Our Next Reality

This book was more difficult to read than I expected, in a good way. This book is written by two people, both of which share different thoughts in relation to the upcoming digital revolution. Alvin takes the role of an optimist, he believes that the best outcomes are likely to occur and Lous who is more critical and strict about the future. The common ground however, is that both of them believe that the coming revolution will benefit humanity under the right circumstances and we should be excited for it!

The book is divided in to 13 chapters, where both Alvin and Louis are giving their views on the presented topic. The topics are very diverse, looking at psychological impact, sociological impact, specific industries to watch out for, especially the medical industry, politics and the past and the future of technology. The wide range of topics and technical terms used makes this book a tough read compared to some other non-fiction books, it provides a lot of data, images/graphs and scientific feedback to back their arguments. In any case, I'd recommend anyone intersted in the topic to read this book. Now let's dive a bit deeper into some specifics of the contents that I want to address.

The most interesting discovery for me was the sheer amount of inherent benefits that VR has in terms of less-detrimental eyesight compared to 2D screens, better education, increased concentration and improved communication. This could be a huge factor towards self-improvement as a human being.
These improvements are of course balanced out by possible side-effects, like increased addiction, easier manipulation by AI / companies, etc.


Next I want to visit an assertion that does not seem to be completely true based on the latest scientific results in generative AI. I quote:
"This will get worse over time, as AI systems trained on copies of human culture will also fill the world with new artefacts, causing next generation systems to train on copies of copies, and so on. THis could distort and dilute the human aspects of our culture. It could also break AI systems, causing them to produce worse and worse artefacts over time, like making a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy." (Louis Chapter 7)
I wholeheartedly agree with the first part, where AI may distort human culture due to the immense generative capabilities. However, various research papers and companies have shown that Ai trained on synthetic data, i.e. data generated by AI, generate better results. This would contradict the assertion that AI would produce worse artefacts over time. Now this doesn't mean that, if you feed them synthetic data indefinitely, it may get distorted, but there has been no proof of that, at least right now.
The use of synthetic data is extremely recent, so it might be the authors wrote it before it was considered good to use.

In any case, the final goal, at least, final in the sense of what we're looking to achieve at the end or during the revolution, is a system of abundance, which is called abundanism in the book. It's the next step after capitalism, and while the main point is that we'll have an abundance of resources to work with, it also includes political aspects, like an AI sentient being (Philosopher King) ruling or making important decisions for the human race with less bias, and various other things. I believe we're certainly headed towards abundance or abundanism, if you'd prefer that, though I believe that the lack of knowledge we have about algorithms, neural networks, how AI works in general, blockchain, how the metaverse will play out, etc. makes it impossible now to actually formulate a good economical or societal ideology that could replace capitalism, even if we already know that it's going to happen.

Anyhow, I enjoyed reading this book, both authors resonated with me quite well. I'm embarrassed to admit that I might be part of the somewhat radical accelerationists and the optimism that Alvin is fueling me with is dragging me more towards that direction. My main concern is how we can stimulate people to self-improve in a post-AGI world, mostly since I like learning and it seems that white-collars are going to get replaced first.... I always thought about a lot of gamification, to use the competitive nature of humans and separate them from robots to continue to be able to get the most out of them, maybe in a much more gamified world than we live in right now. So it was nice to read that Louis actually has a company, that focusses on the improvement of humans in an AI world, called Unanimous AI, which wa s soothing to me.

Not to mention that the authors weren't antagonistic towards China, which unfortunately is often the case lately.... This makes the book a lot less biased.

Note:
The book has some funny spelling mistakes, like "San Morino".

I'm hoping to read more books written by them in the future!
5/5

Interesting and insightful read. Subject matter attracted me to read this book, Subject content was thoughtfully explored and well written.

This book was very technical. and delves to the subject. of artificial intelligence. This book covers artifical intelligence such as how it affects our society, our work and how we deal with the World. I recommend this book for readers who want learn about artificial intelligence and how it can affect us.

A technical and thought-provoking read on the subject of artificial intelligence and how it affects society and the world at large. The book is broken down into 13 parts with both Alvin and Louis giving their perspective on a specific aspect of artificial intelligence products. I definitely think this is the kind of book that requires an elementary knowledge on the topic at hand (fortunately the case for me, as it's an area I got interested in exploring during my masters degree) so it was nice to learn more as well as new peer reviewed studies I wasn't familiar with thanks to this book. I definitely think it's a book I will have to revisit again to truly take in all that I have read.

Thank you Netgalley and Nicholas Brealey US for the ARC, it's really made me think further on a topic I thought I had a fairly good understanding of.

"Our Next Reality" by Alvin W. Graylin is a captivating journey into the future, where technology isn't just a tool but a fundamental part of our existence. Graylin's vision of the next decade is both exhilarating and cautionary, painting a picture of a world on the brink of unprecedented transformation.

What struck me most about this book is its timely exploration of how artificial intelligence and immersive media will shape our lives in the coming years. Graylin and his co-author offer a compelling argument for why we need to pay attention to these developments and take proactive steps to ensure a positive outcome.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its unique perspective on the intersection of AI and XR (augmented & virtual reality). By bringing together these two topics, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of how they will impact society and individuals alike. This holistic approach is refreshing and helps readers understand the broader implications of these technologies.

What sets "Our Next Reality" apart is the expertise of its authors. Graylin's background in Silicon Valley brings a sense of optimism tempered by a realistic understanding of the potential pitfalls. Meanwhile, Louis brings a humanistic touch, emphasizing the importance of responsibility and ethics in guiding the development of these technologies.

As I read through the pages of this book, I found myself oscillating between excitement and trepidation. The possibilities presented are undeniably thrilling, but the potential risks are equally daunting. However, Graylin and Louis don't leave readers feeling helpless; instead, they offer practical guidance for individuals and regulators alike to navigate this brave new world.

Overall, "Our Next Reality" is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of technology and its impact on society. It's a thought-provoking exploration of what lies ahead and a call to action for ensuring that we steer toward a future that benefits us all.