The Mind's Mirror by Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone

THE MIND'S MIRROR by Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone (The Chip and the Heart) is another collaboration between a pioneering roboticist who is director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and a professional science writer. Their newest book focuses on “Risk and Reward in the Age of AI.” As ever, these two authors are extremely optimistic about the new technology and divide their text into three main sections: Powers, Fundamentals, and Stewardship. Taking a “hands-on” approach, they offer advice like: “as you evaluate how AI can help your business, I'd suggest breaking down the various roles within your organization by task, then looking at whether AI can assist, augment, or automate those tasks.”  The authors also point to the value of “business bilinguals, [those] who understand both tasks and technology” like understanding the complex issues involved with medical coding and AI application. About halfway through the text they offer a section which reads a bit like a business school case with “a detailed set of guidelines and questions to consider as you think about putting AI into action.” Later, they do turn to potential concerns and link to an effort to provide policy briefs on the governance of AI. They also devote considerable space to less commonly cited challenges in three spheres: technical (such as training data, complexity, security, reliability, bias), societal (like privacy, intellectual property, controls, overreliance, misinformation), and economic (impact on jobs, the rate of adoption, and so forth). THE MIND'S MIRROR is a relatively accessible text which could prompt numerous discussions, whether for student researchers or business applications. The two-part appendix provides a brief history of artificial intelligence plus an overview of the infrastructure of AI, followed by suggestions for further reading and a bibliography of sources.  

The Skill Code by Beane & Code Dependent by Murgia

I am looking forward to virtually attending The Washington Post Futurist Summit on AI later this week. Here are another couple of new books related to that subject:

THE SKILL CODE by Matt Beane is subtitled “How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines” and it looks at the importance of what Beane calls the expert-novice bond, meaning that that we each achieved mastery by working with someone who knew more than we did. Beane conducts extensive observational field research as an ethnographer and in his role as an Assistant Professor in the Technology Management Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The first key insight he notes is “that the working relationship between experts and novices is a bundle of three C's that humans need to develop mastery: challenge, complexity, and connection.” He explains those and points to threats to each, arguing “if we don't put this knowledge [3C’s] to use right now, our species is in deep trouble.” Overall, this is really a text about training, teaching and educational psychology. He points to how we need to consciously make these new technologies part of the solution but not by inserting them between novices and experts. A captivating section is where he discusses “shadow learners” – people who take risks and step outside norms to embrace the 3 C’s. Beane writes about finding challenge (not unlike Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD)) and provides a checklist to know when you are facing healthy challenge. Beane then repeats those steps with respect to complexity and connection, stressing the importance of “building mutual respect and trust so that employees view a boss as an expert but also someone who cares.”  Like much of the rest of the book, this is solid advice on social emotional skills and applies to any industry, whether AI is involved or not. Added (9/8/24): The Wall Street Journal review:  "Digital transformation has made the workplace more efficient. It has also reduced opportunities for skill development and mentorship."

CODE DEPENDENT by Madhumita Murgia is subtitled “Living in the Shadow of AI” and in a rather angry manner Murgia stresses the need for individuals around the world to unite in the face of AI. She writes about the concept of data colonialism and points to how gig workers (e.g., those affiliated with Uber) are oppressed and manipulated by algorithms. That made me wonder about how did business management transform from a cooperative, albeit paternalistic, view to an all-knowing heartless controller? Is that accurate? Is it part of a continual cycle of exploitation and reform? Some of these points were raised several years ago in The End of Loyalty by Rick Wartzman. Murgia, an award-winning Indian-British journalist who is currently AI Editor at the Financial Times, argues that “by reflecting on the march of AI, we can start to address the imbalances in power, and move towards redress.” Her work draws on examples from around the world, having spoken to people living in Kenya, Britain, Argentina, Italy, and to refugees from Iraq and China. In sections labeled Your Livelihood, Your Body and Your Identity, she shares concerns about wage differentials, deepfakes, and facial recognition. A subsequent section on Your Health features a doctor in rural India who is able to use an app to help to quickly diagnosis TB and later to contribute to recalibrate it to distinguish between TB and COVID. After several other chapters, Murgia describes OpenAI and Chat GPT and the tendency to hallucinate based on training. A favorite part is the Epilogue where Murgia describes the work of the world’s major religions in contributing to developing some ethical standards for deploying AI. Endnotes and an Index comprise between ten and fifteen percent of the text. The Guardian called CODE DEPENDENT “highly readable and deeply important,” saying “the power of this book lies in the rich stories it tells of individuals ... Drawing on interviews from around the globe.” Those stories veer between deep pessimism and glimmers of optimism and offer unique perspective. Much to consider.  

