Confused about AI and worried about what it means for your future and the future of the world? You鈥檙e not alone. AI is everywhere鈥攁nd few things are surrounded by so much hype, misinformation, and misunderstanding. In AI Snake Oil, computer scientists Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor cut through the confusion to give you an essential understanding of how AI works and why it often doesn鈥檛, where it might be useful or harmful, and when you should suspect that companies are using AI hype to sell AI snake oil鈥攑roducts that don鈥檛 work, and probably never will.
While acknowledging the potential of some AI, such as ChatGPT, AI Snake Oil uncovers rampant misleading claims about the capabilities of AI and describes the serious harms AI is already causing in how it鈥檚 being built, marketed, and used in areas such as education, medicine, hiring, banking, insurance, and criminal justice. The book explains the crucial differences between types of AI, why organizations are falling for AI snake oil, why AI can鈥檛 fix social media, why AI isn鈥檛 an existential risk, and why we should be far more worried about what people will do with AI than about anything AI will do on its own. The book also warns of the dangers of a world where AI continues to be controlled by largely unaccountable big tech companies.
By revealing AI鈥檚 limits and real risks, AI Snake Oil will help you make better decisions about whether and how to use AI at work and home.
Awards and Recognition
- A Publishers Weekly Fall Science Preview Top 10
- A Nature Best Book of the Year
- A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of the Year
- A Forbes Must-Read Tech Book of the Year
- A UK Tech News Best Technology Book of the Year
- Finalist for the PROSE Award in Computing and Information Sciences, Association of American Publishers
"As artificial intelligence proliferates, more and more hinges on our ability to articulate our own value. We seem to be on the cusp of a world in which workers of all kinds—teachers, doctors, writers, photographers, lawyers, coders, clerks, and more—will be replaced with, or to some degree sidelined by, their A.I. equivalents. What will get left out when A.I. steps in? . . . . [Narayanan and Kapoor] approach the question on a practical level. They urge skepticism, and argue that the blanket term 'A.I.' can serve as a kind of smoke screen for underperforming technologies. . . . [AI Snake Oil isn’t] just describing A.I., which continues to evolve, but characterizing the human condition."鈥擩oshua Rothman, The New Yorker
"Well-researched book — one of the best on this controversial subject."鈥擜ndrew Robinson, Nature
"The first step to understanding AI better is coming to terms with the vagueness of the term. . . . AI Snake Oil divides artificial intelligence into two subcategories: predictive AI, which uses data to assess future outcomes; and generative AI, which crafts probable answers to prompts based on past data. It’s worth it for anyone who encounters AI tools, willingly or not, to spend at least a little time trying to better grasp key concepts."鈥擱eece Rogers, WIRED
"Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor are gifted with an amazing ability to describe complex technology in simple and engaging language. AI Snake Oil provides a comprehensive history of AI as well as a detailed explanation of the differences between generative AI, predictive AI, and the moderation of AI content. Moreover, the book also serves as a blueprint for vetting AI iterations in terms of their accuracy, reliability, and broader social and commercial applications."鈥擫eonora Cravotta, American Spectator
"The experienced authors bring a wealth of knowledge to their subject. . . . Written in language that even nontechnical readers can understand, the text provides plenty of practical suggestions that can benefit creators and users alike. It’s also worth noting that Narayanan and Kapoor write a regular newsletter to update their points. Highly useful advice for those who work with or are affected by AI—i.e., nearly everyone."鈥�Kirkus, starred review
"A worthwhile read whether you make policy decisions, use AI in the workplace or just spend time searching online. It’s a powerful reminder of how AI has already infiltrated our lives—and a convincing plea to take care in how we interact with it."鈥擡lizabeth Quill, Science News
"Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor help the reader distinguish what AI can and cannot do, and how that distinction collapses in the face of the hype that emanates from Silicon Valley and other quarters."鈥擡manuel Moss, Public 快色直播
"Effectively translates the technical to the practical."鈥擩ohn Warner, Inside Higher Ed
"[A] solid overview of AI’s defects."鈥�Publishers Weekly
"Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor write about AI capabilities in a wide range of settings, from criminal sentencing to moderating social media. My favorite part of the book is Chapter 5, which takes the arguments of AI doomers head-on."鈥擳imothy B. Lee, Understanding AI
"The authors admirably differentiate fact from opinion, draw from personal experience, give sensible reasons for their views (including copious references), and don’t hesitate to call for action. . . . If you’re curious about AI or deciding how to implement it, AI Snake Oil offers clear writing and level-headed thinking."鈥擩ean Gazis, PracticalEcommerce
"Well-informed, clear and persuasive—the cool breeze of knowledge and good sense are a good antidote to anybody inclined to believe the hyped claims and fears."鈥擠iane Coyle, Enlightened Economist
"This book is an easy read for anyone interested in artificial intelligence (AI). It is a wide subject, with categories of AI that do different things, and the authors give many good examples to educate and dispel AI myths."鈥擥eraldine McBride, Financial World
"AI Snake Oil has everything you ever wanted to know about AI."鈥擲udhirendar Sharma, The Hindu Businessline
"Important and timely."鈥�Choice
鈥淲ith a much-needed dose of skepticism, this clear and practical guide will help you understand some of the worst dangers of the current AI hype cycle.鈥�鈥擪ate Crawford, author of Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence
鈥淭his revelatory book exposes the 鈥楢I hype vortex,鈥� a black hole of misinformation and mythmaking propelled by desires for quick fixes and a fast buck. Narayanan and Kapoor cut through the hype with crisp and accessible writing that bravely calls out how AI fails us daily, with devastating consequences, and points to how it might one day benefit us鈥攂ut only if governed in the public interest.鈥�鈥擜londra Nelson, Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab, Institute for Advanced Study
鈥淎midst the constant swirl of hype and fear around artificial intelligence, AI Snake Oil is a breath of fresh air. This expert and entertaining guide is a must-read for anyone who wonders about AI鈥檚 potential promise and its perils.鈥�鈥擬elanie Mitchell, author of Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans
鈥淚f you are only going to read one book on AI, make it this one. Narayanan and Kapoor make simple what everyone else is trying to make complex. Reading it makes you realize you are not crazy, the AI discourse is crazy, and they have given you a roadmap to clarity.鈥�鈥擩ulia Angwin, author of Dragnet Nation: A Quest for Privacy, Security, and Freedom in a World of Relentless Surveillance
