The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity
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- Create Date：2021-06-18 06:55:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Amy Webb
- ISBN：1541724410
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Summary
A call-to-arms about the broken nature of artificial intelligence， and the powerful corporations that are turning the human-machine relationship on its head。
We like to think that we are in control of the future of "artificial" intelligence。 The reality， though， is that we--the everyday people whose data powers AI--aren't actually in control of anything。 When， for example， we speak with Alexa， we contribute that data to a system we can't see and have no input into--one largely free from regulation or oversight。 The big nine corporations--Amazon， Google， Facebook， Tencent， Baidu， Alibaba， Microsoft， IBM and Apple--are the new gods of AI and are short-changing our futures to reap immediate financial gain。
In this book， Amy Webb reveals the pervasive， invisible ways in which the foundations of AI--the people working on the system， their motivations， the technology itself--is broken。 Within our lifetimes， AI will， by design， begin to behave unpredictably， thinking and acting in ways which defy human logic。 The big nine corporations may be inadvertently building and enabling vast arrays of intelligent systems that don't share our motivations， desires， or hopes for the future of humanity。
Much more than a passionate， human-centered call-to-arms， this book delivers a strategy for changing course， and provides a path for liberating us from algorithmic decision-makers and powerful corporations。
We like to think that we are in control of the future of "artificial" intelligence。 The reality， though， is that we--the everyday people whose data powers AI--aren't actually in control of anything。 When， for example， we speak with Alexa， we contribute that data to a system we can't see and have no input into--one largely free from regulation or oversight。 The big nine corporations--Amazon， Google， Facebook， Tencent， Baidu， Alibaba， Microsoft， IBM and Apple--are the new gods of AI and are short-changing our futures to reap immediate financial gain。
In this book， Amy Webb reveals the pervasive， invisible ways in which the foundations of AI--the people working on the system， their motivations， the technology itself--is broken。 Within our lifetimes， AI will， by design， begin to behave unpredictably， thinking and acting in ways which defy human logic。 The big nine corporations may be inadvertently building and enabling vast arrays of intelligent systems that don't share our motivations， desires， or hopes for the future of humanity。
Much more than a passionate， human-centered call-to-arms， this book delivers a strategy for changing course， and provides a path for liberating us from algorithmic decision-makers and powerful corporations。
Reviews
Yue
，
Thé books is good to give me information especially on the China AI development。 But the bias is obvious as well: Silicon Valley mistakes are mostly good will and oops we made a mistake; the China-US war has constrained the scope of the book and ignored the massive effort and research done in EU。
Thao Nguyen
，
The first half was really good with explanation regarding the history of nine tech titans but the second half seems a little bit over-wordy for me， and eventually took me quite a while to finish。
Lanre Dahunsi
，
In The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity， American Futurist and Author Amy Webb writes about the broken nature of artificial intelligence and how powerful corporations she calls the Big Nine; are turning the human-machine relationship on its head。 According to Amy， the Big Nine corporation includes 6 American corporations and 3 Chinese companies。 The American portion （G-MAFIA - Google， Microsoft， Amazon， Facebook， IBM， and Apple） and the Chinese portio In The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity， American Futurist and Author Amy Webb writes about the broken nature of artificial intelligence and how powerful corporations she calls the Big Nine; are turning the human-machine relationship on its head。 According to Amy， the Big Nine corporation includes 6 American corporations and 3 Chinese companies。 The American portion （G-MAFIA - Google， Microsoft， Amazon， Facebook， IBM， and Apple） and the Chinese portion （BAT - Baidu， Alibaba， and Tencent）。The American G-MAFIA companies are beholden to the whims of Wall Street， and they have a transactional relationship with the American Government。 In contrast， the Chinese BAT companies are controlled by the Chinese Government and the demands of the Chinese Communist Party。 At the center of all these is the consumer whose data is mined and refined to build the future of Artificial Intelligence。The Big Nine companies may be after the same noble goals—cracking the code of machine intelligence to build systems capable of humanlike thought—but the eventual outcome of that work could irrevocably harm humanity。Favourite Takeaways – The Big Nine by Amy Webb。The AI RevolutionArtificial intelligence is already here， but it didn’t show up as we all expected。 It is the quiet backbone of our financial systems， the power grid， and the retail supply chain。 It is the invisible infrastructure that directs us through traffic， finds the right meaning in our mistyped words， and determines what we should buy， watch， listen to， and read。 It is technology upon which our future is being built because it intersects with every aspect of our lives: health and medicine， housing， agriculture， transportation， sports， and even love， sex， and death。“AI isn’t a tech trend， a buzzword， or a temporary distraction—it is the third era of computing。 We are in the midst of significant transformation， not unlike the generation who lived through the Industrial Revolution。“Contrasting AI Worldview – USA vs ChinaIn the US， relentless market demands and unrealistic expectations for new products and services have made long-term planning impossible。 