What We're Reading -- The Coming Wave

The Coming Wave, by Mustafa Suleyman (2023)

(Page 105) "...technologies from X-ray machines to AK-47s have always proliferated, with broad consequences. The coming wave [with AI and synthetic biology at its center] is, however, characterized by a set of four intrinsic features compounding the problem of containment. First among them is the primary lesson of this section: hugely asymmetric impact. You don't need to hit like with like, mass with mass; instead, new technologies create previously unthinkable vulnerabilities and pressure points against seemingly dominant powers.

"Second, they are developing fast, a kind of hyper-evolution, iterating, improving, and branching into new areas at incredible speed. Third, they are often omni-use; that is, they can be used for many different purposes. And fourth, they increasingly have a degree of autonomy beyond any previous technology."