The best 27 Human-Machine Interaction books

1
Impromptu

Impromptu

Reid Hoffman with GPT-4
Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI
4.4 (95 ratings)

What's Impromptu about?

Impromptu (2023) is a speculative, in-depth conversation involving GPT-4 – a Large Language Model Artificial Intelligence. By discussing real-life stories and potential applications, it paints a future in which Artificial Intelligence is a tool that can push the limits of education, creativity, business, and more. Join the conversation, and prepare for an exciting future that will unlock the true potential of humankind.

Who should read Impromptu?

  • The curious and optimistic who are eagerly following the world-changing developments of Artificial Intelligence
  • Skeptical doomsayers who would like to hear a less-dystopian outlook for the future
  • Anyone unfamiliar with AI who would like to learn what all the fuss is about.

2
Architects of Intelligence

Architects of Intelligence

Martin Ford
The truth about AI from the people building it
4.3 (244 ratings)

What's Architects of Intelligence about?

Architects of Intelligence (2018) is a collection of interviews with researchers, scientists, businessmen, and thinkers at the forefront of digital technology and artificial intelligence. There isn’t much agreement to be found among them about how fast the technology is developing, how soon we’ll all be driving autonomous cars, or the possibility of a breakthrough in general intelligence. But we can rest assured that AI technology is destined to shake the core of society, the economy, and life itself in unimaginable and unprecedented ways.

Who should read Architects of Intelligence?

  • Futurists who love to consider how our world may soon change
  • AI-fearers who worry that technology could be destructive to humanity
  • Anyone curious about developments in AI

3
Human Compatible

Human Compatible

Stuart Russell
Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control
4.5 (487 ratings)

What's Human Compatible about?

Human Compatible (2019) explains why the creation of a superintelligent artificial intelligence could be humanity’s final act. The blinks call to attention the potential catastrophe that humanity is heading towards, and discuss what needs to be done to avoid it. If we’re to ensure AI remains beneficial to humans in the long run, we may need to radically rethink its design.

Who should read Human Compatible?

  • AI specialists who could benefit from a new approach to AI design
  • Students of AI looking for an overview of its key problems
  • Anyone concerned about how AI is likely to transform society in the near future

4
Homo Deus

Homo Deus

Yuval Noah Harari
A Brief History of Tomorrow
4.3 (1,033 ratings)

What's Homo Deus about?

Homo Deus (2015) explains how we came to be the planet’s dominant species and uncovers a prediction for the future of humanity. It examines our present humanist state, the notion of individual choice and how we persist in worshipping the individual. It also reveals how science and technology will eventually make humans subservient to computer algorithms.

Who should read Homo Deus?

  • People seeking to understand humankind’s history of progress
  • Technophiles wishing to learn more about the future
  • Technophobes who want to prepare themselves for the worst

5
Life 3.0

Life 3.0

Max Tegmark
Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
4.3 (428 ratings)

What's Life 3.0 about?

Life 3.0 (2017) is a tour through the current questions, ideas and research involved in the emerging field of artificial intelligence. Author Max Tegmark provides us a glimpse into the future, sketching out the possible scenarios that might transpire on earth. Humans might fuse with machines; we might bend machines to our will or, terrifyingly, intelligent machines could take over.

Who should read Life 3.0?

  • Artificial intelligence enthusiasts and physicists
  • Future gazers and philosophers
  • Nerds, geeks and science fiction fans

6
AI 2041

AI 2041

Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan
Ten Visions for Our Future
4.2 (442 ratings)

What's AI 2041 about?

AI 2041 (2021) is a provocative work of speculative fiction with analysis that explores the ways in which AI will shake up our world over the next twenty years. We’re just at the beginning of the technological revolution that AI will bring. By imagining what that future will look like, we can start preparing for the changes to come.

Who should read AI 2041?

  • Entrepreneurs wanting to learn about how AI will transform the world of work
  • Sci-fi lovers interested in exploring techno utopias and dystopias
  • People curious about how societies are affected by changing technologies

7
Superintelligence

Superintelligence

Nick Bostrom
Paths, Dangers, Strategies
4.2 (463 ratings)

What's Superintelligence about?