We expect Google， Amazon， Apple， Facebook， Microsoft， and IBM to make bold new AI product announcements at their annual conferences， as though R&D breakthroughs can be scheduled。 If these companies don’t present us with shinier products than the previous year， we talk about them as if they’re failures。 Or we question whether AI is over。 Or we question their leadership。 Not once have we given these companies a few years to hunker down and work without requiring them to dazzle us at regular intervals。The US government has no grand strategy for AI nor for our longer-term futures。Rather than treating AI as an opportunity for new job creation and growth， American lawmakers see only widespread technological unemployment。 In turn they blame US tech giants， when they could invite these companies to participate in the uppermost levels of strategic planning （such as it exists） within the government。 Our AI pioneers have no choice but to constantly compete with each other for a trusted， direct connection with you， me， our schools， our hospitals， our cities， and our businesses。 Instead of funding basic research into AI， the US government has effectively outsourced R&D to the commercial sector and the whims of Wall Street。China AI StrategyMeanwhile， in China， AI’s developmental track is tethered to the grand ambitions of government。 China is quickly laying the groundwork to become the world’s unchallenged AI hegemon。 In July 2017， the Chinese government unveiled its Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan to become the global leader in AI by the year 2030 with a domestic industry worth at least $150 billion， which involved devoting part of its sovereign wealth fund to new labs and startups， as well as new schools launching specifically to train China’s next generation of AI talent。 In October of that same year， China’s President Xi Jinping explained his plans for AI and big data during a detailed speech to thousands of party officials。 AI， he said， would help China transition into one of the most advanced economies in the world。 Already， China’s economy is 30 times larger than it was just three decades ago。 Baidu， Tencent， and Alibaba may be publicly traded giants， but typical of all large Chinese companies， they must bend to the will of Beijing。China’s AI push is part of a coordinated attempt to create a new world order led by President Xi， while market forces and consumerism are the primary drivers in America。 This dichotomy is a serious blind spot for us all。America’s Tribes: The G-MAFIAThe US-based portion of the Big Nine—Google， Microsoft， Amazon， Facebook， IBM， and Apple—are inventive， innovative， and largely responsible for the biggest advancements in AI。 They do function as a mafia in the purest （but not pejorative） sense: it’s a closed supernetwork of people with similar interests and backgrounds working within one field who have a controlling influence over our futures。With the data you’re generating in the cloud， the G-MAFIA could theoretically tell if you’re secretly pregnant， if your employees think you’re incompetent， or if you’re grappling with a terminal illness—and the G-MAFIA’s AI would probably know all of that well before you do。 The godlike view the G-MAFIA have into our lives is not necessarily bad。 In fact， there are numerous ways that mining our personal data for insights could result in all of us living healthier， happier lives。China’s Tribes: The BATBaidu， Alibaba， and Tencent， collectively known as the BAT， are China’s side of the Big Nine。 The AI tribe under the People’s Republic of China operates under different rules and rituals， which include significant government funding， oversight， and industrial policies designed to propel the BAT forward。 Together， they are part of a well-capitalized， highly organized state-level AI plan for the future， one in which the government wields tremendous control。 This is China’s space race， and we are its Sputnik to their Apollo mission。 We might have gotten to orbit first， but China has put its sovereign wealth fund， education system， citizens， and national pride on the line in its pursuit of AI。Facebook may have 2 billion monthly active users， but those users are spread out around the world。 Tencent’s WeChat’s 1 billion active users are predominantly located in just one country。 Baidu had 665 million mobile search users in 201737—more than double the estimated number of mobile users in the United States。3HumanityHumanity is facing an existential crisis in a very literal sense， because no one is addressing a simple question that has been fundamental to AI since its very inception: What happens to society when we transfer power to a system built by a small group of people that is designed to make decisions for everyone？ What happens when those decisions are biased toward market forces or an ambitious political party？ The answer is reflected in the future opportunities we have， the ways in which we are denied access， the social conventions within our societies， the rules by which our economies operate， and even the way we relate to other people。Every person alive today can play a critical role in the future of artificial intelligence。 The decisions we make about AI now—even the seemingly small ones—will forever change the course of human history。 As the machines awaken， we may realize that in spite of our hopes and altruistic ambitions， our AI systems turned out to be catastrophically bad for humanity。The Big Nine aren’t the villains in this story。 In fact， they are our best hope for the future。AI BiasThe future of AI is being built by a relatively few like-minded people within small， insulated groups。 But as with all insulated groups that work closely together， their unconscious biases and myopia tend to become new systems of belief and accepted behaviors over time。 What might have in the past felt unusual—wrong， even—becomes normalized as everyday thinking。 And that thinking is what’s being programmed into our machines。