Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI

October 28, 2024 Leave a comment

Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI

by Madhumita Murgia | 320 Pages | Genre: Non-Fiction | Publisher: Pan Macmillan | Year: 2024 | My Rating: 5/10

“My life—and yours—is being converted into such a data package that is then sold on. Ultimately, we are the products.”
― Madhumita Murgia, Code Dependent

Code Dependent is a collection of case studies about people who are affected by technology, without the rigour and analysis that I was expecting. But then it is not an academic or research-oriented book, but more in the popular non-fiction genre. Several of the case studies in the book reflected on the dark side of technology and social media manipulation of individuals and communities, and their rights, privacy, freedom and future.

The book is an account of how the algorithms used by tech in our daily lives through the user-friendly apps like Google Maps, Uber, Instagram, Facebook and others are changing us and the way we see the world. Our data and us as data is continuously being used for targeted advertisements to make businesses grow fatter.

Murgia defines AI as “a complex statistical software applied to finding patterns in large sets of real-world data.” I believe that AI is much more than Statistical Pattern Recognition (SPR), and this viewpoint of the author is quite narrow.

I agree with Murgia’s take on emergence of new data colonialism around the worlds, especially in under-developed and poor economies, where sub-contracting create numerous jobs as data workers, but wealth created in not shared equitably. ‘Informed Consent’ seemed misinterpreted in the book, and subjective.

There was less of ‘AI’ and more of ominous ‘shadows’ in the book. While the book talks about algorithmic bias against people, it certain has flavours of human bias against technology from the author. The book read more on data transparency than demystifying the positives and negatives of AI and technology. Pessimistic views due to advancement in technology is more pronounced throughout the book.

The book is still a fascinating read, with glimpses of ‘how AI is altering the very experience of being human’.

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The Emperor’s New Mind

October 14, 2024 Leave a comment

Author: Roger Penrose | 640 Pages | Genre: Non-Fiction | Publisher: Oxford University Press | Year: 1989 | My Rating: 10/10

“I argue that the phenomenon of consciousness cannot be accommodated within the framework of present-day physical theory.”
― Roger Penrose, The Emperor’s New Mind

Sir Roger Penrose’s “The Emperor’s New Mind” is a captivating exploration of the intersection between mathematics, physics, consciousness, and the cognitive mind. Renowned for his contributions to theoretical physics and cosmology, Penrose brings his deep understanding of complex scientific concepts to the realm of cognition and artificial intelligence in this thought-provoking work. He covers a wide range of topics, from classical physics and Gödel’s incompleteness theorem to the puzzles of quantum mechanics and the philosophy of mind. He explains complex scientific ideas with remarkable clarity and delves into the question of what constitutes consciousness and the nature of human thought. He critiques the current state of artificial intelligence and posits that human understanding and awareness transcend mere computation. Through a blend of philosophical inquiry and scientific analysis, he argues against the idea that machines can fully replicate human cognitive processes. The book highlights the unique qualities of human thought, suggesting that there are aspects of consciousness that remain elusive to mechanistic interpretations.

Penrose also explores the implications of his theories for fields such as neuroscience and philosophy, offering insights into the workings of the human brain and the potential limitations of current scientific understanding. He integrates ideas from his previous works, such as the concept of objective reality and the nature of mathematical truths, providing a cohesive framework for his arguments.

The book is also notable for its engagement with the nature of mathematics and reality. Penrose argues that mathematics has an existence independent of the human mind, a stance known as mathematical Platonism. This perspective is central to his critique of artificial intelligence and his belief that the brain’s functioning may be linked to quantum processes. It truly is a profound and insightful exploration of consciousness and the nature of thought, bridging the gap between science and philosophy. It makes one ponder the complexities of the mind and the potential for understanding what makes us human in an age increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence.

This book is a must-read for anyone with a scientific temper, a love for complex and abstract ideas, and a deep interest in the fundamental questions of consciousness, cognitive science, and the philosophy of mind, offering an enriching perspective on the enduring mysteries of human existence.

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Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash

December 2, 2020 Leave a comment

by Edward Humes | 325 Pages | Genre: Non-Fiction | Publisher: Avery | Year: 2013 | My Rating: 9/10

“The American Dream is inextricably linked to an endless, accelerating accumulation of trash.”
― Edward Humes, Garbology

I discovered this brilliant book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Edward Humes, when I was searching for books on plastic waste management after attending the screening of a thought-provoking documentary, A Plastic Ocean, by an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Craig Leeson.

