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title: "The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future: The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the ultimate AI insider"
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# Explores AI's transformative wave shaping our future Instant Sunday Times bestseller Insights from Microsoft AI CEO & DeepMind co-founder The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future: The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the ultimate AI insider

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## Summary

> 🌐 Ride the Coming Wave: Master the AI revolution before it masters you!

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- **What is this?** The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future: The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the ultimate AI insider
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## Key Features

- • **Insider Expertise:** Authored by Mustafa Suleyman, a pioneering AI visionary driving the future of artificial intelligence.
- • **Bestseller Authority:** Ranked #2,552 overall and top 15 in Engineering & Technology books — a must-read for tech-savvy leaders.
- • **Future-Proof Insights:** Deep dive into AI, biotech, and their societal impact — stay ahead in the age of exponential tech growth.
- • **Global Impact Analysis:** Unpacks geopolitical, social, and economic shifts driven by AI and surveillance technologies worldwide.
- • **Ethical & Governance Focus:** Explores critical challenges of AI control and ethical management to safeguard humanity’s future.

## Overview

The Coming Wave is a groundbreaking, instant Sunday Times bestseller by AI insider Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI and DeepMind co-founder. This authoritative book unpacks the rapid rise of AI and biotechnology, their profound societal and ethical implications, and the urgent need for thoughtful governance. Essential reading for professionals aiming to understand and navigate the transformative technologies shaping the next decade.

## Description

*An Economist , Financial Times , Guardian , Prospect and Sunday Times Book of the Year* Shortlisted for the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year This is the only book you need to understand our new world – from the ultimate AI insider, the CEO of Microsoft AI and co-founder of the pioneering AI company DeepMind. 'If you want to understand the rise of AI, this is the best book to read' BILL GATES 'Important' YUVAL NOAH HARARI 'Astonishing' STEPHEN FRY 'Stunning' RORY STEWART Soon you will live surrounded by AIs. In a world of quantum computers, robot assistants and abundant energy, they will organise your life, operate your business, and run government services. None of us are prepared. Mustafa Suleyman has been at the centre of this revolution. The next decade, he explains, will be defined by a wave of powerful, fast-proliferating new technologies. These will create immense prosperity but also present risks. How do we ensure the flourishing of humankind? How do we maintain control over these technologies? And how do we find the narrow path to a successful future? In this groundbreaking book we learn how to think about the essential challenge of our age. Be prepared. Read The Coming Wave . **CHOSEN AS ONE OF BILL GATES' BOOKS TO KEEP YOU WARM THIS HOLIDAY SEASON** **A New York Times and Instant Sunday Times bestseller, Sept 2023**

Review: How can we control and become aware of what AI might become - brilliant on so many levels - - The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman discusses the transformative power of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology. It examines their potential to revolutionize economies and societies while raising critical ethical and governance challenges. It emphasizes the need for thoughtful management of these technologies to ensure they benefit humanity without causing undue harm. - Throughout history, humanity has progressed through technological advancements and waves of intervention, from discovering fire and harnessing electricity to inventing the wheel. These changes have significantly impacted the lives of many people, leading to increased prosperity. Now, we stand at the precipice of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, which have the potential to reshape the world we live in. - Almost every foundational technology ever invented, from simple tools like pickaxes and plows to complex devices like phones and rockets, follows a consistent pattern: it becomes cheaper and easier to use, ultimately spreading widely. - Almost everything you see, furniture, buildings, phones, food, and even landscaped parks has likely been created or altered by human intelligence. Language, cultures, political organizations, even what it means to be human, is another product of our intelligence. Only one other force is so pervasive: biological life itself. - The impending next wave is artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic biology. The crux of AI lies in the concept of distilling the complexity of human thought and language into a processing algorithm. Synthetic biology aims to harness the essence of living systems to create novel technologies. - AI was barely discussed in 2010 but has since become an integral part of our lives. - BENEFITS: The potential applications of AI are limitless, it could unlock the secrets of the universe, solve climate change, cure long-standing diseases, and create novel forms of art and culture that transcend