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OUR FINAL INVENTION: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE END OF THE HUMAN ERA by James Barrat Thomas Dunne Books, NY, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-250-05878-2
Author James Barrat presents a thorough and fascinating study on the current progress and future outlook of artificial intelligence (AI). Barraf s concern is that time is running out on developing an interventional strategy that will prevent an AI from ultimately destroying humans. He writes, "I was convinced that the knowledgeable experts who did not question AI's safety at all were suffering from delusions." (p. 2) He warns that "the failure to explore and monitor the threat is almost society-wide" (p. 267) and that ultimately "our species is going to mortally struggle with this problem", (p. 5) Barraf s book puts forth a convincing case of why society should be concerned about the dangers of AI.
The background material presented here is thorough and well organized. Barrat explains AI and its uneven historical development and controversial future. He discusses both...