Review: Generation AI by Katerina Thomas PhD

Delivery a hard dose of reality, and a realistic path forward, author Katerina Thomas neatly outlines the monumental changes coming to our world in the form of artificial intelligence – and how it will affect all of life as we know it – in Generation AI: The Rise of the Resilient Entrepreneur.

Many may be vaguely aware of the AI storm brewing on the horizon – one that will make millions of jobs obsolete as they are done more efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively by hyper-precise machines, or executed expertly by intelligent algorithms. Like so many other looming crises in humanity’s future, most choose to ignore this imminent crisis, and Thomas reminds us that this willful ignorance will cost us dearly.

However, this isn’t just a doom-and-gloom book, but rather a pragmatic and practical approach to navigating the inevitable changes to the paradigm of employment brought on by AI. There are hopeful points to be made, such as the argument that AI technology may actually create more jobs than it destroys, but this book primarily functions as a wake-up call and a warning. Covering the immense acceleration of technological progress in recent years, but doing so in an accessible way, the average reader may finally be able to piece together the mystery of quantum computing, machine learning, and intelligent algorithms.

Unlike so many authors who cast visions of a sci-fi future where robots have taken over and humanity has fallen to pieces, Thomas approaches this near-future reality with a rational mind and a foundation of facts. Introducing readers to the complexity of current AI, as well as the cutting-edge work presently being done, the author eliminates any sense of “if” this change is going to come. Seeing the broad swath of applications AI is already involved with, and reading realistic examples of where that tech could be in a few short years, drives home the urgency and relevance of this material.

This isn’t a simple read, by any means; it demands one’s attention with deep historical dives for context and a good amount of well-researched detail. The book’s emotional intelligence is what sets this book apart from other prophetic musings on future tech. The focus on improving ourselves as workers, and as humans, in preparation for this massive shift in consciousness and purpose, is not an angle most writers have taken. Machine-human symbiosis is a subject that deserves an entire book to itself, while Thomas’ exploration of the upcoming VUCA landscape (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) is a valuable focal point.

On a technical level, there are some passages that seem unnecessarily dense, and the narrative voice occasionally falls into a tone that is closer to an academic lecture than an intuitive and helpful guide. That said, the prose itself is impeccably clean and well-edited, with each word of every sentence seemingly chosen with precision and intention. This book is not only incredibly timely, with references to the changes brought on and sped up by the coronavirus pandemic, but it is also humble in its surety. The author comes across as both authoritative and sympathetic, recognizing the effort required to survive the dynamic times ahead, and confidently teaching others how to steer through the storm.

An eye-opening plunge into the fourth Industrial Revolution, Generation AI is essential reading, regardless of your current career.