• AI Superpowers

  • China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
  • By: Kai-Fu Lee
  • Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
  • Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (4,295 ratings)

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AI Superpowers  By  cover art

AI Superpowers

By: Kai-Fu Lee
Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
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Publisher's summary

THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER

Dr. Kai-Fu Lee - one of the world’s most respected experts on AI and China - reveals that China has suddenly caught up to the US at an astonishingly rapid and unexpected pace.

In AI Superpowers, Kai-fu Lee argues powerfully that because of these unprecedented developments in AI, dramatic changes will be happening much sooner than many of us expected. Indeed, as the US-Sino AI competition begins to heat up, Lee urges the US and China to both accept and to embrace the great responsibilities that come with significant technological power. Most experts already say that AI will have a devastating impact on blue-collar jobs. But Lee predicts that Chinese and American AI will have a strong impact on white-collar jobs as well. Is universal basic income the solution? In Lee’s opinion, probably not. But he provides a clear description of which jobs will be affected and how soon, which jobs can be enhanced with AI, and most importantly, how we can provide solutions to some of the most profound changes in human history that are coming soon.

©2018 Kai-Fu Lee. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Compelled to listen at 2x speed

The writing was stilted. The author or whoever crafted the prose is the champion of buzzwords and cliches, putting the presentation into a slow motion slogfest. For me it was work getting to gratifying moments of stimulation. If exceptional nonfiction writers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) exist, who are they?

I doubt the narrator understood what he was reading most of the time or else even he could not rescue it. Unlike the audiobook's sample 3:25 min, almost all the book's narration is slow and mechanical. Yet the performer had truly outstanding pronunciation. I don't normally listen at high speeds but found it best to listen at 2x, and easier to understand at this higher speed. Try to tune out the cliches when you listen.

High Points:
1. Kai-Fu Lee explained how his experience with lymphoma (cancer) changed his relationship with artificial intelligence (AI). He returned to his youthful viewpoint that AI will show humans who we are in addition to improving our lives. He decided to change his habits and spend more time with his family. This was sincere and inspiring; I found it very moving even though it was expressed in an unnatural way as if the author were in a straight jacket.
2. Author weaved in references to famous Chinese entrepreneurs to show how Chinese culture and schools came to embrace AI in contrast to the West. They indeed love AI - it's in their blood, apparently. Their government backs this science financially and in other ways. It's about how China is implementing AI quickly on a grand scale and everybody there is into it. This made me understand that it's different in China, that AI is championed.
3. Author gives opinions of where AI is going and why. Kai-Fu Lee knows his stuff irrespective of his writing weakness; one naturally respects him for his expertise.

Low Points:
1. Author enthuses about Chinese entrepreneurs who steal intellectual property and accuse competitors of imagined crimes as China's "gladiators." He revels in this. Well if you're from China, this might be a high point due to national pride and even addiction. Lee is painfully careful to in no way be seen as criticizing the Party, not even indirectly, and this makes him come across as stilted. He retreats into slogans and platitudes so blatantly that I entertained thoughts of getting my credit back.
2. Author's dystopia prediction of what AI is going to do in the short run, namely, concentrate wealth more and more, left me feeling poorly. He made me feel that personal expression will be restricted too much.

Here's why I think some people should slog through the book: there aren't many good books on AI, so take what you can get. Further, I did it so I think you should do it - just kidding on that point.

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162 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Controversial, otherwise even-handed; non-tech

Be mindful of why people are giving this book low votes: I'm sure many westerners will find Lee's tone in this book somewhat condescending with respect to Chinese dominance over the rest of the world. But look past the condescension, and you might find great value here. He gives an up to the minute, non-technical report of technologies relating to AI, and China's rapid developments in the area since its overnight adoption of AI in 2013. He offers an overall even-handed perspective, despite his exaggerated Chinese nationalism, with emphasis on the benefits and advantages China has gained, and will continue to gain, by copy-catting, pirating, and cheating.

Lee's discussion on the pros and cons of universal basic income (UBI) trivialises its complexities. And I completely disagree with what I took to be his opinion of what careers will mean to humanity in the near future; his opinion leans toward the creation of more caring, dutiful work that citizens are to be tasked with in order to justify their base pay. I lean more heavily toward allowing and incentivizing people with the freedom to innovate cutting-edge and worthwhile products and ideas, rather than treating work as tasks that all citizens on UBI are dutifully obligated to complete. This seems to be the major difference in the majority mindset between the Free World and Communist-type Nations.

Overall a worthwhile book, despite the exaggerated Chinese nationalism (this might be a pro for Chinese listeners).

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39 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Mad-Max vs Gladiator vs Mother Theresa?

