Out of a sense of urgency and disillusionment, I wrote this book at lightning speed. I could not possibly have gotten it done without many friends and colleagues giving me incisive comments at breathtaking speed, including Ken Cukier, Ihor Gowda, Kristina Kashtanova, Yolanda Lannquist, Roger McNamee, Anka Reuel, Douglas Rushkoff, Ben Shneiderman, Miguel Solano, Ollie Stephenson, Anastasia Tryputen, and four astonishingly speedy anonymous reviewers. Thanks to Gavin Jensen for drawing the simple, elegant figure of Generative AI risks on short notice.
At the MIT Press, Amy Brand (who edited my first book) and Gita Manaktala (who edited this one) understood my need for speed, and did everything humanly possible to help get the book out on the insane schedule I envisioned. How Suraiya Jetha got four academics to write insightful reviews in four weeks, I will never know. Judith Feldmann shined and polished the book from head to toe.
Before this book was even a gleam, Ezra Klein took a chance on me, and Simone Ross and Chris Anderson at TED helped me get word out at a crucial moment. I will always be grateful to Senator Blumenthal’s office for their invitation to speak before the Senate.
And last but most definitely not least, thanks to my family. Chloe and Alexander patiently maintained their good cheer when their Papa was too busy to play, and Athena held everything together, as she always does, and came in at the last minute with a brilliant edit.