTN Technology Book of the Year

Artificial intelligence will shake up our lives as thoroughly as the arrival of the internet. This popular, up-to-date book charts AI’s rise from its Cold War origins to its explosive growth in the 2020s.

Tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker (TikTok Boom and YouTubers) goes into the laboratories of the Silicon Valley innovators making rapid advances in ‘large language models’ of machine learning. He meets the insiders at Google and OpenAI who built Gemini and ChatGPT and reveals the extraordinary plans they have for them.

Along the way, he explores AI’s dark side by talking to workers who have lost their jobs to bots and engages with futurologists worried that a man-made super-intelligence could threaten humankind.

He answers critical questions about the AI revolution, such as what humanity might be jeopardising and the professions that will win and lose – and whether the existential threat technologists Elon Musk and Sam Altman are warning about is realistic – or a smokescreen to divert attention away from their growing power.

How AI Ate the World is a ‘start here’ guide for anyone who wants to know more about the world we have just entered.

Reviews

‘An excellent starter for those who want to gain an insight into how AI works and why it’s likely to shape our lives.’  Daily Telegraph

‘How AI Ate the World prodigiously captures the key issues and concerns around artificial intelligence.’  Azeem Azhar, Exponential View

‘From ancient China to Victorian England, How AI Ate The World is the story of the characters, moments, technologies, and relationships that populate the rich history of artificial intelligence… How AI Ate The World grapples with what the age of automation means for the people living through it.’  Harry Law, University of Cambridge  

‘A witty, engaging book that takes us through AI’s bumpy past to help us understand its present, and future, impacts. I highly recommend it to anyone who is impacted by AI tech – which is to say, everyone on the planet.’  Sasha  Luccioni, Hugging Face

‘Easily the most comprehensive book on AI I have read so far, covering all the key issues.’ Peter Hunt,  Business & Tech Correspondent, Evening Standard

‘Whether you are new to AI or have been following the AI hype for years, Chris Stokel-Walker offers an entertaining balance of history, context and insight that has something for everyone. The story of AI’s evolution is a complex one, but Stokel-Walker tackles it in a clear, direct way that will bring you up to speed while helping you grapple with what it all means – for individuals, the workplace, society and the planet.’  Sharon Goldman, VentureBeat

‘This book is a wild, brilliant ride through centuries of thinking about and decades of developing machines that can learn. As a crash course in how we got to this current point of thrilling chaos, it will take some beating. Whether or not you agree with Stokel-Walker’s solutions or not, How AI Ate The World is essential reading to understand where we are and how we got here’  Ciaran Martin, former CEO, UK National Cyber Security Centre

‘More books have been published about AI in 2024 than ever before – and that’s before you get to the ones written by AI. So it can be hard to figure out which are worth your time. I proffer this by Chris Stokel-Walker as one of the best out there. It is short, gloriously succinct and yet manages to cover all four bases of the history, technology, business and politics of AI in page-turning detail. I can’t think of anything it missed. Do yourself a favour: avoid the second-rate AI books and give this comprehensive one a try. It is the ideal primer for those new to the industry.’ UKTN Technology Book of the Year

Buy the book and start reading

‘It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller – this one does.’  -  Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View

‘Vital to understanding how[TikTok] works and the impact it’s having.’  – Damian Collins MP, former chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee

‘TikTok Boom is a must read for students, scholars, and policy makers.’  -  David Craig, Clinical Professor, USC Annenberg