imagination. Biotechnology offers the potential to engineer life to combat diseases and transform agriculture, leading to a healthier and more sustainable world. However, it’s crucial to exercise caution, as in the wrong hands and misuse, this technology to cause immense harm, potentially leading to the deaths of over a billion people. - HISTORY: The book explores historical examples of how ideas such as the printing press, initially banned in some countries like Japan, China, and Turkey, eventually spread globally. For millennia, humans relied solely on walking or, later, using elephants or horses for transportation. The advent of railways and cars revolutionized travel, leading to unprecedented growth and prosperity. - Electricity has seen remarkable growth. In 1900, only 2% of fossil fuel production was dedicated to electricity generation. by 1950 it was 10%, by 2000, it had surpassed 30%. Electricity production, coupled with advancements in technology has transformed the global economy. - Today, global living conditions are objectively better than at any other time. We take access to running water and abundant food supplies for granted. Most enjoy warmth and shelter throughout the year. Literacy rates, life expectancy, and gender equality have reached unprecedented heights. The accumulated knowledge of thousands of years of human scholarship and inquiry is now accessible at our fingertips. For most individuals in developed countries, life is characterized by an unprecedented level of ease and abundance that would have seemed unimaginable in the past. However, beneath the surface, a persistent sense of unease lingers, and Western societies are grappling with deep-seated anxiety, manifesting as “nervous states,” characterized by impulsivity and fractiousness. - What surrounds us is a product of human intelligence and often driven by monetary gain. - Any technology can malfunction, often directly contradicting its original purpose. Prescription opioids to manage pain have led to drug dependency, antibiotics have become less effective due to overuse. Until recently, the history of technology could be summarized as humanity’s quest to manipulate atoms. From fire to electricity, stone tools to machine tools, hydrocarbons to medicines, and now AI machines that have become sentient beings, raising questions about their control. - The future of AI is relatively predictable. Over the next five years, substantial investments will continue, and some of the world’s brightest minds will work on these challenges. It won’t be long before AI can transfer its knowledge seamlessly between domains, just like humans do. - Life, the universe’s oldest technology, is 3.7 billion years old. Life evolved through a glacial, self-governing, and unguided process. However, in just a few decades, humans, one of life’s products, have made a profound impact. Biology’s mysteries have been unravelled and has become an engineering tool. The story of life was rewritten in an instant; evolution, once a slow and gradual process, was suddenly supercharged and given direction. Changes that once unfolded over geological time now occur at an exponential pace. Alongside AI, this transformation is arguably the most significant of our lifetimes. - DNA, the most effective forms of data transfer and life-building, functions like a recipe book using four letters to produce proteins that shape our identity. Proteins, the building blocks of life, are found in various forms, including muscles, blood, hormones, and hair, forming 75% of our dry body weight. They perform diverse vital tasks, from holding our bones together to binding antibodies to catch unwanted invaders. Understanding proteins is a significant milestone in grasping and mastering biology. Knowing the DNA sequence alone doesn’t reveal how a protein functions; it’s crucial to comprehend its process. - DEMOCRACY: Democracy is built on trust appears to be eroding. A 2018 study of democracy in America revealed that as many as one in five individuals believe “army rule” is a desirable concept! A staggering 85% of Americans perceive the country as “heading in the wrong direction.” Distrust extends beyond government institutions, with increasing levels of distrust in the media, the scientific community, and the notion of expertise in general. One concerns is that many see all the faults with government and fail to see all the benefits. - Since 2010, more countries have slid backward on measures of democracy and this this is accelerating. Rising nationalism and authoritarianism seem endemic, from Poland, China, Russia, Hungary, the Philippines, and Turkey. Populist movements proliferate like QAnon to Brexit. Yet, global living conditions are objectively better today than at any time in the past. - DISINFORMATION: In the 1980s, the Soviet Union funded disinformation campaigns suggesting that the AIDS virus was the result of a U.S. bioweapons program. Years later, some communities are still dealing with the mistrust and fallout. The campaigns, meanwhile, have not stopped. According to Facebook, Russian agents created no fewer than eighty thousand pieces of organic content that reached 126 million Americans on their platforms during the 2016 election. - AI-enhanced digital tools will exacerbate information operations like these, meddling in elections, exploiting social divisions, and creating elaborate campaigns to sow and spread chaos. More than seventy countries have been found running disinformation campaigns. China, Turkey, Iran are developing their skills (The CIA is no stranger to info ops). Deepfake imagery means it is easy to manipulate a person and put words in their mouth so who knows what is real. - Early in the COVID-19 pandemic a blizzard of disinformation had deadly consequences. One study analysed more than 200 million tweets discussing COVID-19 at the height of the first lockdown. 