Superintelligence (2014) investigates how creating a machine more intelligent than a human would change humanity. These blinks are full of facts, figures and studies from a variety of disciplines, resulting in a complex picture of the superintelligent future and how we might arrive there.

Who should read Superintelligence?

  • Anyone working in computer science, neuroscience, robotics or mathematics
  • Fans of science fiction or theories about the human apocalypse
  • People interested in the moral questions surrounding the creation of artificial life forms

8
The Fourth Age

The Fourth Age

Byron Reese
Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity
4.2 (112 ratings)

What's The Fourth Age about?

In The Fourth Age (2018), author Byron Reese provides essential context for the subject of artificial intelligence and the kinds of changes we can expect from its proliferation. By taking into consideration the major innovations of the past, Reese provides a valuable framework that will help anyone better understand the potential impact AI will have on the modern workforce.

Who should read The Fourth Age?

  • Readers looking for a fresh perspective on future technologies
  • Workers concerned about the future job market
  • Economists and philosophers

9
The Singularity Is Near

The Singularity Is Near

Ray Kurzweil
When Humans Transcend Biology
4.4 (163 ratings)

What's The Singularity Is Near about?

The Singularity Is Near (2005) shows how evolution is drawing ever closer to a dramatic new phase, in that by 2029, computers will be smarter than humans, and not just in terms of logic and math. This event will not only profoundly change how we live but also pose serious questions about humanity’s future.

Who should read The Singularity Is Near?

  • People curious about the intersection of people and technology
  • Programmers, inventors or anyone fascinated by artificial intelligence
  • Science fiction fans

10
How to Create a Mind

How to Create a Mind

Ray Kurzweil
The Secret of Human Thought Revealed
4.4 (141 ratings)

What's How to Create a Mind about?

How to Create a Mind (2012) offers an intimate examination of the nuts and bolts behind how the brain works. Once we understand exactly how people think, perceive the world and decide to take action, the creation of true artificial intelligence seems a possibility that’s just around the corner.

Who should read How to Create a Mind?

  • Anyone interested in artificial intelligence (AI)
  • People who’d like to learn more about neuroscience
  • Students considering a career in advanced computing

11
Physics of the Future

Physics of the Future

Michio Kaku
How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100
4.2 (187 ratings)

What's Physics of the Future about?

Physics of the Future (2011) lays out predictions of future technology based on the works and opinions of experts on the cutting edge of physics, genetics, biology and computer science. The author explores some of the hurdles we will have to overcome in order to develop these future technologies, and what fundamental changes we can expect their presence to make on our society.

Who should read Physics of the Future?

  • Anyone interested in cutting-edge science
  • Anyone interested in future technologies
  • Anyone interested in the future of humanity
  • Anyone with a great imagination

12
The Creativity Code

The Creativity Code

Marcus du Sautoy
How AI is learning to write, paint and think
4.4 (123 ratings)

What's The Creativity Code about?

The Creativity Code (2019) explores the growing capabilities of artificial intelligence and its recent venture into creative fields such as art, music and literature – previously thought to be exclusively human territory. Author Marcus du Sautoy takes us on a journey from the origins of our own creativity to a future of art-making algorithms in a quest to answer the existential question: Can machines be creative? 

Who should read The Creativity Code?

  • Anyone interested in artificial intelligence 
  • Lovers of art, math and music
  • Futurists who like to speculate about the coming union of human and machine

13
The Age of Spiritual Machines

The Age of Spiritual Machines

Ray Kurzweil
When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence
4.3 (80 ratings)

What's The Age of Spiritual Machines about?

The Age of Spiritual Machines (1999) is your guide to the future. These blinks explain the new age of machines and what robotic intelligence will mean for life as we know it.

Who should read The Age of Spiritual Machines?

