Few people are as qualified to write about the past, present and future of artificial intelligence as Kai-Fu Lee. Born in Taiwan in 1961, Lee moved to the US at age 11, obtained a Ph.D. in computer science at Carnegie-Mellon and succeeded in developing the first speaker-independent continuous speech recognition system. He has worked for Apple, SGI, Microsoft and was the first President of Google China before establishing Sinovation Ventures Inc. which is a VC fund investing in Chinese and American startups.
In this book, Lee traces the current AI explosion back to advances in the understanding of applying neural networks to solve problems in computer science culminating in the revolution of deep learning around 2012. He makes the case that we are in the middle of a general technology revolution not unlike the industrial revolution but in a compressed time scale and leading to far wider, more disruptive and lasting social changes. In his view, data is the new oil and China is the new Saudi Arabia. With its deep pool of competent engineers, hungry entrepreneurs, a supportive government and few qualms when it comes to data collection and privacy concerns, China is poised to surpass the US in the not too distant future.
However, this need not be a zero-sum ‘arms race.’ In the last part of the book, Lee speculates about the future and sees AI as presenting us with a unique opportunity. He believes that AI algorithms will surpass humans at many tasks but they will never have our creativity or empathy. This section of the book is colored by his personal experience as a cancer survivor, an experience which allowed him to re-discover the love of his family and to reevaluate his priorities in life.
The book is highly readable, informative, provides a balanced perspective and avoids wild speculations about possible AI utopias or dystopias. When weighing the book’s arguments, especially in the China vs. US race, the reader should keep in mind that the author is deeply involved in business ventures in China and unlikely to write anything critical of the Chinese government or reveal anything about deeply held personal beliefs.