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How We Got Here. Where We Might Go Next

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By: Jeanette Winterson
Narrated by: Jeanette Winterson
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Brought to you by Penguin.

A 'Books of 2021' pick in the Guardian, Financial Times and Evening Standard.

Twelve bytes. Twelve eye-opening, mind-expanding, funny and provocative essays on the implications of artificial intelligence for the way we live and the way we love - from Sunday Times best-selling author Jeanette Winterson.

In this original, deeply researched and lively new book, Jeanette Winterson traces the history of the AI revolution. She talks to some of the boldest and most imaginative thinkers in the field and looks to religion, myth and literature to help us understand the radical changes to the way we live and love that are just around the corner. 

When we create non-human life-forms, will we do so in our image? Or will we accept the once-in-a-species opportunity to remake ourselves in their image? 

What do love, caring and attachment look like with a non-biological life form? And what happens to the gender binary? 

What will happen when our destiny is not contained by physical bodies, and our destination is not planet Earth? 

With wit, compassion and curiosity, Winterson tackles AI's most urgent talking points, and asks listeners to consider their role in imagining a more just and equal future.

©2021 Jeanette Winterson (P)2021 Penguin Audio Computer Science Essays Gender Studies Literary History & Criticism Machine Theory & Artificial Intelligence Social Sciences Technology Artificial Intelligence Funny Robotics
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Critic Reviews

“What makes this audiobook essential listening is not just its content (a mix of enthusiasm and castigation), but the electricity of Winterson’s narration.” (Times, audiobook of the week)
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A well thought out and written series of essays. Each and every one gave me something to talk about around what our future could be like. Good historical references too. Great to hear an accent the same as mine :)

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one of the best explanations on the future use of technology. one that comes from a human approach and what it means as we go further.

beautifully written tech

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Outstanding: making the case for and against AI and AGI with tranches of evidence from human history, our human interests and our human hearts. Jeanette provides us multiple and generous servings of the complexities of the human interests that have shaped our development of and relationships to the technologies past, present and possible enlightened or despotic future. Her big take away message is that AI and AGI are such a transformative development that we cannot allow them to be owned, deployed and managed by a cartel of entitled men - the tech bros.

Our Future With AI: Not a Tech Bro Wet Dream

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.