AI Needs You - by Verity Harding

Book Synopsis

A humanist manifesto for the age of AI

Artificial intelligence may be the most transformative technology of our time. As AI's power grows, so does the need to figure out what--and who--this technology is really for. AI Needs You argues that it is critical for society to take the lead in answering this urgent question and ensuring that AI fulfills its promise.

Verity Harding draws inspiring lessons from the histories of three twentieth-century tech revolutions--the space race, in vitro fertilization, and the internet--to empower each of us to join the conversation about AI and its possible futures. Sharing her perspective as a leading insider in technology and politics, she rejects the dominant narrative, which often likens AI's advent to that of the atomic bomb. History points the way to an achievable future in which democratically determined values guide AI to be peaceful in its intent; to embrace limitations; to serve purpose, not profit; and to be firmly rooted in societal trust.

Now with a new foreword by the author, AI Needs You gives us hope that we, the people, can imbue AI with a deep intentionality that reflects our best values, ideals, and interests, and that serves the public good. AI will permeate our lives in unforeseeable ways, but it is clear that the shape of AI's future--and of our own--cannot be left only to those building it. It is up to us to guide this technology away from our worst fears and toward a future that we can trust and believe in.

Review Quotes

"[Harding's] narrative provides considerable historical context for each tech milestone and draws parallels between the institution of regulatory guardrails and the importance of outlining the safe and ethical use of AI. . . . A loud and clear call to action regarding AI's future, which is put into perspective by probing the history of three other major technological innovations."-- "Library Journal ​​​​​​​"

"A timely and fascinating new book by the former Downing Street aide-turned-tech executive Verity Harding, which argues that it's high time the public got a say on what kind of world we actually want to live in. . . . Harding, who knows these two incestuous worlds better than most, is right, however, that this extraordinary chapter of human history doesn't have to end in catastrophe, or in angry mobs rising up against a tech elite perceived as having gone too far. . . . For now, at least, there's still power in being human. But only if we use it."---Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian

"An eminently readable examination of the debates over earlier transformational technologies and their resolutions."---Sue Halpern, New York Review of Books

"Contrary to the doomsayers of modern media, [AI Needs You] shines an optimistic light on the AI revolution."-- "Choice"

"Fascinating. . . . Finished it in two sittings without even meaning to. Most readable book about tech I've read in years."---Phil Reilly, Meta

"Harding believes that AI has infinite potential to improve our lives. To demonstrate this, she fills [AI Needs You] with examples across different industries. . . . I highly recommend Verity Harding's AI Needs You."---Leonora Cravotta, American Spectator

"Harding is bilingual in politics and tech. . . . [She] urges politicians -- and civil society -- to get involved in debates about the uses of AI and help to shape the future in a positive way."---John Thornhill, Financial Times

"Harding sits at the intersection of politics, policy, and technology, and she brings her knowledge to this accessible introduction to AI and how it will shape our workplaces and beyond."-- "Harper's Bazaar"

"Her case studies are well-presented, instructive, and worth the read."---Ruth Aylett, Morning Star

"In this manifesto from one of the most influential people in AI, Verity Harding argues that society needs everyone to answer this urgent question to ensure that as the power of AI grows, so does its promise to be peaceful in its intent, and to serve a purpose and the public. Drawing on lessons from other technology revolutions, including the space race, the development of IVF and the dawn of the internet, through AI Needs You: How We Can Change AI's Future and Save Our Own, Harding wants to empower everyone to join the AI conversation and influence its future."---Rachel Duffell, Tatler Asia

"We might hope that this book ends up in the hands of those who could take a leadership role, before it is too late. Harding's optimism is tempered by experience and knowledge, and her arguments are compelling and engaging."-- "Kirkus"

About the Author

One of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in AI, Verity Harding is director of the AI & Geopolitics Project at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and founder of Formation Advisory, a consultancy firm that advises on the future of technology and society. She worked for many years as Global Head of Policy for Google DeepMind and as a political adviser to Britain's deputy prime minister.