  • Anyone freaking out about artificial intelligence
  • Computer and social scientists
  • Futurists and inventors

14
Alone Together

Alone Together

Sherry Turkle
Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other
3.7 (50 ratings)

What's Alone Together about?

Technology has changed our lives tremendously – in some ways for the better and in some ways for the worse. Alone Together explains how even though a great deal of new technology, like smartphones and social media, is supposed to bring us together, it actually makes us lonelier in the end.

Who should read Alone Together?

  • Anyone interested in technology
  • Anyone interested in society and psychology
  • Anyone interested in how technological changes are affecting us

15
The Future of the Mind

The Future of the Mind

Michio Kaku
The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind
4.4 (113 ratings)

What's The Future of the Mind about?

The Future of the Mind looks at our current understanding of the human brain, as well as the varied research that is currently being conducted to expand the potential of the mind to areas which sound like science fiction, but could soon be reality.

Who should read The Future of the Mind?

  • Anyone interested in the human brain and how we’ve gained our current understanding of it
  • Anyone interested in future applications of the brain, like sharing memories and emotions with each other telepathically

16
The Emperor's New Mind

The Emperor's New Mind

Roger Penrose
Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics
4.6 (214 ratings)

What's The Emperor's New Mind about?

The Emperor’s New Mind (1989) is a timeless argument against the computability of the human mind. Taking you on a fascinating journey through math, computer science, philosophy, and physics, famous mathematician Roger Penrose explains what makes the human mind so special – and what quantum mechanics has to do with consciousness.

Who should read The Emperor's New Mind?

  • Math freaks and science geeks 
  • Hobby psychologists and armchair philosophers
  • Anyone concerned about a robot uprising

17
The Metaverse Handbook

The Metaverse Handbook

QuHarrison Terry & Scott “DJ Skee” Keeney
Innovating for the Internet’s Next Tectonic Shift
4.2 (471 ratings)

What's The Metaverse Handbook about?

The Metaverse Handbook (2022) provides insight into a new technology platform that offers huge commercial potential to digital professionals, creatives, and business leaders. It explains what the Metaverse is, how it works, and ways to integrate it into business strategies to capitalize on its offerings.

Who should read The Metaverse Handbook?

  • Forward-thinking business leaders who want to capitalize on tech developments
  • Entertainers, artists, and designers looking to expand their audiences
  • Tech geeks ready to be pioneers in the latest frontier

18
Where Will Man Take Us?

Where Will Man Take Us?

Atul Jalan
The Bold Story of the Man Technology is Creating
4.2 (52 ratings)

What's Where Will Man Take Us? about?

Where Will Man Take Us? (2019) explores how, thanks to rapid technological advances, humanity has come to stand on the cusp of a great leap forward. In just decades, our economy, health and perhaps even our biology will be transformed; these blinks explore these developments and the difficult ethical and societal questions they pose.

Who should read Where Will Man Take Us??

  • Mortals who hope one day to achieve immortality
  • People who’d like to get to grips with the latest tech developments
  • Big thinkers interested in the future of humanity and human society

19
Soonish

Soonish

Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith
Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything
4.4 (34 ratings)

What's Soonish about?

Soonish (2017) explores transformative technologies that will emerge in the future, from space exploration to brain-to-computer interfaces, and the ongoing real-world efforts undertaken to make them a reality today. For each technology explored, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith consider its current status, the primary concerns and the effect each technology is likely to have on the world as we know it.

Who should read Soonish?

  • Students of science and technology
  • Science-fiction enthusiasts
  • Readers curious about theoretical science

20
On Intelligence

On Intelligence

Jeff Hawkins and Sandra Blakeslee
How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines
4.0 (60 ratings)

What's On Intelligence about?

These blinks provide an overview of the human brain’s capacity for thinking and for comparing new experiences to old memories. They also explain why today’s machines still aren’t able to emulate this capability, but why we may soon be able to build ones that can.

Who should read On Intelligence?