Those working within AI belong to a tribe of sorts。 They are people living and working in North America and in China。 They attend the same universities。 They adhere to a set of social rules。 The tribes are overwhelmingly homogenous。 They are affluent and highly educated。 Their members are mostly male。 Their leaders—executive officers， board members， senior managers—are， with few exceptions， all men。 Homogeneity is also an issue in China， where tribe members are predominantly Chinese。The problem with tribes is what makes them so powerful。 In insular groups， cognitive biases become magnified and further entrenched， and they slip past awareness。 Cognitive biases are a stand-in for rational thought， which slows our thinking down and takes more energy。The more connected and established a tribe becomes， the more normal its groupthink and behavior seems。The AI SystemsThe Big Nine AI tribes are building:Artificial narrow intelligence （ANI） systems， capable of performing a singular task at the same level or better than we humans can。 Commercial ANI applications—and by extension， the tribe—are already making decisions for us in our email inboxes， when we search for things on the internet， when we take photos with our phones， as we drive our cars， and when we apply for credit cards or loans。Artificial general intelligence （AGI） systems， which will perform broader cognitive tasks because they are machines that are designed to think like we do。 But who， exactly， is the “we” these AI systems are being modeled on？ Whose values， ideals， and worldviews are being taught。 The short answer is not yours—and also not mine。 Artificial intelligence has the mind of its tribe， prioritizing its creators’ values， ideals， and worldviews。 But it is also starting to develop a mind of its own。ConclusionThe Big Nine—China’s BAT （Baidu， Alibaba， and Tencent） and America’s G-MAFIA （Google， Microsoft， Amazon， Facebook， IBM， and Apple）—are developing the tools and built environment that will power the future of artificial intelligence。 They are members of the AI tribe， formed in universities where they inculcate shared ideas and goals， which become even more entrenched once graduates enter the workforce。 The field of AI isn’t static。 As artificial narrow intelligence evolves into artificial general intelligence， the Big Nine are developing new kinds of hardware systems and recruiting developers who get locked into their frameworks。AI’s consumerism model in the United States isn’t inherently evil。 Neither is China’s government-centralized model。 AI itself isn’t necessarily harmful to society。 However， the G-MAFIA are profit-driven， publicly traded companies that must answer to Wall Street， regardless of the altruistic intentions of their leaders and employees。 In China， the BAT are beholden to the Chinese government， which has already decided what’s best for the Chinese。 。。。more
Jeff
，
After describing the history and the current state of AI， Amy Webb paints several pictures of what the future of AI might look like。 They're full of detail and compelling logic， and two of them are terrifying。 Well worth a read if you're interested in continuing to live in a free and fair society where you are in control of your own destiny。 After describing the history and the current state of AI， Amy Webb paints several pictures of what the future of AI might look like。 They're full of detail and compelling logic， and two of them are terrifying。 Well worth a read if you're interested in continuing to live in a free and fair society where you are in control of your own destiny。 。。。more
Oladni M
，
I've read books written during the Cold War that gave a more nuanced vision on US-China relations than this one。 I've read books written during the Cold War that gave a more nuanced vision on US-China relations than this one。 。。。more
Robert Segura
，
The scariest non-fiction horror book I've read。 Spooky。 The scariest non-fiction horror book I've read。 Spooky。 。。。more
Andres Restrepo Sánchez
，
En este libro， Amy Webb describe la IA y el papel de todos los grupos de interés involucrados: personas naturales， científicos de datos， gobiernos/estados， y sector privado enfatizando en los 9 gigantes tecnológicos de la actualidad。Me parece que su descripción de los 9 gigantes deja por fuera el desarrollo de la IA en el resto de la economía y en sectores con avances muy grandes （cómo el financiero）， donde seguro existirán impactos muy importantes。El análisis que hace de los posibles escenarios En este libro， Amy Webb describe la IA y el papel de todos los grupos de interés involucrados: personas naturales， científicos de datos， gobiernos/estados， y sector privado enfatizando en los 9 gigantes tecnológicos de la actualidad。Me parece que su descripción de los 9 gigantes deja por fuera el desarrollo de la IA en el resto de la economía y en sectores con avances muy grandes （cómo el financiero）， donde seguro existirán impactos muy importantes。El análisis que hace de los posibles escenarios， si bien incluye posibilidades muy cercanas o incluso hoy materializadas， parece estar más orientado al propósito comercial del libro que a la verdadera pedagogía o el debate。A pesar de lo anterior， definitivamente se tratan temas profundos y de relevancia global como la gestión y el gobierno de datos personales， la necesidad de los gobiernos/estados de involucrarse activamente en el desarrollo de la IA （cómo ya sucede en algunos países）， los sesgos personales que pueden afectar el curso de los desarrollos de IA actuales， y el deber de todos los involucrados en el tema por hacer de la ética una parte fundamental de la IA。Es un buen libro para leer con mirada crítica， pero valorando los cuestionamientos que hace。 。。。more
Kyle Petitt
，
Decent book covering the impacts of AI and forecasts its development and use going forward。 Sets out a rough path we should use to make sure AI is used to benefit all rather than used by the greedy few to amass wealth。 I would recommend it to anyone interested in AI or the future of technology
