The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma

"A compelling and thought-provoking book."—Yuval Noah Harari "Indispensable reading."—Daniel Kahneman "An invaluable guide for navigating uncharted times."—Bill Gates

Recognized as an Economist and Financial Times Best Book of the Year • Recipient of the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award • Finalist for the Porchlight Business Book Award and the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award

Our species stands on the brink of a pivotal moment in history, where everything is poised to undergo a profound transformation.

In the not-too-distant future, artificial intelligences (AIs) will envelop your daily existence, orchestrating your lifestyle, managing your business affairs, and overseeing critical government functions. A realm of DNA printers and quantum computers, engineered pathogens and autonomous weaponry, robotic aides, and boundless energy awaits.

None of us are adequately prepared.

Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of the trailblazing AI company DeepMind within the Google umbrella, has played a central role in this revolutionary era. He contends that the forthcoming decade will be characterized by an influx of potent, rapidly spreading technologies.

"The Coming Wave" by Suleyman lays out how these technological forces promise immense prosperity while simultaneously posing a threat to the very foundation of global order—the nation-state. As our vulnerable governments navigate perilously towards potential disaster, we confront an existential crossroads: on one side, unprecedented dangers, and on the other, the looming specter of pervasive surveillance.

Is there a route we can chart that steers clear of catastrophe and dystopia?

This groundbreaking book, authored by the ultimate insider in the realm of artificial intelligence, introduces "the containment problem" as the fundamental challenge of our age—the imperative task of maintaining control over these influential technologies.