AI Explained

Afterword

We began this book by recounting Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein—not because we wanted to frighten you with monsters, but because it is a valuable cautionary tale about the dangers of overreaching ambition, and the responsibility that comes with innovation.

Here, in the closing words of the book, you have an advantage over us: Some time has passed since we penned these pages, so you will be more aware of developments in AI capability and use. The pace of change is so rapid that, even while we were writing, events were unfolding quickly. Do you now find yourself in a world of AI monsters, in an AI utopia, or—more likely—somewhere in the middle?

Shelley’s monster made a dramatic and violent impact on the people in her story. Whilst this makes for compelling prose, in real life less dramatic outcomes can occur, which may still have profound impacts on the everyday lives of people and society.

In this Afterword, we briefly shift from explanation to reflection as we explore the opportunities and challenges that AI may bring as it becomes ever more woven into the fabric of our lives.

AI will play a crucial role in solving many of the challenges that shape our future—from tackling climate change to developing new forms of clean energy, and from managing resources in an increasingly depopulating world to supporting healthcare for ageing populations. These possibilities underline the enormous potential of AI to improve lives and strengthen societies.

Yet even as this optimism is ...