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

Suleyman opens with a question: “What does the coming wave of technology mean for humanity?” (i). He segues into a short prologue explaining that this new wave—encompassing AI and biotechnology—holds great potential, and that the choices humanity makes over the next decades will determine whether the world enjoys the benefits of these technologies or suffers from their dangers.

Suleyman concludes the section by saying that the preceding message was written by AI. He warns, “This is what’s coming” (ii).

Suleyman begins the chapter by briefly exploring the influence of literal and metaphorical waves on the history of humanity. He notes that many cultures tell stories of world-ending (or world-transforming) floods like the one described in the biblical story of Noah’s ark. Actual floods and waves have also shaped the word’s history, from the immense tsunami that accompanied the extinction of the dinosaurs to the seasonal flooding on the banks of the Nile. Suleman then transitions to describing the metaphorical waves of religion, commerce, and empire that have transformed human culture. Similarly, he claims that technology also rises and spreads in the form of waves.

The coming wave of technology is led by artificial intelligence (AI) and