WTF? Book Summary - WTF? Book explained in key points

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WTF? summary

Name: WTF?
Rating: 4 (47 reviews)
Author: Tim O’Reilly

Tim O’Reilly

What’s the Future and Why It’s Up to Us

4 (47 ratings)

19 mins

Brief summary

WTF? by Tim O'Reilly is a thought-provoking analysis of the transformative power of technology. With insightful stories, he challenges us to question our current practices, values and beliefs, and to embrace innovation.

Topics

Innovation Artificial Intelligence

Table of Contents

WTF?
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Take a peek at what’s under the lid of our digital world.

You know the feeling: you finally come face to face with the latest and greatest talking-touchscreen-waterproof-artificially-intelligent wristwatch, and you find yourself thinking, “WTF?”

And whatever amazement you may be feeling is probably balanced out by an equal amount of alarm, because let’s face it – technology isn’t only nifty and fun. It’s also completely transforming the world and the ways we live in it, which is slightly scary.

These blinks are about two tech developments in particular – platforms and algorithms – and how they’ve become the building blocks of almost all new technologies.

From humble yet exciting beginnings to almost-global influence, their story is an exciting one. So get ready to learn how they work, what applications they have beyond science and technology and also how to handle any problems that may be – or already have been – created by them.

You’ll also learn

what a “two-pizza team” is;
why algorithms are like Arabian djinns; and
where machines have already taken over.

Digital platforms and algorithms have revolutionized the technology industry.

Remember when you saw your first touchscreen phone or virtual-reality headset? Or when your first Uber car arrived at your doorstep? You may have thought, “WTF?” The new technologies just keep on coming – and they’re forever changing the world we live in.

Two monumental developments are at the heart of the modern industry: artificial intelligence, in the form of algorithms, and modern digital platforms.

Modern digital platforms are based on open-source software, which was developed in the 1990s. This type of software is free, and any user can access and edit it for the benefit of all – a model that’s diametrically opposed to closed-software platforms such as those used by Microsoft, who dominated the industry at the time by locking hardware developers into their operating systems.

The shift began with the rise of Linux, and was highlighted in a 1997 paper by Eric Raymond called “The Cathedral and the Bazaar.” Rather than worshipping at the altar of Microsoft, Linux users worldwide, from hackers to developers, pooled their resources and encouraged the free trade of knowledge.

This established a template for digital platforms, where the level of freedom and cooperation generates rapid growth. Modern companies such as Uber and Amazon are built around this model, acting either as hosts or as a marketplace to connect users

But these platforms couldn’t operate at such a level of complexity without the algorithms that govern them.

Every platform is run by multiple algorithms, each designed to complete a specific task. Computer algorithms can process enormous amounts of data in almost no time at all and manage complex functions that no human could handle, such as coordinating the vast Uber network of passengers and drivers.

Once programmed, algorithms operate independently. Because of this, they’re often referred to as a sort of artificial intelligence, or AI. And their operations are only becoming more advanced.

So, now that you understand the principles of these two developments, let’s take a look at the effects that they have on businesses and the world around them. First up: platforms.

The platform model could increase business and government autonomy.

From Google to Amazon, Foursquare to Lyft, user-based platforms have proven immensely successful and lucrative. But what if you applied this model to other structures?

Let’s find out with the help of Amazon, which is structured around many two-pizza teams – a phrase the company coined to refer to a team small enough to be fed by two pizzas. Each team has the freedom to pursue its own goals, and has a specific customer in mind, even if that “customer” is within the company.

Algorithms have restructured traditional business models by taking on the bulk of work.

The platform model may be the new face of technology, but it wouldn’t exist without algorithms. So how exactly might these affect business structures? Well, they’ve actually already begun influencing traditional business hierarchies. Indeed, Amazon’s two-pizza teams may well have been inspired by algorithms, considering how similarly they function.

Like these teams, some algorithms independently monitor and regulate their own efficiency through what is known as a fitness function. They produce smaller programs to approach specific goals in different ways, and can then assess their efficiency and delete those that don’t perform as well, keeping only the best in service.

In the worlds of media and finance, the artificial intelligence of algorithms has gotten out of control.

When you think of rogue AI, you might imagine HAL9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey or Skynet in The Terminator. But you can rest easy once the credits roll because these are a long way from reality. Right?

Well, there are actually rogue algorithms already operating, and some of them are right under our noses.

Digital technologies are either replacing or redefining our traditional job infrastructure.

From bank tellers to ticket offices, you’ve probably seen the effects of automation, or at least heard somewhere that machines are taking our jobs. But is this actually happening?

To some extent, yes. We’re currently unable to find new forms of work as fast as we’re making others obsolete. In the twentieth century, an economist called John Maynard Keynes referred to this as technological unemployment, and it’s responsible for much of our apprehension about technology.

Technological unemployment can be fixed by re-skilling and digitally augmenting workers.

During the early nineteenth century, British weavers in Nottinghamshire intentionally destroyed many of the new machine looms that had recently been introduced because the machines were threatening their traditional craftsmanship. The weavers were following the example of the folk hero Ned Ludd, who’d supposedly done the same years earlier. This is actually the root of the word Luddite – someone who opposes technological changes.

Their concerns were justified, and the new technology led to widespread unemployment, as described by John Maynard Keynes. But Keynes, speaking metaphorically, went on to describe this period of worker redundancy as “growing-pains” rather than old age – and, sure enough, employment did eventually bounce back.

By changing current regulations and attitudes, we can embrace new technology for the benefit of all.

The world will continue to change, thanks to the development of new technologies. But what will either limit or liberate you is how you approach the new, and whether you’re willing to work with, rather than against, it.

A good place to start is by no longer applying old regulations to new technologies. A lot of the conflict between regulators and technology companies comes from the fact that certain rules just don’t apply anymore.

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What is WTF? about?

WTF? (2017) documents the recent history and developments of modern digital technologies, and explains why, far from being harmful in and of themselves, these technologies only do damage to business and society when misunderstood by humans. Instead of fearing for the future, we should embrace it and use the attendant technological developments in ways that bring society up rather than push costs down.

Best quote from WTF?

The US government originally designed GPS tracking systems for Air Force satellites; later, President Reagan offered it up for commercial use.

—Tim O’Reilly

Who should read WTF??

Business leaders seeking to understand and implement digital technologies
Technophobes who want their fears pacified
People interested in the recent history of technology

About the Author

Tim O’Reilly is the founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, a technical book publisher that seeks to share recent knowledge and developments. He has helped to identify and shape public responses to many of the biggest technological advances and trends of the last 30 years, and helped popularize terms such as “open-source software” and “Web 2.0.”

Categories with WTF?

Economics Technology & the Future

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