  • Anyone interested in how the brain works or what makes us intelligent and conscious beings
  • Anyone who wants to know whether we’ll ever build machines that are truly intelligent
  • Anyone wondering whether such intelligent machines would be good or bad for humanity

21
Out of Control

Out of Control

Kevin Kelly
The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World
4.1 (35 ratings)

What's Out of Control about?

Though written from the perspective of 1994, these blinks paint a startlingly current and still futuristic image of how technological developments like the internet and artificial intelligence could affect society and humanity.

Who should read Out of Control?

  • Fans of science fiction
  • People interested in the long-term impact of the internet on society
  • Futurists and visionaries

22
Career Fear (and how to beat it)

Career Fear (and how to beat it)

Somi Arian
Get the Perspective, Mindset and Skills You Need to Futureproof Your Work Life
4.0 (68 ratings)

What's Career Fear (and how to beat it) about?

Career Fear (and how to beat it) (2020) sounds the alarm on how jobs are rapidly changing due to technological advancements. Taking a historical perspective on the evolution of work cultures, it brings to light the necessary mindset and uniquely human skills to thrive in a future defined by artificial intelligence. 

Who should read Career Fear (and how to beat it)?

  • Professionals seeking a new career 
  • People interested in the future of work
  • Anyone worrying about their career path

23
24/6

24/6

Tiffany Shlain
The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week
4.3 (132 ratings)

What's 24/6 about?

24/6 (2019) implores us to redefine our relationship with technology by taking a break from screens for a full 24 hours each week. It provides a brief history of rest, and explains both why you need it and how taking a break can improve your effectiveness, creativity, and relationships.

Who should read 24/6?

  • Screen addicts looking to kick their habit
  • Sleep-deprived Netflix junkies
  • Anyone concerned about 24/7-connected living

24
Breakpoint

Breakpoint

Jeff Stibel
Why the Web will Implode, Search will be Obsolete, and Everything Else you Need to Know about Technology is in Your Brain
4.0 (18 ratings)

What's Breakpoint about?

This book deals with the structure, function and development of networks. Drawing on specific aspects of biological, technical and virtual networks, such as the brain and the internet, the author suggests that these networks, however different they may appear, actually have a lot in common. He believes that if we learn how the organic network of the brain works, we can apply those findings to the internet and make it intelligent.

Who should read Breakpoint?

  • Students of biology and computer science
  • Anyone who wants to know where the internet is heading
  • Anyone interested in how the brain works

25
To Be A Machine

To Be A Machine

Mark O’Connell
Adventures Among Cyborgs, Utopians, Hackers, and the Futurists Solving the Modest Problem of Death
4.4 (43 ratings)

What's To Be A Machine about?

To Be a Machine (2017) charts the strange, emerging world of transhumanism, taking an honest look at the men and women working on undreamed-of new technologies. In this book, Mark O'Connell describes the people who are attempting to evade death, create hyper-intelligent machines, and even hack their own bodies.

Who should read To Be A Machine?

  • Science buffs interested in the next big thing
  • Futurists anxious about the fate of humankind
  • Fans of science fiction looking to realize their dreams

26
The New Breed

The New Breed

Kate Darling
What Our History with Animals Reveals about Our Future with Robots
4.1 (39 ratings)

What's The New Breed about?

The New Breed (2021) offers new insights into the ongoing debate surrounding robots and artificial intelligence. Instead of looking at robots as a human replacement or threat, the author sees a more accurate comparison in the long relationship we’ve had with autonomous animals, which have helped us feel better and get work done.

Who should read The New Breed?

  • Popular science enthusiasts
  • Panicking futurists
  • Technophobes

27
Present Shock

Present Shock

Douglas Rushkoff
When Everything Happens Now
3.8 (23 ratings)

What's Present Shock about?

These blinks are all about the mental and emotional state we all live in thanks to our rapidly changing technological culture. Present Shock (2013) explains the roots of this problem and what it means for our mental well-being.

Who should read Present Shock?

  • Anyone interested in technology, the media or digital culture
  • Students of psychology, sociology or politics

Related Topics