82% of influential users advocating for “reopening America” were bots. This was a targeted “propaganda machine,” most likely Russian, designed to intensify the worst public health crisis in a century. - The book describes accidents that have occurred in labs where micro pathogens that spread disease and infection, that can cripple whole societies have accidentally occurred. Imagine what would happen if a rogue nation or terrorist got hold of an AI machine to replicate pathogen virus that could wipe out whole communities. AI will invent machines that can help fight new outbreaks of pathogens that can harm us - its benefits will outweigh the bad, but one person could kill 1 million people if this technology gets in the wrong hands. Nothing should get out of secure, well-guarded laboratories, but it happens repeatedly. Imagine what could occur in the hands of a country or madman that wants to cause harm. - Before it was eradicated, smallpox killed an estimated 300-500 million people in the twentieth century alone, with a reproduction rate more contagious than the strains of COVID-19, with a mortality rate thirty times that of COVID. Consider that throughout history, tools and technologies have been designed to help us do more with less. - TOTALITARIAN STATES: In C20, totalitarian regimes sought planned economies, obedient populations, and controlled information ecosystems. They aimed for complete hegemony, meticulously managing every aspect of life. Five-year plans dictated the number and content of films but also the bushels of wheat expected from a specific field. An ever-vigilant and ruthless security apparatus ensured the smooth functioning of these systems. Power concentrated in the hands of a single supreme leader, who had the ability to comprehensively assess the entire situation and make decisive actions. Examples of such regimes include Soviet collectivization, Stalin’s five-year plans, Mao’s China, and East Germany’s Stasi. These are manifestations of government as depicted in dystopian nightmares. - SURVEILLANCE: Your smart speaker wakes you up, you reach for your phone and check your emails. Your smartwatch informs you of your normal night’s sleep and heart rate. In theory, a distant organization already knows your waking hours, your emotional state, and the content you’re viewing. Your phone knows your movements and travel, your text messages and the podcast you’re listening to. CCTV films you hundreds of times as this city has at least one camera for every ten people, possibly more. It records and notes when you arrive at work and leave, your productivity and system records. It knows what you’re eating and what your, purchasing (loyalty schemes). Put 30 likes onto social media posts and some companies know more about you than your partner. And this is just a small part of the potential data that’s harvested every day, not just at work or on your phone, but at the doctor’s office or gym. Almost every aspect of life is logged somewhere by those with the expertise to process and act on the data they collect. This isn’t some distant dystopian scenario; this is describing the reality of millions of people in a city like London. - CHINA: The ultimate step is to merge these disparate databases into a single, integrated system: a comprehensive C21 surveillance apparatus. China is a prime example. While this isn’t entirely novel, what’s become evident is the extent and ambition of the party’s program, let alone its potential trajectory in the next two or three decades. Chinese research in AI focuses on surveillance domains such as object tracking, scene understanding, and voice or action recognition. Surveillance technologies have become ubiquitous, increasingly granular in their ability to check every aspect of citizens’ lives. They combine facial recognition, gait analysis, and license plate recognition with mass-scale data collection, including biometric data. Centralized platforms like WeChat seamlessly integrate various services, including private messaging, shopping, and banking, all within a traceable framework. Drive through the highways of China, and you’ll notice hundreds of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras diligently tracking vehicles. (These cameras are also prevalent in most major urban areas of the Western world.) During COVID quarantines, robot dogs and drones roamed the streets, broadcasting messages urging people to stay indoors. - China, now the leader in facial recognition technologies (e.g. Megvii, CloudWalk, SenseTime). Chinese police even have sunglasses equipped with facial recognition technology, capable of tracking suspects in crowded areas. Approximately half of the world’s billion CCTV cameras are in China, with many incorporating facial recognition and strategically positioned to gather maximum information, often in intimate private spaces such as residential buildings, hotels, and karaoke lounges. A New York Times investigation revealed that the police in Fujian Province alone estimated they held a database of 2.5 billion facial images, openly acknowledging its purpose: “controlling and managing people.” Authorities are also exploring the collection of audio data—police in the city of Zhongshan sought cameras capable of recording audio within a three-hundred-foot radius. - This technology