Rodolfo Martínez
，
Buen libro para conocer el estatus actual de la Inteligencia Artificial y cómo éstas 9 empresas grandes la están desarrollando y liderando。 Lo único que no me gustó tanto fue que la autora desarrollara mucho sus teorías de los 3 escenarios hipotéticos para el futuro de la IA。
Hoang
，
Một cuốn sách thú vị về vai trò của A。I。 trong cuộc sống hiện tại và tương lai gần。 Trí tuệ nhân tạo quả thực đã và đang đóng vai trò khá lớn trong cuộc sống con người。 Kể cả khi không làm việc trong các lĩnh vực công nghệ hay AI， thì có thể nói một người bình thường vẫn tương tác với những công nghệ này hàng ngày còn nhiều hơn với người thân của họ。 Thế nên cho dù không có nhiều hứng thú với máy móc thì đây vẫn là một cuốn sách nên đọc cho tất cả mọi người。Bản dịch tiếng Việt có một số lỗi về đ Một cuốn sách thú vị về vai trò của A。I。 trong cuộc sống hiện tại và tương lai gần。 Trí tuệ nhân tạo quả thực đã và đang đóng vai trò khá lớn trong cuộc sống con người。 Kể cả khi không làm việc trong các lĩnh vực công nghệ hay AI， thì có thể nói một người bình thường vẫn tương tác với những công nghệ này hàng ngày còn nhiều hơn với người thân của họ。 Thế nên cho dù không có nhiều hứng thú với máy móc thì đây vẫn là một cuốn sách nên đọc cho tất cả mọi người。Bản dịch tiếng Việt có một số lỗi về đánh máy và editing， nhưng trong phạm vi chấp nhận được。 Một số lỗi về dịch thuật， như dịch "free internet" thành "internet miễn phí" thay vì "internet tự do" như ý của tác giả， thể hiện sự khác biệt về thiên kiến của người dịch so với người viết。 。。。more
Nguyễn Huyền
，
I like the first part where she presented about the current state of AI and reshape our knowledge about this technology。 However， I’d like it to take a more universal approach instead of focusing solely on the US。 For example， the role of Europe was totally left out。 Furthermore， even though I’m far from an expert in AI， I find the pragmatic and catastrophic scenarios rather too grim and a bit repulsive， while the optimistic scenario belongs to the other extreme - too good to be anything close t I like the first part where she presented about the current state of AI and reshape our knowledge about this technology。 However， I’d like it to take a more universal approach instead of focusing solely on the US。 For example， the role of Europe was totally left out。 Furthermore， even though I’m far from an expert in AI， I find the pragmatic and catastrophic scenarios rather too grim and a bit repulsive， while the optimistic scenario belongs to the other extreme - too good to be anything close to reality （I know the point of it is to be unrealistic， but the differences between the scenarios are too humongous）。Still， a decent book to pick up to learn a thing or two about our AI-dependent future。 Recommended。 。。。more
Adam Ricks
，
Didn't love this one。 While it is possible that the advances in technology could be as scary as she describes in her book and as shown in movies - the author doesn't really even focus on what these companies are doing today （because she doesn't know）。 It is certainly possible that they are taking all of these considerations in stride。 If you want to believe that technology is going to ruin us - then this might be a fun book for you。 Some interesting discussion points and things to think about - Didn't love this one。 While it is possible that the advances in technology could be as scary as she describes in her book and as shown in movies - the author doesn't really even focus on what these companies are doing today （because she doesn't know）。 It is certainly possible that they are taking all of these considerations in stride。 If you want to believe that technology is going to ruin us - then this might be a fun book for you。 Some interesting discussion points and things to think about - but not much more than that。 。。。more
Juan Jesús
，
3。5Me esperaba más， aunque no está mal。 Me chirría un poco que en los escenarios futuros planteados， el malo siempre el China
Petrina B
，
I came into this book with a very marginal understanding of the future trajectory and ethical implications of the progression of artificial narrow intelligence （ANI） to artificial general intelligence （AGI）， and， ultimately， artificial superintelligence （ASI）。 I would say it is an accessible read for all， and Amy Webb makes a strong argument for why we， as the public and users of technology， should challenge how universities， the Big Nine and AI tribes inculcate their students and scientists to I came into this book with a very marginal understanding of the future trajectory and ethical implications of the progression of artificial narrow intelligence （ANI） to artificial general intelligence （AGI）， and， ultimately， artificial superintelligence （ASI）。 I would say it is an accessible read for all， and Amy Webb makes a strong argument for why we， as the public and users of technology， should challenge how universities， the Big Nine and AI tribes inculcate their students and scientists to think ethically about the widespread influence of these technologies on the future of humanity。 While pleas for greater diversity in these AI circles are warranted and well received given that the 'engineers' of these algorithms will dictate and govern so many facets of our lives， from delivering medical diagnoses based on health behaviour and genomics to determining the probability of being repeat offenders of a crime based on demographic data， I echo her concerns that 'Big Nine' （Google， Microsoft， Amazon， Facebook， IBM， Apple， Baidu， Alibaba， and Tencent） will continue to be influenced by the pressures of the market and Wall Street than steered towards the direction of making decisions for what's 'best' for all of humanity。This book raised questions for me whether it's a fair analysis to view China's use of AI as sinply a conduit for the spread of communist ideology and social behavior while Washington is heralded as the protector of democracy， human liberties， and right to privacy in the context of AI and personal data usage。 Overall， I recommend this book and it will leave you thinking more critically about how we share our data with these large conglomerates on an everyday basis and what role we play in keeping companies and governments accountable in personal data usage both now and in the future。 。。。more