Added from NPR: Pope to discuss AI at G7 meeting.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley is a unique debut novel which has received quite a bit of “buzz,” including being named a LibraryReads selection for May, the #1 pick on the Indie Next List, and a starred review from Kirkus. I was excited to learn that it will become a six-part series for the BBC. Looking for time travel, romance, espionage? Then this book may be for you. Bradley, a British-Cambodian writer and editor based in London, has produced a work of which Ron Charles (Washington Post book critic) writes “Imagine if The Time Traveler’s Wife had an affair with A Gentleman in Moscow.”  This new tale actually features five “expats,” people who have been transported from their time to present day London and their “bridges,” the Ministry staff assigned to be “day-by-day dictionaries” and help with assimilation in the 21st century. The unnamed female narrator is the bridge for Graham Gore, also known as eighteen forty-seven, who was an Arctic explorer and Bradley’s inspiration for this innovative novel. There is a slow burn chemistry between the two and several ethical questions develop. The first third of the book, filled with banter is especially fun: “‘You have enslaved the power of lightning [electricity],’ he said, ‘and you've used it to avoid the tedium of hiring help.’” But the tone changes as it turns more philosophical with THE MINISTRY OF TIME offering an intriguing perspective on time travel: “This was one of my first lessons in how you make the future: moment by moment, you seal the doors of possibility behind you.” 

A Simple Choice by David Pepper

A SIMPLE CHOICE by David Pepper (The Voter File and others) is another political thriller from the past Chairman of the Democratic Party of Ohio. Pepper introduces Amity Jones, a former Supreme Court Clerk, and Palmer Knight, a TV reporter with deep family ties to Washington insiders. Initially, they are exploring different questions. Amity has moved to Ohio to be near her cancer-stricken mother and ends up trailing a suspicious van which appears regularly at the house of a neighbor whose young son has had a miraculous cure. Palmer becomes so curious about the unusual death (suicide? foul play by foreign interests?) of a United States Senator that he ends of a victim of a deep fake video campaign. It does take a while to set up all of those questions, but the middle of the book starts to interweave some answers amidst action-packed adventures (Amity is kidnapped; her brother is attacked; and Palmer makes his way to the White House). The ending felt quick and a bit contrived, but fans of political intrigue will certainly enjoy the diversion which A SIMPLE CHOICE offers. 

Ready for Launch by Scott Kelly

READY FOR LAUNCH by Scott Kelly is subtitled “An Astronaut's Lessons for Success on Earth.” Writing for “anyone who has a dream or a goal but isn’t sure they have what it takes to achieve it,” Kelly has chosen ten life lessons (e.g., Diversity is a Force Multiplier) and devotes a chapter to each. For example, he places special emphasis on the positive role of failure: “I believe that everyday human failures …can be one of our greatest opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. …only when you are willing to risk failure are you aiming high enough.” When I read Kelly’s comments about “how adversity shapes us depends on how we choose to respond to it,” I immediately thought of Randy Pausch ("We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand") and his book, The Last Lecture which, ironically, has a rocket ship on the cover. At just over one-hundred and twenty pages, READY FOR LAUNCH is both entertaining and inspirational; hopefully, it will provide readers with the same sort of motivation that Wolfe’s The Right Stuff gave Kelly. The first astronaut to spend an entire year in space, Kelly has written several other books for adults (Endurance) and children (My Journey to the Stars). He is a prolific writer – I vividly remember his essay “I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share” published by The New York Times in March 2020 as the pandemic began. School Library Journal describes READY FOR LAUNCH as an “excellent addition to all library collections” and recommends it for grades 5 and up.

