The Fourth Age

By: Byron Reese

Narrated by: Danny Campbell

As we approach a great turning point in history when technology is poised to redefine what it means to be human, The Fourth Age offers fascinating insight into AI, robotics, and their extraordinary implications for our species.

In The Fourth Age, Byron Reese makes the case that technology has reshaped humanity just three times in history:

100,000 years ago we harnessed fire, which led to language.

10,000 years ago we developed agriculture, which led to cities and warfare.

5,000 years ago we invented the wheel and writing, which led to the nation state.

We are now on the doorstep of a fourth change brought about by two technologies: AI and robotics. The Fourth Age provides extraordinary background information on how we got to this point and how - rather than what - we should think about the topics we’ll soon all be facing: machine consciousness, automation, employment, creative computers, radical life extension, artificial life, AI ethics, the future of warfare, superintelligence, and the implications of extreme prosperity.

By asking questions like “are you a machine?” and “could a computer feel anything?”, Reese leads you through a discussion along the cutting edge in robotics and AI and provides a framework by which we can all understand, discuss, and act on the issues of the Fourth Age and how they’ll transform humanity.

©2018 Byron Reese. All rights reserved. (P)2018 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

New perspectives and lot of future possibilities

Very thought provoking! This is a masterpiece from Byron. Gives a whole lot of new perspective to human life, human goals and purpose , human evolution. This tells us how AI and robotics has potential to change trajectory of human civilization for ever. Best read for someone who want to understand AI potential in a non technical way. The downside of AGI highlighted as a likelihood can send chill down your spine. Book is filled with a lot of meaningful information.

Humanity

Great facts that everyone must know about equipment, computers, social behavior and our possible future! Educate yourself and make a difference today. Enjoyed the narrative and philosophy. We are all in this together, Humanity

Your beliefs of AI and society discussed here

Whether you believe that AI is benevolent or malevolent, you're probably wrong. This book provides an introspective framework to expose your biases, challenge your assumptions, and help you understand your current position on AI compared to the positions of other AI luminaries.

Awesome insights and summaries of our potential.

This book is chock-full of food for thought. you almost have to stop the book every 5 minutes to think about what was just said. you could even listen to this book was someone else and getting many topics to discuss in more detail. this book has a high re-listen value. I'm sure there were some topics that I missed while thinking of one's prior to. great stuff

Fascinating existential discussions

Fascinating existential discussions as pertaining to AI Robots. Interested enough to read latter half again.

informative

loved it. a great read . Can recommend. many new thoughts on the whole AI concept.

Great

This book was fascinating. Full of many facts and thought provoking ideas. A great book if you like technology and computers.

Interesting Topic

Mostly well done but somewhat lacking in details. Takes some time to adjusted to the narrator, although all told fairly acceptable listening to it.

to the future with a short history of everything

The author review some of the central questions we face in understanding where we are going with the development of Artificial Intelligence. He reviews many developments and some persistent limitations - such as we don't understand consciousness, and can't even model the tiny brain of some tiny worms. He clarifies some of the challenges facing humanity as the age of technology goes on.

Interesting

As a geek I loves this book. It gives you a lot to think about.