Todd Cheng
，
This narrative is a good digest and foil of the issues at hand on AI and risks forthcoming。 I was not a fan a the Gmafia example of the big nine industries acting counter to the needs of their customers。 The system is not so easily untangled or contained。 It has become every definition of a complex adaptive system （CAS）。 And， as new challenges are overcome in increasing velocity with new industries and government equities it is less clear in the threads of the interdependences。 I was a great fan This narrative is a good digest and foil of the issues at hand on AI and risks forthcoming。 I was not a fan a the Gmafia example of the big nine industries acting counter to the needs of their customers。 The system is not so easily untangled or contained。 It has become every definition of a complex adaptive system （CAS）。 And， as new challenges are overcome in increasing velocity with new industries and government equities it is less clear in the threads of the interdependences。 I was a great fan of the conclusion。“In the voting booth， cast ballots for those who won’t rush into regulation but who would instead take a more sophisticated approach on AI and long-term planning。 Your elected officials must not politicize technology or chastise science。 But it’s also irresponsible to simply ignore Silicon Valley until a negative story appears in the press。 You must hold your elected officials—and their political appointees—accountable for their actions and inactions on AI。 You need to be a smarter consumer of media。 The next time you read， watch， or listen to a story about the future of AI， remember that the narrative presented to you is often too narrow。 The future of AI doesn’t only concern widespread unemployment and unmanned weapons flying overhead。 While we cannot know exactly what the future holds， AI’s possible trajectories are clear。 You now have a better understanding of how the Big Nine are driving AI’s developmental track， how investors and funders are influencing the speed and safety of AI systems， the critical role the US and Chinese governments play， how universities inculcate both skills and sensibilities， and how everyday people are an intrinsic part of the system。” 。。。more
Jordan
，
2。5 stars。 Great premise， but too much sidetracking and political cheap shots。 Evidence-free bashing of Trump’s China policy。 Evidence-free commentary around inequality and “classes” of society in the U。S。 Lots of commentary without evidence about outcomes and a failure to make a case that it is discrimination that has caused these outcomes。Yes， true diversity is needed （including ideological - not just a bunch of different-looking people who all believe the same thing）。 The way Big Tech has beg 2。5 stars。 Great premise， but too much sidetracking and political cheap shots。 Evidence-free bashing of Trump’s China policy。 Evidence-free commentary around inequality and “classes” of society in the U。S。 Lots of commentary without evidence about outcomes and a failure to make a case that it is discrimination that has caused these outcomes。Yes， true diversity is needed （including ideological - not just a bunch of different-looking people who all believe the same thing）。 The way Big Tech has begun abusing its informal power and acting as authoritarians goes to show we need some of the solutions in this book。Enjoyable read， but way too much side-tracking， cheap shots， and evidence-free assumptions about inequality of outcomes。 。。。more
Trung Luong
，
CEO Google Sundar Pichai có lần nói AI sẽ là breakthrough của loài người， impact hơn cả lửa hay điện。 Ấy vậy mà có vẻ không mấy ai hiểu về công nghệ này。 Thực ra cũng đúng， vì cũng chẳng mấy người quan tâm đến lửa hoặc điện hoạt động thế nào。 Người ta chỉ xài thôi。 Nhưng AI thì khác， không như điện hoặc lửa， có nút bật tắt theo ý muốn。 AI lại chẳng có công tắc nào， mà nó lại thay mình quyết định mọi thứ: xem gì， ăn gì， mua gì， đi đường nào， thậm chí ở Trung Quốc là để đánh “điểm xã hội” （không x CEO Google Sundar Pichai có lần nói AI sẽ là breakthrough của loài người， impact hơn cả lửa hay điện。 Ấy vậy mà có vẻ không mấy ai hiểu về công nghệ này。 Thực ra cũng đúng， vì cũng chẳng mấy người quan tâm đến lửa hoặc điện hoạt động thế nào。 Người ta chỉ xài thôi。 Nhưng AI thì khác， không như điện hoặc lửa， có nút bật tắt theo ý muốn。 AI lại chẳng có công tắc nào， mà nó lại thay mình quyết định mọi thứ: xem gì， ăn gì， mua gì， đi đường nào， thậm chí ở Trung Quốc là để đánh “điểm xã hội” （không xã giao tốt thì khỏi mượn tiền or xin việc， nói cách khác là cạp đất mà ăn）。。。 dựa vào điều mà nó nghĩ là tốt nhất。À vậy ra mấu chốt là "điều mà nó nghĩ là tốt nhất" được quyết định thế nào， bởi những ai， bị chi phối bởi những định kiến gì？ Những tưởng những suy nghĩ định kiến của các team làm việc trên product AI sẽ chi phối sản phẩm của họ （AI của Amazon sẽ khác Facebook hoặc khác Tencent。。）。 Điều này không sai， nhưng câu chuyện không dừng ở đó， ở level cao hơn team là tổ chức， trên tổ chức là quốc gia。 Nói cách khác thể chế chính trị， kinh tế， xã hội quyết định các định kiến AI quyết định các quyết định của người dùng。Đặc biệt là， cuốn sách về công nghệ nhưng được viết bởi phụ nữ。 Wait。。。 mọi người thấy đó， bản thân câu này cũng mang nhiều định kiến， tại sao sách công nghệ được viết bởi phụ nữ là đặc biệt？ Một người， một cách tự nhiên， luôn có định kiến， có thể tốt cho người này， và không tốt cho người kia。 Không có con người không định kiến， thì AI cũng vậy。 。。。more
Verónica Villa García
，