reaches its most horrifying potential in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, a rugged and remote area in northwest China. Here, the systematic and technologically advanced repression and ethnic cleansing of the native Uighur people have been conducted. All these monitoring and control systems converge in this region. Cities are blanketed with camera surveillance, equipped with facial recognition and AI tracking. Checkpoints and “re-education” camps govern movements and freedoms. A social credit scoring system based on multiple surveillance databases watches the population. Authorities have even constructed an iris-scan database with the capacity to store up to thirty million samples—more than the region’s population. - The concept of a global “high-tech panopticon,” a dystopian idea popularized by Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We and Orwell’s 1984, is now becoming a reality. Billions of devices and trillions of data points could be simultaneously worked and checked in real time, not just for surveillance but also for prediction. This technology has the potential to forecast social outcomes with unprecedented precision and granularity, and it may even subtly or overtly influence or coerce them, from grand macro-processes like election results to individual consumer behaviours. - CATASTROPHE: The history of humanity is, in part, a history of catastrophe such as pandemics. The C6 Plague of Justinian and the C14 Black Death resulted in the deaths of up to 30% of the world’s population. In 1300, England’s population was seven million, by 1450 relentless waves of the plague had decimated it to just two million. - Catastrophes aren’t limited to natural disasters; they’re also man-made. World War I claimed the lives of approximately 1% of the global population, World War II resulted in the deaths of 3%. Genghis Khan and the Mongol army across China and central Asia in the C13 claimed the lives of up to 10% of the world’s population. - The advent of the atomic bomb has brought humanity to the brink of unprecedented destructive power, capable of wiping out the entire population multiple times over. Catastrophic events that once unfolded over years and decades can now occur in mere minutes, at the touch of a button. - Given these alarming developments, it is crucial we take proactive measures to contain this new technology and prevent it from leading to a catastrophic outcome. Doom-mongering can be disheartening, but it is important not to dismiss warnings outright. While catastrophic effects may be difficult to understand or accept, they happen. Just as breathless techno-optimism can be easily dismissed as hype, so too can breathless techno-catastrophism. However, the fact that a warning has significant implications does not automatically make it invalid. - We expect supermarkets to be brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables and kept at a consistent temperature throughout the year. Despite the constant turbulence, we assume that the supply chains and financial resources of the C21 are robust. Even the most historically extreme aspects of our existence appear utterly ordinary, leading us to continue our lives as if they can continue indefinitely. Most of those around us, including our leaders, do the same. However, it’s important to remember that nothing lasts forever. Throughout history, numerous societal collapses have occurred, from ancient Mesopotamia to Rome, the Mayans to Easter Island, and so on. It’s not just that civilizations don’t survive; it’s that unsustainability seems to be inherent in their structures. Civilizations that collapse are not the exception; they are the norm. A survey of sixty civilizations suggests that they tend to last around four hundred years on average before disintegrating. Without the advent of new technologies, they encounter hard limits to development in terms of available energy, food, and social complexity, which ultimately lead to their downfall. - CONTAINMENT OF AI: The fourth part of the book explores how we can manage this modern technology. The author proposes an outline of ten steps that can be implemented in small, incremental steps or gradually leading to a larger vision of containing this technology so that it can be harnessed for good rather than becoming a force for evil in the wrong hands. We have already made nuclear reactors safe, and the use of checklists has resulted in safer flying experiences. - AVIATION SAFETY AND CHECKLISTS: In the early days of aviation (1950’s) crashes and fatalities were frequent. By early 2010s, fatalities had significantly decreased to just 1 per 7.4 million passenger boardings. Years have passed without any fatal accidents involving American commercial planes, flying is one of the safest modes of transportation available. Sitting thirty-five thousand feet in the sky is safer than sitting at home on your couch. The remarkable safety record of airlines is due numerous incremental technical and operational improvements over the years. However, it’s equally important to recognize the role of culture in this success. The aviation industry has adopted an initiative-taking approach to learning from mistakes at every level. - CONCLUSION: AI offers numerous benefits far outweighing its concerns. When considering a variety of solutions, we’ve successfully made nuclear power stations incredibly safe, although this process took considerable time. Similarly, it’s possible that AI and biotechnology will achieve similar safety in the future. An amazing book about a wave that will sweep all before it.
