Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation

Machines, it turned out, could not offer an adequate substitute for human connection, or give us what we needed to get ahead. And maybe they never will.

AI is better than humans at operating in stable environments, with static, well-defined rules and consistent inputs. On the other hand, humans are much better than AI at handling surprises, filling in gaps, or operating in environments with poorly defined rules or incomplete information.

A good general rule is that jobs that make people feel things are much safer than jobs that simply involve making or doing things.

I hear the “automation is destiny” argument all the time—especially in Silicon Valley, where people tend to talk about technological progress as a speeding train we either have to climb aboard or get run over by—and I get why it’s tempting to believe. For a long time, I believed it myself. But it’s wrong. And deep down, we all know it’s wrong. From... See more

These machine-managed jobs are the endpoints, and they’re a very dangerous place to be. Because often, the goal of a machine-managed job is simply bridging a technological gap that is in the process of being automated or training an automated system to achieve human-level performance.

It’s easy to see how AI could tear us apart. But it’s also easy to see how it could unite us. Technology can force us to study ourselves, and figure out our own strengths and limitations. Machines can foster resilience and creativity, as we come up with new and creative ways to stay ahead. And AI and automation could bring us together, armed with n... See more

“People need to understand that current AI—and the AI that we can foresee in the reasonable future—does not, and will not, have a moral sense or moral understanding of what is right and what is wrong,” Bengio said. “It’s crazy to put those decisions into the hands of machines.”

This is a book about how to be a human in a world that is increasingly arranged by and for machines. It’s an attempt to persuade you that the key to living a happy, rewarding life in the age of AI and automation is not competing with machines head-on—learning to code, optimizing your life, eliminating all forms of personal inefficiency and waste—bu... See more

“If you find yourself working with, or under the direction of, a smart software system, it’s probably a pretty good bet that—whether you’re aware of it or not—you are also training the software to ultimately replace you.”