Book Review – The Coming Wave, Mustafa Suleyman

At Spark we value the importance of really absorbing ourselves in technology trends, to gain a deeper understanding of what is impacting our clients and to help us build stories that resonate with the contemporary zeitgeist. And there’s no better way to do that than by reading which is why we are introducing the first – we hope of many – book reviews on topics that are impacting the B2B world.

First up: The Coming Wave. This is an incredibly powerful – if not slightly terrifying – look into the technological challenges headed this way. As one of the original Founders of DeepMind, Suleyman has been at the heart of the AI revolution. The dissonance he feels about this is palpable when reading.

What I found particularly fascinating about this book was the way Suleyman combined the different ‘waves’ that are heading our way – in particular the hazardous combination of biotech and AI. It’s an expertly written book, guiding the reader through the various pitfalls, and explaining key technological theories in a very accessible way.

His explanation of the increased risk around what he terms ‘general purpose’ technologies like smartphones and AI really resonates. He talks of how hard it is and has always been to predict the outcomes of such technologies – giving numerous examples of where technology is created for one purpose but ends up being used for completely different ends.

The challenges around nation states and the limitations of regulation are also brought into sharp focus. He deftly draws parallels with the development of, and relative success of, nuclear non-proliferation treaties, but is quick to note that many of the constricting factors – money, access to raw materials, expertise, and so on – are not applicable to AI. Incredibly powerful AI technology is being put in the hands of the many at an alarming rate, opening opportunities both good and bad with very few restrictions.

We are now seeing more moves towards greater AI regulation. California has just introduced a landmark AI Safety Bill aimed at reducing the risks posed by AI, and the EU AI Act came into force at the start of August. But the question is: can a borderless technology like AI be bound by such laws? Will they be effective? Or will we create new pockets of development that exist beyond the regulator’s reach?

Interestingly, given the news that NVIDIA’s share price dropped 6% last week, one of the most promising techniques for slowing AI innovation noted by Suleyman is restricting the development of the chips needed to power the technology. But, given the commercial and governmental interests involved, is this likely?

This is a truly important read for anyone – not just those in tech. The things Suleyman talks of will affect us all. But I warn you: you do finish reading with a feeling that the future is rather bleak. There is a sense of Oppenheimer in Suleyman, a man who is conflicted about what he may have unleashed.

Have you read The Coming Wave? What did you think? Read anything else good recently? Let us know in our social media comments. And keep an eye out – more book reviews to come!