The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma

“I believe this coming wave of technology is bringing human history to a turning point. If containing it is impossible, the consequences for our species are dramatic, potentially dire. Equally, without its fruits we are exposed and precarious. This is an argument I have made many times over the last decade behind closed doors, but as the impacts become ever more unignorable, it’s time that I make the case publicly.”

This quote from the first chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book, emphasizing the pivotal moment humanity faces with the advent of new technologies. Suleyman employs a sense of urgency and gravity to underscore the importance of understanding and grappling with the implications of these technological advancements.

“This book is about confronting failure. […] If technology damages human lives, or produces societies filled with harm, or renders them ungovernable because we empower a chaotic long tail of bad (or unintentionally dangerous) actors—if, in the aggregate, technology is damaging—then it can be said to have failed in another, deeper sense, failing to live up to its promise. Failure in this sense isn’t intrinsic to technology; it is about the context within which it operates, the governance structures it is subject to, the networks of power and uses to which it is put.”

Suleyman explores failure within the context of technological progress. He unpacks the idea that failure extends beyond mere technical malfunction, emphasizing the broader societal implications and ethical considerations surrounding technology’s impact. Through this analysis, Suleyman prompts readers to critically evaluate the role of technology in shaping human society.

“Technology has a clear, inevitable trajectory: mass diffusion in great roiling waves. This is true from the earliest flint and bone tools to the latest AI models. As science produces new discoveries, people apply these insights to make cheaper food, better goods, and more efficient transport.”

This quote illustrates Suleyman’s perspective on the historical trajectory of technology. By drawing parallels between ancient tools and modern AI, he emphasizes the persistent pattern of technological advancement throughout human history. He establishes the motif of the wave early in the book and employs it throughout the rest of his arguments, using it to convey both the force and the pattern of technological diffusion.