Taming Silicon Valley

Gary F. Marcus is a scientist, best-selling author, and was Founder and CEO Geometric.AI, a machine learning company that was acquired by Uber. He is well-known for his challenges to contemporary AI and for his research in human language development and cognitive neuroscience. An Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at NYU, he is the author of five books, including, The Algebraic Mind, Kluge, The Birth of the Mind, and the New York Times bestseller Guitar Zero, and well-known for his public appearances at places like Davos and TED, and for his recent testimony at the US Senate. His most recent book Rebooting AI, with Ernest Davis, is one of Forbes s seven Must-Read Books in AI.

Included in the New Yorker's Best Books of 2024 listFeatured in the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, Politico, Big Think, Bloomberg TV, LARB, Foreign Policy, Marketplace, IEEE Spectrum, Forbes, the Next Big Idea Club, the Guardian,  Fortune, and more"This polemic, by a cognitive scientist and startup founder, calls for stricter regulation of A.I. It begins with problems posed by generative A.I. (the kind that spits out text, images, and other data, and which currently fuels the largest A.I. companies’ businesses). These include misinformation, pornographic deepfakes, impersonation scams, and the use of publicly available material as training data, which Marcus equates to a “land grab.” His warnings are framed by critiques of A.I. development’s current direction, which has privileged deep learning over potentially more fruitful methods, and of what he argues is the tech industry’s moral decline."—The New Yorker's "Briefly Noted""With passion and expertise, Marcus sounds a strong call to action."—Kirkus Reviews, KIRKUS STAR“Marcus also makes a persuasive case for more ambitious policies, arguing that because AI will likely render some jobs obsolete, the federal government should consider instituting a universal basic income to cushion those affected. Shrewd and levelheaded, this provides plenty to ponder.”—Publishers Weekly"An honest must read...very accessible. It paints a very clear picture of both the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence. We need to prepare for, not react to, the coming changes. Reacting will be too late. The danger is that governments tend to move too slowly while a few tech corporations are moving much faster and in questionable directions. Reading this book will help people understand that we need to pressure governments now to move faster so that we can gain the benefits while minimizing the risks inherent in AI."—Forbes“[A] sweeping polemic about how Big Tech will run roughshod over consumers and American democracy itself absent regulatory intervention.”—Politico“Mighty.”—The New York Review of Books“I recommend reading Taming Silicon Valley if you’re unfamiliar with the main concerns about generative AI and its leading commercial developers. For those with a vague sense of unease, it will provide a detailed explanation of specific risks.”—The Los Angeles Review of Books“The book should be required reading for anyone whose life will be touched in any small part by AI, which is pretty much everyone today. . . As always, Marcus writes in a strong voice that moves through the material in a breezy, commanding style, backed by a solid command of science and technology.”—ZDNET

• ContentsPreface: If we don't change course, we will lose society as we know it1. The seven biggest threats of inaction2. The moral descent of Silicon Valley3. Eight things we should insist on4. The time for action is now