Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI
Ratings6
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.7
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction A riveting story of what it means to be human in a world changed by artificial intelligence, revealing the perils and inequities of our growing reliance on automated decision-making On the surface, a British poet, an UberEats courier in Pittsburgh, an Indian doctor, and a Chinese activist in exile have nothing in common. But they are in fact linked by a profound common experience—unexpected encounters with artificial intelligence. In Code Dependent, Murgia shows how automated systems are reshaping our lives all over the world, from technology that marks children as future criminals, to an app that is helping to give diagnoses to a remote tribal community. AI has already infiltrated our day-to-day, through language-generating chatbots like ChatGPT and social media. But it’s also affecting us in more insidious ways. It touches everything from our interpersonal relationships, to our kids’ education, work, finances, public services, and even our human rights. By highlighting the voices of ordinary people in places far removed from the cozy enclave of Silicon Valley, Code Dependent explores the impact of a set of powerful, flawed, and often-exploitative technologies on individuals, communities, and our wider society. Murgia exposes how AI can strip away our collective and individual sense of agency, and shatter our illusion of free will. The ways in which algorithms and their effects are governed over the coming years will profoundly impact us all. Yet we can’t agree on a common path forward. We cannot decide what preferences and morals we want to encode in these entities—or what controls we may want to impose on them. And thus, we are collectively relinquishing our moral authority to machines. In Code Dependent, Murgia not only sheds light on this chilling phenomenon, but also charts a path of resistance. AI is already changing what it means to be human, in ways large and small, and Murgia reveals what could happen if we fail to reclaim our humanity.
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Firstly, I'd like to express my gratitude to Henry Holt & Co for providing me with the ARC. I had been searching for a copy since it was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Nonfiction and out of all the books, this topic resonated with me a lot.
I've read approximately 50% up to Chapter 5 “Your Freedom” and have also read the “Epilogue” and now I have decided to DNF it.
Initially, the start was a little long-winded, with a broad narrative voice that irked me a little, but I didn't mind it that much and continued. However all of the chapters seemed to lack depth and nuance. The first chapter “Your Livelihood” was much better than the others in this aspect, providing a balanced view with pros and cons. The second chapter “Your Body” discussed the important topic of deepfake technology and how it's weaponized for promoting non-consensual pornographic content and the flimsiness of internet regulations. This chapter was interesting to read, especially because of the addition of victims' and activists' viewpoints, rather than solely focusing on commentary on the nature of internet regulation (which was discussed at quite a minute level). However, things went downhill in Chapter 3, where the author talked about the use of facial recognition. Not only did the author fail to frame the chapter in a critical point, but their points seemed to echo “facial recognition is always bad” too many times. It didn't sit well with me how someone who's supposed to be an “expert” simplified things too much. Coupled with the fact that the author cut off news on crucial parts and framed them in an ambiguous stance, such as the author's reporting on the 2021 Indian Republic Day farmers storming the Red Fort while destroying public property and hoisting the union's flag and Sikh religious flag. Chapters 4, “Your Health,” and 5, “Your Freedom,” were better than the earlier chapter but still seemed to echo the same sentiments and factual similarities with other chapters, along with dabbling in long and emotional narrative supposed to invoke empathy.
Then I peeked at the “Epilogue” where I had hoped the author would discuss some consolidated form of solutions which can supposedly be implemented to regulate AI from exploiting people, and darn it was quite the disappointment. It offered no real solution but propagated the same rhetoric the author always warned us against—wealthy big corps and individuals dictating the lives of marginalized people, but in the form of “more” corrupt religious institutions (which thrives on dogmatism, fearmongering, and economic corruption) signing a treaty for regulation of AI. Not to mention, the treaty seemed toothless and ornamental. This portion of the book seems like a huge disappointment. This would have been in the 3-4 star area if there weren't so many glaring faults in this book. I am rating it 2 stars out of 5 because this book did give me some, although a very tiny amount of food for thought and important factual information that I should care more about. You can read this book if you want a discussion only of the worst aspects of being dependent on AI.
