Smarter Than Us

When Geoffrey Hinton, the pioneering architect of artificial neural networks, resigned from Google in 2023 following an epiphany about the dangers of artificial intelligence, it made headlines around the world.

Smarter Than Us is his long-awaited call to arms. As he shows, only by fully understanding how AI works, can you see how dangerous it is becoming. Here he equips us with the scientific knowledge we urgently need.

Grounding his arguments in neuroscience and computer science, he explains why we cannot expect super-intelligent machines to remain subservient to us. AI, he argues, will change our view of our place in the universe as much as the Copernican or Darwinian revolutions. We must prepare for a future where our achievements are eclipsed by those of our creations. Survival depends not on dominating these systems, but on ensuring they care about our wellbeing. The future is uncertain, but we can shape it through our choices, including demanding governments regulate, and tech companies behave transparently and accountably.

Deeply authoritative, persuasive, and humane, Smarter Than Us sets out what we can do while we are still in control.

© Geoffrey Hinton 2027 (P) Penguin Audio 2027