Review: Insightful and thought provoking - There were two things that drew me to reading The Coming Wave. Firstly, that it was written by someone actively involved in the development of AI over the last decade. The second was that having only been released last autumn, it hopefully wasn't too out of date yet. At the current rate of progress, this isn't a given. There are two main technologies that Mustafa Suleyman tells us are propelling the coming wave, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Synthetic Biology (SynBio). He also touches a little on Quantum Computing in relation to these topics, but if you are after a more in-depth view on this subject, you should really look elsewhere. At £10.99 for the Kindle edition, this isn't a cheap book. In fact, I don't think I've ever paid that much for a non-technical eBook before. However, due to its content a book of this type is likely to date very quickly, so the publishers probably want a return on their investment sooner rather than later. Suleyman accepts some liability for what is about to be unleashed and is part of a growing voice wanting to temper the rapid changes happening around us. Yes, the potential benefits of AI and SynBio are likely to be life changing, but there will always be downsides. From out-of-control AIs and acts of bioterrorism to the breakdown of the nation state as we know it. This leads to the latter part of the book which tries to look ahead to the short and medium term. It's really a thought exercise on approaches for reining in these technologies. How can we get the benefits without the potentially devastating drawbacks? How can we ensure bad actors don't gain access to the more powerful AIs? It's an eye-opening book in many ways, although it does take the shine off the current advances in AI to a degree. Whilst I'd love to think that there could be a global consensus on how to deal with these technologies going forward, the sceptic in me thinks it won't happen until something untoward forces us to. Would I recommend reading The Coming Wave? Yes, I would. Overall, it's an insightful and thought provoking read, that doesn't require any prior knowledge of AI or SynBio. However, be prepared to slog though some sections where the author seems to get bogged down. Oh, and try not to worry about our potential dystopian future too much.

