In Our Own Image, George Zarkadakis
In Our Own Image, George Zarkadakis
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In Our Own Image
Savior or Destroyer? The History and Future of Artificial Intelligence

Author: George Zarkadakis

Narrator: Gildart Jackson

Unabridged: 13 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/15/2016

Synopsis

A timely and important book that explores the societal and ethical implications of artificial intelligence as we approach the cusp of a fourth industrial revolutionGeorge Zarkadakis explores one of humankind’s oldest love-hate relationships: our ties with artificial intelligence, or AI. He traces AI’s origins in ancient myth, through literary classics like Frankenstein to today’s science fiction blockbusters, arguing that a fascination with AI is hardwired into the human psyche. He explains AI’s history, technology, and potential; its manifestations in intelligent machines; its connections to neurology and consciousness, as well as—perhaps most tellingly—what AI reveals about us as human beings.In Our Own Image argues that we are on the brink of a fourth industrial revolution—poised to enter the age of artificial intelligence as science fiction becomes science fact. Ultimately, Zarkadakis observes, the fate of AI has profound implications for the future of science and humanity itself.

About George Zarkadakis

George Zarkadakis has a PhD in artificial intelligence. Awarded a knighthood by the French government for his international work in science communication, he writes for several international publications, including the London Daily Telegraph, the Huffington Post, and Aeon magazine.

About Gildart Jackson

With acting credits that span stage and screen, Gildart Jackson is most often recognized for his role as Gideon on Charmed. Other notable TV roles include Jackson Palmer on Providence and Simon Prentiss on General Hospital, as well as guest appearances on Stargate: Atlantis, Las Vegas, and CSI. Theater roles include Trigorin in The Seagull, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, and Adrian in Private Eyes at the Old Globe.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Alicea

I started reading In Our Own Image: Savior or Destroyer? The History and Future of Artificial Intelligence by George Zarkadakis with the naive idea that he would definitively answer the question "Will robots destroy the human race?" Instead he's done something even better. He's given a comprehensive......more

Goodreads review by Andrea

A book right up my alley: a perfect marriage of technology and philosophy with a generous dash of history. It touches upon our fascination with replication of life, that stretches all the away back to 40,000 ago; summarizes some of the greatest thinkers' theories on mind and consciousness, and how i......more

Goodreads review by Rhys

When discussing computers and AI it was very good. The discussion on the philosophy of mind was pretty good. The emergence of autocatalytic systems was interesting. The reaches into political philosophy and economics were, well, reaches. Overall, a raucous read with some gems.......more

Goodreads review by Pat

There is much more history rendered in this book regarding the development of computing, logic, philosophy, and human anatomy versus AI as implied by the title. That is by design as all these disciplines are elements of AI allowing for a better grasp of the challenges obtaining functional artificial......more

Goodreads review by Kat

I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway. This book really got me thinking about the way society views Artificial Intelligence and the technological advances that are being made to bring us closer to this idea. It states that people have a fascination with AI because of an early influence through art......more

Quotes

“Zarkadakis interweaves sci-fi visions with explorations of the philosophy, technology, and deep history of artificial superintelligence.”

Financial Times (London)

“A fantastic journey into the cultural origins of artificial intelligence, in philosophy, neuroscience, and the history of computing.”

Le Temps (Geneva)

“George Zarkadakis knows AI. Unlike a lot of the people writing and thinking about it, he has real cultural breadth, too.”

Aeon

“Zarkadakis passionately, yet carefully, leads readers chronologically through the development of key concepts in the understanding of mind and intelligence…By the conclusion of this highly accessible work, Zarkadakis convincingly posits a future in which ‘post-humanism will have morphed into trans-humanism,’ showing how a romance with AI will present humans with a daunting dilemma.”

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Advances in computers have made artificial intelligence a new hot topic for most observers—but not science writer and futurist Zarkadakis, who maintains that it is an ancient human obsession…A delightfully lucid combination of the history, philosophy, and science behind thinking machines.”

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Zarkadakis is an exciting and original thinker in the field of artificial intelligence and has written a book that is timely and important.”

Jim Al-Khalili, PhD, OBE, author of Paradox

“A mindful and historical look at the hope, hype, and reality of artificial consciousness.”

Stuart Hameroff, coauthor of Consciousness and the Universe

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