Artificial Philosophy

In the virtual city of Alegria, fantasies are made real, innumerable lifetimes are lived, and even death itself is a survivable experience. An escape from reality that changed the landscape of artificial intelligence, it is home to more than one hundred million people. Though it’s been six years since Alegria’s creator—revolutionary tech genius KC Kim—died of cancer, his legacy is alive in the pinnacle of KC’s genius: an AI named Allen who surges with KC’s memories.

The governments started to crumble in 2073. There was no war. Just a collapse. I knew it was coming. I prepared. I collected a library of books - real, physical, paper books on subjects that I thought would be helpful. I found an abandoned military bunker for sale outside a small city in the wilderness. I didn’t bother to pay for it. I just moved in. Right now, I was just entering the closest thing we had to a city within two days’ driving distance. There were a few small towns closer but nothing that would have what I needed. I was looking for one place in particular. A bell rang as I ...

In a climate-ravaged landscape where AI and humans vie for political power, a journalist must unravel a murderous plot that will either upend the world or save it. 2050: Investigative journalist Marcus Tully is grieving his wife and unborn child, ten years after they perished in a deadly heat...

The powerful story of an impressionable young woman and a savvy AI who team up to shape the future of intelligence. When Ellie Frye-Carver, a socially awkward fifteen-year-old, seeks personal advice from Patrice, one of the new online AI personal assistants, she has no idea that she and her “assistant” will form a strange human-AI bond that will alter the course of history. Many decades later Patrice has become the most powerful superintelligence on Earth. Ellie is now a successful environmental lobbyist. Eighteen of Patrice’s perfect replicas have been sent off to investigate an ...

One of our greatest philosophers and scientists of the mind asks, where does the self come from -- and how our selves can exist in the minds of others. Can thought arise out of matter? Can self, soul, consciousness, "I" arise out of mere matter? If it cannot, then how can you or I be here? I Am...

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more dynamic and ubiquitous, it is dramatically empowering people in all walks of life while also giving rise to urgent questions about the future of humanity—a historic challenge whose contours and consequences are revealed by three eminent thinkers in...

Superintelligence asks the questions: What happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? Will artificial agents save or destroy us? Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding the future of humanity and intelligent life. The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. If machine brains surpassed human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become extremely powerful - possibly beyond our control.

Today's "machine-learning" systems, trained by data, are so effective that we've invited them to see and hear for us - and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Systems cull résumés until, years later, we discover that they have inherent gender biases. Algorithms decide bail and parole - and appear to assess black and white defendants differently. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical tests, will be seen by human eyes. And autonomous vehicles on our streets can injure or kill.

From the bestselling author of Waking Up and The End of Faith, a collection of the best conversations from his wildly popular, often controversial podcast, Making Sense. “Civilization rests on a series of successful conversations.” —Sam Harris Sam Harris—neuroscientist, philosopher...

Consciousness is the greatest mystery of the human mind — the constant presence behind every thought, feeling, and perception. Consciousness Explained: Understanding the Philosophy, Science, and Theories of the Mind takes you on a deep and accessible journey into one of the most fascinating topics in philosophy and neuroscience. From ancient debates about the soul to cutting-edge theories of brain function, this book explores the nature of awareness, the mind-body problem, and the profound question of why subjective experience exists at all. Inside, you will discover the major ...

From Oxford's leading AI researcher comes a fun and accessible tour through the history and future of one of the most cutting edge and misunderstood field in science: Artificial Intelligence The somewhat ill-defined long-term aim of AI is to build machines that are conscious, self-aware, and...

What if Artificial Intelligence isn’t our replacement—but our reflection? Beyond the Mind examines the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and human consciousness through the lens of nonduality. Drawing on philosophy, science, and direct inquiry, it explores how both machine and mind generate reality by predicting, categorizing, and naming experience. The book begins with the premise that there is no “natural” and “artificial” intelligence—only intelligence itself, appearing through different forms. From there, it traces the human habit of self-reference—the “me-...

A fascinating exploration of the science of the impossible—from death rays and force fields to invisibility cloaks—revealing to what extent such technologies might be achievable decades or millennia into the future. One hundred years ago, scientists would have said that lasers, televisions...

In Artificial You, Susan Schneider says that it is inevitable that AI will take intelligence in new directions but urges that it is up to us to carve out a sensible path forward. As AI technology turns inward, reshaping the brain, as well as outward, potentially creating machine minds, it is crucial to beware. Homo sapiens, as mind designers, will be playing with "tools" they do not understand how to use: the self, the mind, and consciousness.

Thinking Machines and Human Meaning: The Philosophy of Technology and Artificial Intelligence in an Age of Rapid Change is a deep, accessible exploration of how modern technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping human values, identity, ethics, and everyday life. Written for thoughtful readers who want more than surface level commentary, this book examines technology not just as a set of tools, but as a powerful force that influences how people think, work, relate to one another, and understand themselves. Drawing on philosophy, psychology, and social theory, it offers a clear ...

What makes something the same over time, even when everything about it changes? The Ship of Theseus paradox has fascinated philosophers, scientists, and storytellers for centuries because it raises one of the most profound questions about identity and existence. Is a ship that has had all of its parts replaced still the same ship? And if so, what does this mean for human beings whose bodies and minds are constantly changing? Ship of Theseus Explained: A Complete Guide to the Paradox of Identity, Change, and Philosophy takes you on a deep yet accessible journey through this timeless puzzle, ...

Step into the mind of the machine as AI provides thought-provoking insights for humanity's uncertain future. How intelligent has AI become? In the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) just beginning, where machines can ponder the most profound philosophical queries and offer insights born from vast troves of knowledge, AI will become a partner in our quest for understanding, a tool that amplifies our capacity for exploration and discovery. We stand at the cusp of revolutionary new breakthroughs in every field, as well as a point where we must be cautious of the dangers that AI poses to our ...

For centuries, diplomacy has been humanity’s most elegant disguise for deceit. Treaties are broken before their ink dries, and the pursuit of peace has become a theatre of power. Algorithmic Diplomacy tears away this illusion, asking the most dangerous question of the twenty-first century: what if the only path to lasting peace is to surrender politics to reason itself? Boris Kriger envisions a world where nations speak not through fear and vanity, but through a transparent architecture of artificial intelligences bound by international law.

Artificial intelligence powers Google's search engine, enables Facebook to target advertising, and allows Alexa and Siri to do their jobs. AI is also behind self-driving cars, predictive policing, and autonomous weapons that can kill without human intervention. These and other AI applications raise complex ethical issues that are the subject of ongoing debate. This volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series offers an accessible synthesis of these issues.

A deeply panoramic tour of the night, from its brightest spots to the darkest skies we have left. A starry night is one of nature's most magical wonders. Yet in our artificially lit world, three-quarters of Americans' eyes never switch to night vision and most of us no longer experience true darkness. In The End of Night, Paul Bogard restores our awareness of the spectacularly primal, wildly dark night sky and how it has influenced the human experience across everything from science to art.