## Features

- New Store Stock

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | 2,495 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 4 in Engineering & Technology 174 in Scientific, Technical & Medical |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 4,753 Reviews |

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ How can we control and become aware of what AI might become - brilliant on so many levels
*by J***W on 2 February 2026*

- The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman discusses the transformative power of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology. It examines their potential to revolutionize economies and societies while raising critical ethical and governance challenges. It emphasizes the need for thoughtful management of these technologies to ensure they benefit humanity without causing undue harm. - Throughout history, humanity has progressed through technological advancements and waves of intervention, from discovering fire and harnessing electricity to inventing the wheel. These changes have significantly impacted the lives of many people, leading to increased prosperity. Now, we stand at the precipice of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, which have the potential to reshape the world we live in. - Almost every foundational technology ever invented, from simple tools like pickaxes and plows to complex devices like phones and rockets, follows a consistent pattern: it becomes cheaper and easier to use, ultimately spreading widely. - Almost everything you see, furniture, buildings, phones, food, and even landscaped parks has likely been created or altered by human intelligence. Language, cultures, political organizations, even what it means to be human, is another product of our intelligence. Only one other force is so pervasive: biological life itself. - The impending next wave is artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic biology. The crux of AI lies in the concept of distilling the complexity of human thought and language into a processing algorithm. Synthetic biology aims to harness the essence of living systems to create novel technologies. - AI was barely discussed in 2010 but has since become an integral part of our lives. - BENEFITS: The potential applications of AI are limitless, it could unlock the secrets of the universe, solve climate change, cure long-standing diseases, and create novel forms of art and culture that transcend imagination. Biotechnology offers the potential to engineer life to combat diseases and transform agriculture, leading to a healthier and more sustainable world. However, it’s crucial to exercise caution, as in the wrong hands and misuse, this technology to cause immense harm, potentially leading to the deaths of over a billion people. - HISTORY: The book explores historical examples of how ideas such as the printing press, initially banned in some countries like Japan, China, and Turkey, eventually spread globally. For millennia, humans relied solely on walking or, later, using elephants or horses for transportation. The advent of railways and cars revolutionized travel, leading to unprecedented growth and prosperity. - Electricity has seen remarkable growth. In 1900, only 2% of fossil fuel production was dedicated to electricity generation. by 1950 it was 10%, by 2000, it had surpassed 30%. Electricity production, coupled with advancements in technology has transformed the global economy. - Today, global living conditions are objectively better than at any other time. We take access to running water and abundant food supplies for granted. Most enjoy warmth and shelter throughout the year. Literacy rates, life expectancy, and gender equality have reached unprecedented heights. The accumulated knowledge of thousands of years of human scholarship and inquiry is now accessible at our fingertips. For most individuals in developed countries, life is characterized by an unprecedented level of ease and abundance that would have seemed unimaginable in the past. However, beneath the surface, a persistent sense of unease lingers, and Western societies are grappling with deep-seated anxiety, manifesting as “nervous states,” characterized by impulsivity and fractiousness. - What surrounds us is a product of human intelligence and often driven by monetary gain. - Any technology can malfunction, often directly contradicting its original purpose. Prescription opioids to manage pain have led to drug dependency, antibiotics have become less effective due to overuse. Until recently, the history of technology could be summarized as humanity’s quest to manipulate atoms. From fire to electricity, stone tools to machine tools, hydrocarbons to medicines, and now AI machines that have become sentient beings, raising questions about their control. - The future of AI is relatively predictable. Over the next five years, substantial investments will continue, and some of the world’s brightest minds will work on these challenges. It won’t be long before AI can transfer its knowledge seamlessly between domains, just like humans do. - Life, the universe’s oldest technology, is 3.7 billion years old. Life evolved through a glacial, self-governing, and unguided process. However, in just a few decades, humans, one of life’s products, have made a profound impact. Biology’s mysteries have been unravelled and has become an engineering tool. The story of life was rewritten in an instant; evolution, once a slow and gradual process, was suddenly supercharged and given direction. Changes that once unfolded over geological time now occur at an exponential pace. Alongside AI, this transformation is arguably the most significant of our