I almost came away from this book with a sense of hope and euphoria. Kai-fu's NDE knocked him out of the maximum-impact mindset, and elevated his thoughts to a much higher level benevolent, compassionate and socially responsible vista. But, like Bostrom, Tegmark, Kurzweil et al, he assumes there is a overlooking entity that will guide us to the mountaintop he describes ... while noting that all these corporations, governments and rogue militaries are hell-bent (mad max) on winning. He somehow glorifies China's wanton IP theft and copycat mentality as the initiation process to entrepreneurship. He is probably right that China has the ingredients to surpass the USA in AI, given it's massive data (AI power input), maniacal corporate initiative, insane levels of VC funding, millions of stary-eyed AI students, cut-throat internet industry and a government willing to cut corners and take safety risks that will hobble the U.S. But ... that is ONLY if the optimization response surface is a smooth gradient accent with incremental improvements driven by the noted factors. But, is it? He does a fantastic job of reviewing the reports of job (tasks) attrition due to AI productivity enhancements ... and notes how this will effect different classes of workers. But, is China building an AI card-house ... with energy input from its feedback loop driving the temple higher. .. while leaving a pyramid of useless-class people behind? Isnt China at a much higher risk of collapse, with the structure of it's population and this exalted gladiator mentality? The way I see it, China will either burn the card house underneath it ... or will succeed in accomplishing Kai-fu's dream. In the first case, we ought to worry about the global geopolitical repercussions. Will the 'hordes' (disenchanted) of highly skilled hackers go on a cyber mad-max rampage across the mega-connected world? And then, what of the world's response, with AI driven counterattacks? And then, when there are millions of conflict points, how do you contain the respose to massive destruction events that take out critical infrastructure and systems?
Unless the USA/China/Russia form tightly knit cooperation pacts and joint development programs right now, its going to get ugly fast.

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34 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Ego. Nationalism. Recovery.

This book is built on a foundation of ego, nationalism, and recovery. With experience across Apple, Google, TED, and various start-ups, Kai-Fu Lee definitely has the experience and credibility to write about AI. The early part of the book is strong on Chinese Nationalism, which is relevant but a bit over the top. The middle portion of the book focuses on the ego of the author as he strived for prestige in the AI community. The final chapters deal with the impact of AI on society, cast in the light of a personal struggle of the author. There are moments of clarity in this journey, but overall there's just too must distraction to what could have been a compelling book on the impact of the rise of AI on the balance of world power.

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Repetitive propaganda

Although perhaps I shouldn't have expected an in depth review of AI from a book entitled AI Superpowers, I think it was reasonable to expect more from one of the preeminent minds in the field. Unfortunately, the first 2/3 of the book was repetitive orphans about how and why China will win the "war" over AI. The final 1/3 was about how he learned to value love.

Beyond not learning much from the book, the production was not the best. You could easily hear the edits because of changes in tone and pitch of the reader.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Narcissistic

Had to stop reading after investing 1 1/2 hours. Book on how China utilized intellectual property of other countries and turns them into better products- not only for China but for the rest of the world. Maybe I should have invested more of my valuable time, but I got turned off in a big way.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Indespensible, fact filled, captivating narrative on AI.

Brilliant case for authors’ thesis.

That 1) AI’s impact will be great, 2) China has more data and more granular data for powering AI, 3) China central planning of AI venture capital, policy and infrastructure is superior to US/market, so China will pull ahead in race, 4) That too rapid AI advancement will displace too many workers, so rather than nothing, or Universal Basic Income, credits for community volunteering are needed, 5) Love and relationships are meaning of life.

Author is world renowned expert on 1, 2, 3! On rest I am less convinced. Yes, as human he can comment on human condition, including mortality. He is honest and vulnerable. Kudos.

On UBI, etc, he is an amateur.

I personally was unable to reconcile his call for more centrally planned funding, to accelerate advanced AI technology, even to point of acknowledging funding beyond what is financially viable, in the interest of advancing technology. Then long lecture on how then additional central planning (retraining, reduction in work week, redistribution of income) is needed to solve social problems that advancement creates. And hegoes on to say the meaning of life does not revolve around advancement but around old fashioned love and relationships. (I agree, but then find it odd that subsidizing accelerating of advancement is advised in same breath.)

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

pedantic vc pitch

boring and repetitive. very little real detail on the state of AI
read like a venture capital pitch for investing in Chinese AI companies


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9 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Questionable if the book stayed objective

The book started out analytically enough, and focused on the things relevant to the title. Towards the end, it was more of a personal narrative, and whole that's not necessarily a bad thing, it does raise the question if the conclusions drawn at the end are objective and analytically correct, or more of a emotionally motivated idealism. Love is a powerful thing after all, but not a great thing for analyzing trends rationally.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Seemingly Endless Loop of Chinese Propoganda

Using all my willpower to get through this book.
The clearly biased author tries to explain that Chinese companies and individuals aren't blatantly stealing Intellectual Property they are "copying with precision" , and attempts to make that somehow noble. The scrappy Chinese startups are battling the Goliath Silicon Valley companies. The only advantage the startups have is that they are unencumbered by patent or copyright laws, core values or integrity. This is justified because their only concern of these entrepreneurial gladiators is conquering the market. Nothing else matters. They should be admired for this singular motive. I don't agree.
My second issue with this book is that I was hoping for a glimpse into what the future of AI will be. This book had almost none of that. Just a repeating mantra of how China is superior and widening the AI gap with the rest of the world.
Wholly disappointing

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