Este libro habla sobre la inteligencia artificial de una forma muy digerible para personas en su primer acercamiento a la tecnología - como yo。 Conceptualiza la historia de la IA de forma aprehensible y entretenida y de sus problemas como los sesgos raciales y de género por falta de representación。 Al final， cuando plantea escenarios de futurología seria， y propone soluciones para corregir esta ausencia de representación DEPRONTO SE OLVIDA DE INCLUIR A TODA LATINOAMERICA Y AFRICA。 O sea， la emba Este libro habla sobre la inteligencia artificial de una forma muy digerible para personas en su primer acercamiento a la tecnología - como yo。 Conceptualiza la historia de la IA de forma aprehensible y entretenida y de sus problemas como los sesgos raciales y de género por falta de representación。 Al final， cuando plantea escenarios de futurología seria， y propone soluciones para corregir esta ausencia de representación DEPRONTO SE OLVIDA DE INCLUIR A TODA LATINOAMERICA Y AFRICA。 O sea， la embarro y no quise leer mas su escenario ideal de las cosas。 En resumen， no leí como 10pgs de un capítulo porque la señora me pareció muy respetable las primeras 170 y era algl injusto madrearla solo por ser una típica gringa que se le olvida que hay gente que vive debajo de la LÍNEA DEL ECUADOR。Por eso， un cuatro。Igual léanselo。 。。。more
Miles Baker
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My initial impression was that The Big Nine would cover the nine companies referred to in its title with the specifics of how they are implementing AI （artificial intelligence）。 However， that is not the case。 The Big Nine tackles the broader scope of AI and its impacts on our society。 The author uses the nine companies to depict where AI currently is and cogitate where AI is taking us in the future。The first chapter of 50 pages covers AI's history and provides ample background for anyone unfamil My initial impression was that The Big Nine would cover the nine companies referred to in its title with the specifics of how they are implementing AI （artificial intelligence）。 However， that is not the case。 The Big Nine tackles the broader scope of AI and its impacts on our society。 The author uses the nine companies to depict where AI currently is and cogitate where AI is taking us in the future。The first chapter of 50 pages covers AI's history and provides ample background for anyone unfamiliar with the field。 The rest of the book covers AI's current state， potential， dangers， and solutions to threats。 Three future scenarios are outlined showing us where AI could lead us depending on various circumstances。I found this book educational， eye-opening， and even dire at times。 AI is already changing the world in ways we are not prepared for。 China is preparing for AI with long-term planning and a national strategy that could spell disaster for the U。S。 According to the author Amy Webb， our government is nowhere near knowledgeable enough or prepared yet。I would recommend this book to anyone with more than a passing interest in AI。 I would additionally recommend it to anyone who holds any political office in case they happen to be reading this review。 :） 。。。more
Cristian Zilleruelo
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Impactante！。 La manera como se crean nuevas inteligencias debería ser un asunto de todas las personas y prioridad de los gobiernos。
Christina
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Goodreads GiveawayThe author has done a great deal of research to explain and show how the 9 tech giants have got here and proposes possible future outcomes depending on society's measure of assistance or resistance to the future of technology。 Although it is informative and the author strives for a Utopian future rather than a pragmatic or catastrophic future， it is not realistic。 We live in a society who is inherently selfish， no matter how much we strive to do good for the sake of our humanit Goodreads GiveawayThe author has done a great deal of research to explain and show how the 9 tech giants have got here and proposes possible future outcomes depending on society's measure of assistance or resistance to the future of technology。 Although it is informative and the author strives for a Utopian future rather than a pragmatic or catastrophic future， it is not realistic。 We live in a society who is inherently selfish， no matter how much we strive to do good for the sake of our humanity， we also make mistakes。 We are in a constant state of learning and growing which are bound within are freedom of choice no matter if the choice is unethical or immoral。 The best we can do is to educate， especially when it comes to A。I。 given it is our present and our future， since is strives us to do better and be better。 Realistically， A。I can and will make our lives better but not to its fullest potential because society will not allow freedom of choice to be taken away。 。。。more
Asaf Atzmon
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It seems as if everywhere you go these days， people talk about Artificial Intelligence （AI）; it has reached the level that it is sometimes hard to control the conversation。In that respect， 'The Big Nine' is a pretty comprehensive account that provides both a useful historic perspective on the development of AI as well as a broad framing that positions it in a context which goes beyond the pure technical lens， and touches upon its societal， regulatory， and psychological aspects。Amy Webb， a journa It seems as if everywhere you go these days， people talk about Artificial Intelligence （AI）; it has reached the level that it is sometimes hard to control the conversation。In that respect， 'The Big Nine' is a pretty comprehensive account that provides both a useful historic perspective on the development of AI as well as a broad framing that positions it in a context which goes beyond the pure technical lens， and touches upon its societal， regulatory， and psychological aspects。Amy Webb， a journalist and futurist by trade， has taken the impossible task to draw for us the future of AI。 In fact， she draws 3 different ones。 