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark

FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark immerses its readers in nature by evoking a beautiful setting in Maine. That is the long time summer retreat for 80 year old Agnes, a writer of children’s books and (under a pseudonym) adults novels filled with observations about social class and women’s strengths and perceptions. Her best friend, Polly, also summers at Fellowship Point and the two older Quaker ladies devise a plan to set up a land trust, protecting the area as a sanctuary for birds. Polly’s self-centered husband (who is beginning to experience signs of dementia) and their sons’ families object, of course. Meanwhile, Agnes is coping with inquiries from a young editorial assistant named Maud who is encouraging Agnes to write a memoir. Their correspondence contains exquisite summaries like: “What does it mean to be a writer? … That I have developed a system of logic that resembles reason while containing my emotions which are by nature unreasonable. That I know I can express myself clearly if and when I need to. Above all, that I have a private space where I can wander and play and dream, where I can be scathing and cruel and reprehensible, where I can love and expose myself completely, without any interference from anyone other than my private projections.” Readers will need to be patient and savor the slower pace; this is a novel filled with contemplation and quiet reveals as well as numerous ethical questions (e.g., “She was always loyal – but how to choose between the entities that deserved her allegiance?”). Anyone who loves the woods will be delighted to walk the land with Agnes or Polly. Teeming with commentary on female friendships and on the relationships between mothers and children, FELLOWSHIP POINT received starred reviews from Booklist (“psychologically fluent, funny, and intricately and meaningfully plotted”), Kirkus (“the rare 592-page novel you'll be sorry to finish”), and Publishers Weekly (“a remarkable achievement”). 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry) is a LibraryReads selection for July. This novel deals with … video games: “and this is the truth of any game – it can only exist at the moment it is being played. It’s the same with being an actor. In the end, all we can ever know is the game that was played, in the only world that we know.” Sadie Green, and Sam Masur are the designers and programmers, Marx is the producer. They are all college students (Harvard and MIT) who eventually make it big with a successful game, but find their objectives diverging as they grow older. Plenty of questions here about identity and belonging, too. Sam (who is disabled due to a childhood accident) and Marx are biracial Asian Americans “and as any mixed-race person will tell you – to be half of two things is to be whole of nothing.” Sadie struggles with self-worth and the anti-female culture of video-gaming. I still find my favorite Zevin novel to be Elsewhere and this latest is certainly more adult-oriented, particularly the sections where undergraduate Sadie becomes involved with an older, married professor. Called “a love letter to the Literary Gamer” by The New York Times reviewer, TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW received starred reviews from Kirkus, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.  

Give Unto Others by Donna Leon

GIVE UNTO OTHERS by Donna Leon is book 31 in the mystery series set in Venice which features Commissario Guido Brunetti. In this latest selection, we need to talk about Bruno del Balzo, the husband of Elisabetta Foscarini, herself a former neighbor of Brunetti. Initially Elisabetta asks for Brunetti’s unofficial help due to disquiet about her daughter and accountant son-in-law; there’s an implication that it involves some financial irregularities and Brunetti struggles with questions of loyalty and whether he should be asking his colleagues to investigate this rather personal matter. Without a murder or actual crime, the story revolves more around the psychological motivation of characters and Leon assumes that readers are familiar with long-time colleagues of Brunetti. An engaging story in a beautiful setting, GIVE UNTO OTHERS received a starred review from Booklist. Donna Leon is a mystery writer often recommended by Hillary Clinton and two other recent mysteries worth reading are State of Terror, co-written by Clinton and Louise Penny, plus The Madness of Crowds, Penny’s latest in the Inspector Gamache series. Secretary of State Ellen Adams takes on international terrorists and contemporary, power-hungry Washington in State of Terror; we enjoyed the audiobook version on a recent road trip. The Madness of Crowds has a beautiful cover and received multiple starred reviews (Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly) for another mystery set in Three Pines where, Gamache, too, has to struggle with ethical questions.