We should finally admit that technology and specifically artificial intelligence (AI) drive our lives. This has become a fact that we can never neglect or consider to be happening in the future. AI is shaping our present, so how should we cope with it? And what should we think about its future?

This book gives readers a glimpse into the challenges that every one of us is facing, including the many fundamental philosophical questions every one of us is asking and seeking answers to. For instance, in the introduction, the author asks the following question: “Do you think that superhuman AI might get created this century?” That question gives readers an idea of the provocative and controversial dilemmas explored here. I like this book because it is written in an active storytelling style, which makes readers feel engaged and excited about what is going to be revealed. Believe me, I was captivated every time I opened the book.

Many topics are discussed, with intriguing illustrations. In chapter 1, the author defines the three stages of life: the biological stage, the cultural stage, and the technological stage dominated by AI (Life 3.0, hence the title). In chapter 2, the author introduces the topics of intelligence, memory, computation, and learning. His major conclusion is that intelligence is the ability to accomplish complex goals. Chapter 3 challenges the breakthroughs of AI, for instance, deep reinforcement learning is introduced where an AI system is able to learn Atari games from scratch. Autonomous weapons are also discussed, including their ethical and controversial challenges; for example, do we require an international treaty for a killer robot ban?

Chapter 4 raises an exciting question about intelligence explosion: “Can AI really take over the world, or enable humans to do so?” In fact, if a group of people manages to exploit artificial general intelligence (AGI) then they could take over the world. Thus, the idea of cyborgs is well discussed here. However, the author argues that human-level AGI is way beyond the realm of our time and it might take hundreds of years (if ever) to occur.

In chapter 5, the author projects the next 10,000 years. In this regard, the main argument is that we should know what we want and we should work toward that goal. We should ask questions. Will humans be in control? Will they be safe and happy? Or even further, will AI consciousness exist? To answer these questions, the author elaborates on many scenarios that humanity could undertake, up to the possibility of self-destruction.

In chapter 6, the time axis is extended to the next billion years and beyond. I like this chapter very much because it contains lot of classical physics, relativity theory, and quantum mechanics. For instance, hyper computing at the edge of black holes is discussed, as well as all the possibilities for the future expansion of our universe. Will it be a “big crunch” (that is, the universe will collapse on itself), a “big chill” (that is, the universe keeps expanding), a “big rip” (that is, the galaxies explode), a “big snap” (that is, a granular state of space after being stretched too much), or a “death bubble” (that is, the space freezes in lethal bubbles)? Fascinating details and illustrations are provided. Chapter 7 discusses the goals that we desire for AGIs, namely that we should align the goals of intelligent machines with our own. Chapter 8 provides a great discussion on consciousness. An epilogue highlights the birth of the Future of Life Institute (FLI).

This book is amazing. It is very well written and contains an abundance of invaluable knowledge. I encourage any person who seeks relevant information about the future of AI (whether it be scientific, technological, philosophical, or ethical) to read it.

As a final remark, what I admire most about this book is that it explains lot of challenging and fundamental scientific theories in an accessible manner, which a novice mind can easily comprehend and an expert will significantly enjoy.

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