lifetimes. - DNA, the most effective forms of data transfer and life-building, functions like a recipe book using four letters to produce proteins that shape our identity. Proteins, the building blocks of life, are found in various forms, including muscles, blood, hormones, and hair, forming 75% of our dry body weight. They perform diverse vital tasks, from holding our bones together to binding antibodies to catch unwanted invaders. Understanding proteins is a significant milestone in grasping and mastering biology. Knowing the DNA sequence alone doesn’t reveal how a protein functions; it’s crucial to comprehend its process. - DEMOCRACY: Democracy is built on trust appears to be eroding. A 2018 study of democracy in America revealed that as many as one in five individuals believe “army rule” is a desirable concept! A staggering 85% of Americans perceive the country as “heading in the wrong direction.” Distrust extends beyond government institutions, with increasing levels of distrust in the media, the scientific community, and the notion of expertise in general. One concerns is that many see all the faults with government and fail to see all the benefits. - Since 2010, more countries have slid backward on measures of democracy and this this is accelerating. Rising nationalism and authoritarianism seem endemic, from Poland, China, Russia, Hungary, the Philippines, and Turkey. Populist movements proliferate like QAnon to Brexit. Yet, global living conditions are objectively better today than at any time in the past. - DISINFORMATION: In the 1980s, the Soviet Union funded disinformation campaigns suggesting that the AIDS virus was the result of a U.S. bioweapons program. Years later, some communities are still dealing with the mistrust and fallout. The campaigns, meanwhile, have not stopped. According to Facebook, Russian agents created no fewer than eighty thousand pieces of organic content that reached 126 million Americans on their platforms during the 2016 election. - AI-enhanced digital tools will exacerbate information operations like these, meddling in elections, exploiting social divisions, and creating elaborate campaigns to sow and spread chaos. More than seventy countries have been found running disinformation campaigns. China, Turkey, Iran are developing their skills (The CIA is no stranger to info ops). Deepfake imagery means it is easy to manipulate a person and put words in their mouth so who knows what is real. - Early in the COVID-19 pandemic a blizzard of disinformation had deadly consequences. One study analysed more than 200 million tweets discussing COVID-19 at the height of the first lockdown. 82% of influential users advocating for “reopening America” were bots. This was a targeted “propaganda machine,” most likely Russian, designed to intensify the worst public health crisis in a century. - The book describes accidents that have occurred in labs where micro pathogens that spread disease and infection, that can cripple whole societies have accidentally occurred. Imagine what would happen if a rogue nation or terrorist got hold of an AI machine to replicate pathogen virus that could wipe out whole communities. AI will invent machines that can help fight new outbreaks of pathogens that can harm us - its benefits will outweigh the bad, but one person could kill 1 million people if this technology gets in the wrong hands. Nothing should get out of secure, well-guarded laboratories, but it happens repeatedly. Imagine what could occur in the hands of a country or madman that wants to cause harm. - Before it was eradicated, smallpox killed an estimated 300-500 million people in the twentieth century alone, with a reproduction rate more contagious than the strains of COVID-19, with a mortality rate thirty times that of COVID. Consider that throughout history, tools and technologies have been designed to help us do more with less. - TOTALITARIAN STATES: In C20, totalitarian regimes sought planned economies, obedient populations, and controlled information ecosystems. They aimed for complete hegemony, meticulously managing every aspect of life. Five-year plans dictated the number and content of films but also the bushels of wheat expected from a specific field. An ever-vigilant and ruthless security apparatus ensured the smooth functioning of these systems. Power concentrated in the hands of a single supreme leader, who had the ability to comprehensively assess the entire situation and make decisive actions. Examples of such regimes include Soviet collectivization, Stalin’s five-year plans, Mao’s China, and East Germany’s Stasi. These are manifestations of government as depicted in dystopian nightmares. - SURVEILLANCE: Your smart speaker wakes you up, you reach for your phone and check your emails. Your smartwatch informs you of your normal night’s sleep and heart rate. In theory, a distant organization already knows your waking hours, your emotional state, and the content you’re viewing. Your phone knows your movements and travel, your text messages and the podcast you’re listening to. CCTV films you hundreds of times as this city has at least one camera for every ten people, possibly more. It records and notes when you arrive at work and leave, your productivity and system records. It knows what you’re eating and what your, purchasing (loyalty schemes). Put 30 likes onto social media posts and some companies know more about you than your partner. And this is just a small part of the potential data that’s harvested every day, not just at work or on your phone, but at the doctor’s office or gym. Almost every aspect of life is logged somewhere by those with the expertise to process and act on the data they collect. This isn’t