Description
Book SynopsisAn NPR 2023 "
Books We Love" Pick
One of the Next Big Idea Club's Must-Read Books
An award-winning defense expert tells the story of today’s great power rivalry—the struggle to control artificial intelligence.
Trade Review"Should be required reading for anyone interested in the future of the global economy or geopolitics." -- Thomas E. Ricks - New York Times Book Review
"Scharre is a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and capable guide. He explains why AI matters and charts the areas that will determine which country gets the most out of its investments." -- Lawrence Freedman - Foreign Affairs
"An invaluable primer to arguably the most important driver of change for our future. Scharre marshals fact after fact to explain not just the technology, but the trends soon to unfold and remake our world." -- P. W. Singer, author of Burn-In
"Paul Scharre argues that the AI race between democratic and authoritarian states is well underway, and the stakes could not be higher: whoever wins will write the international rules of the next century. With revealing anecdotes, cogent analysis, and incisive insight, Scharre demystifies AI and its national security implications. If you read one book on AI this year, read this one!" -- Michèle Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
"How will AI change the balance of power between authoritarian states and democracies? This is one of the most important questions in geopolitics today. Authoritarians have already figured out how to use AI to their maximum advantage, and democrats must urgently do the same or risk losing the contest. First step: Read this book, a farsighted and comprehensive survey of the issues involved and the paths forward." -- Pedro Domingos, author of The Master Algorithm
"America and its military are facing a major test when it comes to AI. The country that best incorporates artificial intelligence technology into its defense will have significant military advantages over its competitors.
Four Battlegrounds is an essential book for everyone involved in American leadership and American defense, because it outlines the challenges we face and explains the key components that will determine our success in using this important new technology to support American power and American ideals." -- Admiral James Stavridis, 16th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO
"In this riveting book on AI and power by one of the leading strategists of our time, Paul Scharre highlights an existential challenge: as Americans and Chinese militarize ever more powerful AI to avoid ceding control to each other, they risk ceding too much power to machines." -- Prof. Max Tegmark, MIT AI researcher and author of Life 3.0
"A must-read guide to how the emerging artificial intelligence arms race will shape the geopolitical, economic, and political struggle between China and its authoritarian allies and the democratic West led by the United States and Europe." -- Martin Ford, author of Rule of the Robots and Rise of the Robots
"A solid, well-organized account of the military applications of AI and of the race to take the lead global position." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Technophiles and technophobes alike will be challenged and enlightened." -- Publishers Weekly
"Readers knowledgeable about computer science will find it clarifying, while other will gain immense understand of an often opaque if important subject." -- James Pekoll - Booklist
