On Friday (April 4th), the GrepBeat Book Club got together for a fifth meetup (as we settle into a more-or-less-every-six-weeks schedule). It was a lighter turnout than usual, perhaps because the very group that voted on “Nexus” as the April selection later realized that the book is a bit of a behemoth. Nevertheless, a fascinating discussion was had, and we look forward to seeing both regular and new book club members back at the HQ when we next gather on Friday, May 16th to discuss “The Future” by Naomi Alderman (more details on this next meeting below).
In the meantime, as always, here’s a recap of the fifth book we’ve read together: Yuval Noah Harari’s “Nexus: A Brief History Of Information Networks From The Stone Age To AI.”
The Book in 150 Words
Harari’s (not particularly “brief”) book is, truly, about information networks. That is to say, it is less concerned with the source, nature, or even necessarily the accuracy of information, but rather focuses on how humans share information.
Through that lens, Harari examines how various advancements in information sharing—the advent of the written word, the invention of the printing press, telegrams, radio, and the internet—have shaped religion, enabled political systems, and driven dark episodes from (literal) European witch hunts to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
This context builds to a discussion about the impact AI will have as a new (perhaps ultimate) information system. And while Harari acknowledges that some good will come of advanced AI, he is ultimately crafting a warning—that leaps in information sharing lead to upheaval, and that this is a particularly big leap that must be controlled before it’s too late.
What Book Club Thought
It’s safe to say “a little freaked out” was among the prevailing sentiments. There was agreement that in a broad sense “Nexus” is a fascinating book. It’s extremely well-researched, and while Harari can at times be overly repetitive, he ultimately does an impressive job of exploring the complex and competing implications of ideas that are often oversimplified. To read this book, I think we all agreed, is to consider basic facts like “social media fuels the spread of misinformation” in a deeper way.
But… yeah, we were a little freaked out. As alluded to in the summary above, Harari acknowledges that this is not a particularly optimistic read; he suggests there are others espousing the upside of AI and modern information sharing, and so it is important for him to explore some of the darker angles. By and large, we found the exploration engaging but troubling. Harari paints a picture of a disconnected, distrustful modern society that will have to become more cooperative (and more humble) if it’s to navigate the age of AI successfully.
4/5 stars.
Notable Quotes
- “Silicon chips can create spies that never sleep, financiers that never forget, and despots that never die.”
- Editor’s take: Cool, cool. Everything is fine.
- “Tax reports don’t grow on a tax report shelf.”
- Editor’s take: This is why they pay him to write.
- “In the coming decades we might find ourselves living inside the dreams of an alien intelligence.”
- Editor’s take: I, too, enjoy rewatching The Matrix.
- “Facebook and other social media platforms didn’t consciously set out to flood the world with fake news and outrage. But by telling their algorithms to maximize user engagement, this is exactly what they perpetrated.”
- Editor’s take: This felt a tad too forgiving. While he is not supportive of tech giants or social media platforms, Harari is a touch too willing to accept a level of innocence/naivety that is frankly not believable.
- “The clearest pattern we observe in the long-term history of humanity isn’t hte constancy of conflict, but rather the increasing scale of cooperation.”
- Editor’s take: Hey, at least there were some notes of optimism.
What’s Next For Book Club
Next Book: “The Future” by Naomi Alderman
Next Meeting: Friday, May 16th at the GrepBeat HQ in Durham. Let us know you’re coming!
Some Comments: Back at Book Club #4, members ranked their top choices from a list of books that we and others submitted. A clear top two emerged. One was “Nexus,” which we just covered at Book Club #5. The other was “The Future,” which will represent a return to fiction (and a little bit less of a project to read). At Book Club #6 on May 16th, we’ll vote again on the next few selections moving forward.
The synopsis, per Bookshop.org: Martha Einkorn never expected to find herself working for a powerful social media mogul hell-bent on controlling everything. Now, she’s surrounded by mega-rich companies designing private weather, predictive analytics, and covert weaponry while spouting technological prophecy. Across the world, in a mall in Singapore, Lai Zhen, an internet-famous survivalist, flees from an assassin. Suddenly, a remarkable piece of software appears on her phone telling her exactly how to escape. Who made it? What do they know about the future that Zhen doesn’t?
When Martha and Zhen’s worlds collide, an explosive chain of events is set in motion. While a few billionaires assured of their own safety lead the world to destruction, Martha’s relentless drive and Zhen’s insatiable curiosity could lead to something beautiful—or it could herald the cataclysmic end of civilization.
By turns “playful, incisive, horribly relevant, and surprisingly hopeful” (Lauren Beukes, New York Times bestselling author of The Shining Girls), The Future unfolds at breakneck speed, highlighting how power corrupts the few who have it and what it means to stand up to them. The future is coming. The Future is here.