The story， in a nutshell， goes like this - while US government has zero strategy around AI， Big Tech （Google and friends - dubbed G-Mafia） companies are taking their own ungoverned route， making bad decisions which are driven by short-term gain expectations; at the same time， China is leading a coordinated top-down effort， along with its own Big Tech companies to become the world dominant power。 From that （questionable？ simplistic？ dubious？） vantage point， Webb takes us through the 3 scenarios - in one， we wake up and lead AI to its "riding towards the sunset" paradise， in the other， we continue our route and subdue ourselves to China dominance （the 3rd one is kind of an average of the two others） - then she asks us to choose 。。While the book is useful in many ways， where I feel it falls short is in its ability to extract the core meaning of this AI development， which is， after all， grounded in science。 In my view， what will end up defining how will an AI-driven world look in the future， very much lies in within the big question， whether AI， sophisticated as it may be， is merely a software engineering practice， or is it "something else"。 That lack of clarity， which to a much extent， could be merely the result of the immature level of the technology （i'm referring here mostly to ML/DL， which in practice is what AI is today）， is something that would either turn out to be in few years， with the right level of tooling， another evolution of information technology， or it could be the emergence of a "ghost in the machine"， where quantitive data become qualitative， and in fact， a certain form of intelligence。Amy Webb's decision to ignore the core technology level （which might be due to her own lack of technical background） is what， to my opinion， makes the entire discussion too much about "Voodoo" and so， fails to bring the message home。The good:- a nice and informing coverage of the history of AI- an interesting discussions about "the bad side" of AI， with many anecdotal stories of AI failures around bias， fairness， and misjudgments- a mostly fair critique about the "white men club" that drives AI decisions today， and a wake-up call to bring more diversity into the practice- a good update on the different initiatives and regulatory frameworks that emerge looking forwardThe bad:- the name of the book， and the respective focus on big 9 companies （Google， Amazon， Apple， Facebook， Microsoft， IBM， Tencent， Alibaba， Baidu - since you asked） and the US-China battle - seem highly superficial and ignore the much broader landscape in which AI is practiced。 A case in point is that Webb hardly discusses these companies at all， and the overall impression is that the "names" are not more than serving her attempt to frame the entire discussion in a （comics-like almost） heroic context。 - the lack of technical discussion （as I mentioned before） and the "Voodoo" feeling of the entire domain， makes the book a "popular science" and not a very good one， as such。- Sadly， since Amy Webb is first and foremost a futurist （whatever that means）， the weak spot of the book is the 3 future scenarios she provides; while the intention is clear， to help us readers understand the possible future routes and how we can influence them ， the details are again， highly superficial， predicted， and I must say 。。。 kinda boring。 To sum up， I don't think it's a bad book; I actually do think that the aspiration and even the overall structure of the book are right; to me， it provided a good body of knowledge and perspective （of the past and present） that I was happy with。 But as the saying goes "Prediction is very difficult， especially if it's about the future！”; I would have been more happy to skip the future part and keep it focused on the now。 。。。more
Fernando
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mñé
Chris
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Un libro informativo sin llegar a ser tedioso Nueve gigantes es un libro que te habla sobre la inteligencia artificial: su historia， las mentes que la han perfeccionado， cómo la estamos concibiendo hoy， y sus posibles escenarios en el futuro。 Además， nos habla de las 9 compañías que en la actualidad la están desarrollando。Amy Webb nos da una perspectiva general del salto que de la humanidad dará en temas de IA: cómo pasaremos de una Inteligencia Artificial Estrecha （IAE） a una general （AIG） par Un libro informativo sin llegar a ser tedioso Nueve gigantes es un libro que te habla sobre la inteligencia artificial: su historia， las mentes que la han perfeccionado， cómo la estamos concibiendo hoy， y sus posibles escenarios en el futuro。 Además， nos habla de las 9 compañías que en la actualidad la están desarrollando。Amy Webb nos da una perspectiva general del salto que de la humanidad dará en temas de IA: cómo pasaremos de una Inteligencia Artificial Estrecha （IAE） a una general （AIG） para， en un futuro no muy lejano， pasar a una superinteligencia artificial （SIA）。 A estos avances， aclara， hay que poner preocupación y emprender acciones para evitar arrepentimientos， pues hay dos países y sus empresas que están liderando este avance: Estados Unidos y el grupo de la GMAFIA; y China con el grupo BAT。 Lo preocupante es que el primero solo concibe el avance de la IA con miras comerciales y a corto plazo， mientras el segundo ve la IA como una herramienta de control masivo。 Nadie está trabajando mancomunadamente en la IA para el beneficio futuro de todos。Y eso， a ojos de Webb， nos pasará la cuenta。Con argumentos， pruebas y evidencias de lo que estamos haciendo hoy， Amy Webb nos presenta tres posibles futuros escenarios respecto a la IA: uno optimista， uno pragmático y uno catastrófico。 ¿Adivinas a cuál vamos， tal como estamos？ * Para mí el tema de la IA comenzó a ser de mi interés meses después de querer aprender sobre la ciberseguridad。 Siempre me ha interesado saber qué es lo que hacen con todos los datos que damos a las empresas tecnológicas。 Muchas me he dicho que la gente es muy ciega， muy confiaba y un tanto ilusa。 ¿Cómo no ven que su privacidad se ha vuelto una casa de cristal para las empresas？ Fue en ese punto donde descubrí que la IA está muy relacionada con los datos， a nosotros。 Este libro me ayudó a poner paños fríos a mis dramáticas especulaciones sobre IA。 Si bien es preocupante， no hay que delirar y pensar como en las películas。 Sí， la IA está avanzando y， en un futuro， podría convertir la vida cómoda que soñamos en una caótica y controlada。 Por tanto， ay que hacer algo。 Incluso quienes no estamos en las esferas de decisión y desarrollo de la IA， podemos hacer algo。 No podemos ignorar lo que pasa: esto es real y China y Estados Unidos， si bien en silencio， han hecho avances y planes en temas de IA。 Desde nuestra posición， no importa cuál sea， hay que ser parte del cambio y guiarlo en beneficio de todos。 * No puedo criticar si Amy Webb ha llevado esto al extremo。 Pero sí puedo decir que la información presentada， si bien puede parecer compleja， Webb la ejemplifica y lo hace parecer fácil de entender con el paso de las páginas。 。。。more