While the book examines how the USA became addicted to garbage, it is a story all around the world with similar environmental and socioeconomic dilemmas of the modern world. The book makes one think that while recycling the waste is the need of the hour, it is the continuous creation of waste in an endless loop that needs to be addressed. The book brings forth examples of activists and outstanding entrepreneurs who are trying to solve the menace of waste. The book also presents an economic history of garbage in the US along with surprising and even shocking statistics and concludes with a compilation of practical steps that individuals can take to reduce the environmental impacts of their generated waste. However, much more is required than just individual practices to overcome plasticisation. Planet and People need to take precedence over profits and combined efforts by communities and businesses alike along with political will are required to win the war on waste. 

I loved the chapter, ‘Down to the sea in chips’ on marine plastics pollution, and their impacts, which is a global environmental concern, converting our once pristine oceans into plastic soup.

This book is a must-read for all, especially if you are a consumer of modern life.

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The First Man

June 13, 2017 Leave a comment

The first manBook: The First Man
Author: Tobias Wade

Publisher: A-Argus Better Book Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: ISBN No: 9780662326237
Pages: 356

Availability: Paperback | Kindle

Farris Mathalion did not believe in the old stories, not until her own brother was kidnapped by monsters to send her on a fantastical journey. She travels both within the mind and without, taking a path of harrowing adventure and personal enlightenment as she strives to rescue him.

 

THE FIRST MAN is the first volume in a two-part young adult/fantasy series that can be read on many different levels; whether the reader appreciates the excitement of the many fast-paced action scenes, the surreal beauty and mystery of new worlds, the philosophical musings of the guides along the way, or the spiritual path of overcoming reality that Farris finds before her. She will travel through the seven kingdoms of the earth, each woven into the deep mythology of the land she passes, and each representative of one aspect of spiritual enlightenment.
In the first volume she passes through the surface world as well as the lands of fear, pleasure and illusion below the earth. She is accompanied in her journeys by a variety of strange creatures, including her faithful pet goat Bumble, Gloria the magical fish, and a romantic interest that makes uncertain love and looming betrayal pervasive themes throughout.

About Author: As a child I constructed a spaceship capable of superluminal speeds powered by a fusion core reactor. The submission was denied by NASA on the grounds that it was made entirely of Legos. In high school I was told that I could do anything I wanted in life, while only being taught everything that I didn’t want to be. I probably deserved the detentions I received. In college I completed two bachelors of science in psychology and physiology, working as a neuroscientist with plans towards medical school. At last I had life figured out! Then a horrible thing happened. I actually achieved my dream. The infinite potential of my future lay down into ordered lines, and I knew that the only logical choice was to give it all up and become a writer.

 

 

 

 

 

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Thank You For Smoking

May 6, 2013 Leave a comment

thank-you-for-smokingThank You For Smoking

by Christopher Buckley | 272 Pages | Genre: Fiction | Publisher: Allison & Busby | Year: 2003 | My Rating: 9/10

“That’s the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you’re never wrong.”
― Christopher Buckley, Thank You For Smoking

I started reading this book at a very interesting time, when I finally kicked the butt after 13 years of smoking cigarettes. I know the havoc it has played on my health in past several years, and I don’t need any scientific data to tell me that smoking is bad. I know that there’s people out there way smarter than I am, but a tobacco lobbyist is NOT one of those people! I shall no longer be yanked around by their stinking propaganda. It is my hope that others can also break free from tobacco’s hold. It’s hard. It’s worth it.

Nick Naylor, the main character, is a tobacco lobbyist and the chief spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies, a tobacco industry lobbying firm that promotes the benefits of cigarettes. He spends most of his time making media appearances to spin whatever claims that any health professional makes about the harmful effects of tobacco. He often laments throughout the book that the media does not give him as much screen time as “health professionals”. Nick’s a player and women are attracted to him like moths toward flame. He’s part of the MOD Squad – the Merchants of Death. It includes him, representing the tobacco lobby, and then a lobbyist for alcohol and for the gun lobby. Because of his ability to easily be unethical and convincing he has become a target for anti-tobacco terrorists and is under investigation from the FBI. The main wheels of the story starts turning when Naylor is kidnapped and is almost killed because his kidnappers stick Nicotine patches all over his body, which he miraculously manages to survive the effects. His doctor says it’s because he is a smoker and his body was therefore not as overwhelmed by all the nicotine patches as a non-smoker’s body would have been. The result is that Naylor can no longer smoke cigarettes ever again because there is now too much nicotine in his system. I enjoyed Naylor’s voice because he is so cynical but also very self-aware. Sometimes he seems like he really believes in the things that he is spouting to defend the people who write his pay checks, but then in the next paragraph, he’ll use the same line that he uses for everything, which is “Where are the data proving this?”

This humorously toned, sharp and witty political satire set in Washington, DC is my Read of the Week.

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