Empire of AI

It seems like AI has suddenly been folded into every website, app, and search engine overnight, despite the fact that we never really consented to it. And the company that is arguably most responsible for this massive push is the controversial Open AI, the company behind ChatGPT. Empire of AI is a timely and eye-opening account of the history of Open AI, its culture of secrecy, and a searing takedown of how it plunders environmental and human resources.

At a time when data centres in Ireland are accounting for 23% of electricity usage, it feels urgent for us all to have a better understanding of the people who are telling us that this is just the way things have to be from now on. Acclaimed tech journalist Karen Hao presents a throughly researched and fact-checked read which suggests that AI's rise is not as inevitable as companies like Open AI claim it to be, and that the technology is heading in an alarming direction, with communities in the Global South being increasingly exploited in order to enable this technology.

Drawing on over 300 interviews with current and former Open AI employees, as well as a library of leaked emails and Slack messages, this is a brisk read that will leave you both entertained and informed.

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Who wrote it?
Karen Hao

How big is it?                                                                                                                   Paperback, 482 pages, 19.5 x 13 x 3.5 cm