Nag Jayaraman
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Well written book， very readable narrative， outlining how AI is evolving in a virtually regulation free environment， towards implications yet to be understood， but can't ignore。 Contrary to the title， the book doesn't get into much details of differentiations on how the big nine approach and evolve AI - it does cover some in elaborate general details though。 There are not much technical details。Looks like book is aimed at those interested in public policy than anyone looking to utilize AI for th Well written book， very readable narrative， outlining how AI is evolving in a virtually regulation free environment， towards implications yet to be understood， but can't ignore。 Contrary to the title， the book doesn't get into much details of differentiations on how the big nine approach and evolve AI - it does cover some in elaborate general details though。 There are not much technical details。Looks like book is aimed at those interested in public policy than anyone looking to utilize AI for their own purposes。 。。。more
Diamanda
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This book was given to me by the president of my university and felt relevant after watching the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma。 As someone who has little knowledge of computers and especially AI， I was happy this book was able to provide a broader understanding of current technology。 The information in the beginning of the book is particularly useful for that purpose。 I did start to lose interest toward the middle of the book where Webb describes possible future scenarios。 I think the r This book was given to me by the president of my university and felt relevant after watching the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma。 As someone who has little knowledge of computers and especially AI， I was happy this book was able to provide a broader understanding of current technology。 The information in the beginning of the book is particularly useful for that purpose。 I did start to lose interest toward the middle of the book where Webb describes possible future scenarios。 I think the reason for that is because it lacked the necessary information to make me believe that these scenarios were possible， and as a result I just considered the scenarios fictional and unrealistic。 However， the overall message of the book is understandable and agreeable。 The ideas that particularly aroused my attention were of how inherently biased creators of AI systems can wreak havoc， and the need for a “cohesive national AI strategy backed by a reasonable budget，” which I fully support （246）。 The concept of our PDRs being owned and controlled was particularly frightening， in addition to the power that China holds in AI， and as a result， the world。 As other reviewers have pointed out， this book does appear to be US biased， and that should be considered when evaluating the information in this book （especially the future scenarios）。 。。。more
Andy Bintoro
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The book focused on the brief history of AI centered on nine technology companies: G-MAFIA in US and BAT in China。 The book present 3 possible scenerios on the future of the AI， but let the future revealed itself 🤣This book was intended for ordinary people to know the development on artificial intelligence and platforms surround it。
Boris Segarra
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Un libro que describe muy bien los ámbitos y las aplicaciones que tiene la IA ， hacia donde se dirige y cuáles podrían ser los posibles escenarios a los que nos llevaría esta tecnología。La autora utiliza un lenguaje simple y didáctico para llevarnos a conocer la IA， pero me causo conflicto el sesgo y la parcialidad que tiene acerca de las relaciones de poder de los nueve gigantes ， coloca en todos los escenarios como un antagonista a China y plantea a USA como Salvador del mundo （ típico de cual Un libro que describe muy bien los ámbitos y las aplicaciones que tiene la IA ， hacia donde se dirige y cuáles podrían ser los posibles escenarios a los que nos llevaría esta tecnología。La autora utiliza un lenguaje simple y didáctico para llevarnos a conocer la IA， pero me causo conflicto el sesgo y la parcialidad que tiene acerca de las relaciones de poder de los nueve gigantes ， coloca en todos los escenarios como un antagonista a China y plantea a USA como Salvador del mundo （ típico de cualquier película de Hollywood）。Pese a lo detallado es un buen libro que nos invita a involucrarnos en la transformación digital que estamos viviendo。 Lo recomiendo。 。。。more
Mario
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Bastante ilustrativo。 Bastante desesperanzador sobre el futuro: cuándo la ética será materia central en las universidades？ Cuándo las grandes corporaciones priorizarán el bien de la humanidad por encima del beneficio económico。 La AI es la mejor noticia para el marxismo y el comunismo。 Pobres de los que creíamos en la libertad， la democracia y la propiedad。
Kevin Leblob
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