 Hardcover edition (US) | |
| Author | Max Tegmark |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Artificial Intelligence |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Knopf (US) Allen Lane (UK) |
Publication date | August 23, 2017 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 280 |
| ISBN | 978-1-101-94659-6 |
Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence[1] is a 2017non-fiction book bySwedish-AmericancosmologistMax Tegmark.Life 3.0 discussesartificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the future of life on Earth and beyond. The book discusses a variety of societal implications, what can be done to maximize the chances of a positive outcome, and potential futures for humanity, technology and combinations thereof.
The book begins by positing a scenario in which AI has exceeded human intelligence and become pervasive in society. Tegmark refers to different stages of human life since its inception: Life 1.0 referring to biological origins, Life 2.0 referring to cultural developments in humanity, and Life 3.0 referring to the technological age of humans. He characterizes these different classification based on their ability to alter theirhardware andsoftware. The book focuses on "Life 3.0", and on emerging technology such asartificial general intelligence that may someday, in addition to being able to learn, be able to also redesign its own hardware and internal structure.
The first part of the book looks at the origin of intelligence billions of years ago and goes on to project the future development of intelligence. Tegmark considers short-term effects of the development of advanced technology, such astechnological unemployment,AI weapons, and the quest for human-level AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). The book cites examples likeDeepmind andOpenAI,self-driving cars, and AI players that can defeat humans inchess,[2]Jeopardy,[3] andGo.[4]
After reviewing existing issues in AI, Tegmark then considers a range of possible futures that involve intelligent machines or humans. The fifth chapter describes a number of potential outcomes, such as altered social structures, integration of humans and machines, and both positive and negative scenarios likeFriendly AI or an AI apocalypse.[5] Tegmark argues that the risks of AI come not from malevolence or conscious behavior per se, but rather from the misalignment of the goals of AI with those of humans. Many of the goals of the book align with those of theFuture of Life Institute,[6] of which Tegmark is a co-founder.
The remaining chapters explore concepts in physics, goals, consciousness and meaning, and investigate what society can do to help create a desirable future for humanity.
One criticism of the book byKirkus Reviews is that some of the scenarios or solutions in the book are a stretch or somewhat prophetic: "Tegmark's solutions to inevitable mass unemployment are a stretch."[7] AI researcherStuart J. Russell, writing inNature, said: "I am unlikely to disagree strongly with the premise ofLife 3.0. Life, Tegmark argues, may or may not spread through the Universe and 'flourish for billions or trillions of years' because of decisions we make now — a possibility both seductive and overwhelming."[8] Writing inScience, Haym Hirsh called it "a highly readable book that complementsThe Second Machine Age's economic perspective on the near-term implications of recent accomplishments in AI and the more detailed analysis of how we might get from where we are today to AGI and even the superhuman AI inSuperintelligence."[9]The Telegraph called it "One of the very best overviews of the arguments around artificial intelligence".[10][11] TheChristian Science Monitor said "Although it's probably not his intention, much of what Tegmark writes will quietly terrify his readers."[12]Publishers Weekly gave a positive review, but also stated that Tegmark's call for researching how to maintain control over superintelligent machines "sits awkwardly beside his acknowledgment that controlling such godlike entities will be almost impossible."[13]Library Journal called it a "must-read" for technologists, but stated the book was not for the casual reader.[14] TheWall Street Journal called it "lucid and engaging"; however, it cautioned readers that the controversial notion that superintelligence could run amok has more credence than it does few years ago, but is still fiercely opposed by many computer scientists.[15]
Rather than endorse a specific future, the book invites readers to think about what future they would like to see, and to discuss their thoughts on the Future of Life Website.[16] TheWall Street Journal review called this attitude noble but naive, and criticized the referenced Web site for being "chockablock with promo material for the book".[15]
The hardcover edition was on the generalNew York Times Best Seller List for two weeks,[17] and made on theNew York Times business bestseller list in September and October 2017.[18]
Former PresidentBarack Obama included the book in his "best of 2018" list.[19][20]
Business magnateElon Musk (who had previously endorsed the thesis that, under some scenarios,advanced AI could jeopardize human survival) recommended Life 3.0 as "worth reading".[21][22]