{"product_id":"taming-silicon-valley-isbn-9780262551069","title":"Taming Silicon Valley","description":"\u003cb\u003eHow Big Tech is taking advantage of us, how AI is making it worse, and how we can create a thriving, AI-positive world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn balance, will AI help humanity or harm it? AI could revolutionize science, medicine, and technology, and deliver us a world of abundance and better health. Or it could be a disaster, leading to the downfall of democracy, or even our extinction. In \u003ci\u003eTaming Silicon Valley\u003c\/i\u003e, Gary Marcus, one of the most trusted voices in AI, explains that we still have a choice. And that the decisions we make now about AI will shape our next century. In this short but powerful manifesto, Marcus explains how Big Tech is taking advantage of us, how AI could make things much worse, and, most importantly, what we can do to safeguard our democracy, our society, and our future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMarcus explains the potential—and potential risks—of AI in the clearest possible terms and how Big Tech has effectively captured policymakers. He begins by laying out what is lacking in current AI, what the greatest risks of AI are, and how Big Tech has been playing both the public and the government, before digging into why the US government has thus far been ineffective at reining in Big Tech. He then offers real tools for readers, including eight suggestions for what a coherent AI policy should look like—from data rights to layered AI oversight to meaningful tax reform—and closes with how ordinary citizens can push for what is so desperately needed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eTaming Silicon Valley \u003c\/i\u003eis both a primer on how AI has gotten to its problematic present state and a book of activism in the tradition of Abbie Hoffman’s \u003ci\u003eSteal This Book\u003c\/i\u003e and Thomas Paine’s \u003ci\u003eCommon Sense\u003c\/i\u003e. It is a deeply important book for our perilous historical moment that every concerned citizen must read.\u003cb\u003eContents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface: If we don't change course, we will lose society as we know it\u003cbr\u003e1. The seven biggest threats of inaction\u003cbr\u003e2. The moral descent of Silicon Valley\u003cbr\u003e3. Eight things we should insist on\u003cbr\u003e4. The time for action is now\u003cb\u003eIncluded in the \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e's Best Books of 2024 list\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeatured in the\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, Politico, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eBig Think, Bloomberg TV\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e, LARB, Foreign Policy, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarketplace,\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e IEEE Spectrum, Forbes, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003ethe Next Big Idea Club\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e, the Guardian,  Fortune, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eand more\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"This polemic, by a cognitive scientist and startup founder, calls for stricter regulation of A.I. It begins with problems posed by generative A.I. (the kind that spits out text, images, and other data, and which currently fuels the largest A.I. companies’ businesses). These include misinformation, pornographic deepfakes, impersonation scams, and the use of publicly available material as training data, which Marcus equates to a “land grab.” His warnings are framed by critiques of A.I. development’s current direction, which has privileged deep learning over potentially more fruitful methods, and of what he argues is the tech industry’s moral decline.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003es \"Briefly Noted\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"With passion and expertise, Marcus sounds a strong call to action.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews, KIRKUS STAR\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Marcus also makes a persuasive case for more ambitious policies, arguing that because AI will likely render some jobs obsolete, the federal government should consider instituting a universal basic income to cushion those affected. Shrewd and levelheaded, this provides plenty to ponder.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"An honest must read...very accessible. It paints a very clear picture of both the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence. We need to prepare for, not react to, the coming changes. Reacting will be too late. The danger is that governments tend to move too slowly while a few tech corporations are moving much faster and in questionable directions. Reading this book will help people understand that we need to pressure governments now to move faster so that we can gain the benefits while minimizing the risks inherent in AI.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Forbes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“[A] sweeping polemic about how Big Tech will run roughshod over consumers and American democracy itself absent regulatory intervention.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Politico\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Mighty.”\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe New York Review of Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“I recommend reading \u003ci\u003eTaming Silicon Valley\u003c\/i\u003e if you’re unfamiliar with the main concerns about generative AI and its leading commercial developers. For those with a vague sense of unease, it will provide a detailed explanation of specific risks.”\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Los Angeles Review of Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“The book should be required reading for anyone whose life will be touched in any small part by AI, which is pretty much everyone today. . . As always, Marcus writes in a strong voice that moves through the material in a breezy, commanding style, backed by a solid command of science and technology.”\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eZDNET\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“This might be the most important book you read this year — a brilliant dissection of current AI and why we need to do better.”\u003cbr\u003e — \u003cb\u003eAnnie Duke, author of \u003ci\u003eThinking in Bets\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eQuit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“By his unique combination of technical expertise, clarity of expression, and good judgment as proven by two decades of correct calls, Gary Marcus has become one of our few indispensable public intellectuals. The more people read him, the better our actions in shaping AI will be.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kim Stanley Robinson, author of \u003ci\u003eMinistry for the Future\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“An urgent call to action for AI governance. With hopeful skepticism, Marcus urges us to demand that industry and government ensure AI models and systems contribute to human flourishing rather than continue to cause harm. An essential, actionable field guide to a more just future.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Alondra Nelson, Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab, Institute for Advanced Study\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“In clear and accessible language, Marcus lays out a forceful case: We should not believe the hype around AI. We deserve more than the magic beans they’re selling us, and need to speak up as a society to get an AI that works for the many and not just the few.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Frances Haugen, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Power of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Gary Marcus is a principled voice of informed reason—and he’s on humanity’s side. It’s rare that an experienced technologist comes clean about the concerns that so many share about AI and its likely impact on society—this book is a wake-up call.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Andrew Yang, author of \u003ci\u003eForward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy\u003c\/i\u003e; 2020 US Presidential Candidatel\u003c\/b\u003eGary Marcus is a leading voice in artificial intelligence, well known for his challenges to contemporary AI. He is a scientist and best-selling author and was founder and CEO of Geometric.AI, a machine learning company acquired by Uber. A Professor Emeritus at NYU, he is the author of five previous books, including the bestseller \u003ci\u003eGuitar Zero\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Kluge\u003c\/i\u003e (one of\u003ci\u003e The Economist\u003c\/i\u003e’s eight best books on the brain and consciousness), and \u003ci\u003eRebooting AI\u003c\/i\u003e (with Ernest Davis), one of \u003ci\u003eForbes\u003c\/i\u003e’s seven must-read books on AI.","brand":"The MIT Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46299982659813,"sku":"NP9780262551069","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780262551069.jpg?v=1767737777","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/taming-silicon-valley-isbn-9780262551069","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}