some distant dystopian scenario; this is describing the reality of millions of people in a city like London. - CHINA: The ultimate step is to merge these disparate databases into a single, integrated system: a comprehensive C21 surveillance apparatus. China is a prime example. While this isn’t entirely novel, what’s become evident is the extent and ambition of the party’s program, let alone its potential trajectory in the next two or three decades. Chinese research in AI focuses on surveillance domains such as object tracking, scene understanding, and voice or action recognition. Surveillance technologies have become ubiquitous, increasingly granular in their ability to check every aspect of citizens’ lives. They combine facial recognition, gait analysis, and license plate recognition with mass-scale data collection, including biometric data. Centralized platforms like WeChat seamlessly integrate various services, including private messaging, shopping, and banking, all within a traceable framework. Drive through the highways of China, and you’ll notice hundreds of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras diligently tracking vehicles. (These cameras are also prevalent in most major urban areas of the Western world.) During COVID quarantines, robot dogs and drones roamed the streets, broadcasting messages urging people to stay indoors. - China, now the leader in facial recognition technologies (e.g. Megvii, CloudWalk, SenseTime). Chinese police even have sunglasses equipped with facial recognition technology, capable of tracking suspects in crowded areas. Approximately half of the world’s billion CCTV cameras are in China, with many incorporating facial recognition and strategically positioned to gather maximum information, often in intimate private spaces such as residential buildings, hotels, and karaoke lounges. A New York Times investigation revealed that the police in Fujian Province alone estimated they held a database of 2.5 billion facial images, openly acknowledging its purpose: “controlling and managing people.” Authorities are also exploring the collection of audio data—police in the city of Zhongshan sought cameras capable of recording audio within a three-hundred-foot radius. - This technology reaches its most horrifying potential in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, a rugged and remote area in northwest China. Here, the systematic and technologically advanced repression and ethnic cleansing of the native Uighur people have been conducted. All these monitoring and control systems converge in this region. Cities are blanketed with camera surveillance, equipped with facial recognition and AI tracking. Checkpoints and “re-education” camps govern movements and freedoms. A social credit scoring system based on multiple surveillance databases watches the population. Authorities have even constructed an iris-scan database with the capacity to store up to thirty million samples—more than the region’s population. - The concept of a global “high-tech panopticon,” a dystopian idea popularized by Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We and Orwell’s 1984, is now becoming a reality. Billions of devices and trillions of data points could be simultaneously worked and checked in real time, not just for surveillance but also for prediction. This technology has the potential to forecast social outcomes with unprecedented precision and granularity, and it may even subtly or overtly influence or coerce them, from grand macro-processes like election results to individual consumer behaviours. - CATASTROPHE: The history of humanity is, in part, a history of catastrophe such as pandemics. The C6 Plague of Justinian and the C14 Black Death resulted in the deaths of up to 30% of the world’s population. In 1300, England’s population was seven million, by 1450 relentless waves of the plague had decimated it to just two million. - Catastrophes aren’t limited to natural disasters; they’re also man-made. World War I claimed the lives of approximately 1% of the global population, World War II resulted in the deaths of 3%. Genghis Khan and the Mongol army across China and central Asia in the C13 claimed the lives of up to 10% of the world’s population. - The advent of the atomic bomb has brought humanity to the brink of unprecedented destructive power, capable of wiping out the entire population multiple times over. Catastrophic events that once unfolded over years and decades can now occur in mere minutes, at the touch of a button. - Given these alarming developments, it is crucial we take proactive measures to contain this new technology and prevent it from leading to a catastrophic outcome. Doom-mongering can be disheartening, but it is important not to dismiss warnings outright. While catastrophic effects may be difficult to understand or accept, they happen. Just as breathless techno-optimism can be easily dismissed as hype, so too can breathless techno-catastrophism. However, the fact that a warning has significant implications does not automatically make it invalid. - We expect supermarkets to be brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables and kept at a consistent temperature throughout the year. Despite the constant turbulence, we assume that the supply chains and financial resources of the C21 are robust. Even the most historically extreme aspects of our existence appear utterly ordinary, leading us to continue our lives as if they can continue indefinitely. Most of those around us, including our leaders, do the same. However, it’s important to remember that nothing lasts forever. Throughout history, numerous societal collapses have occurred, from ancient Mesopotamia to Rome, the Mayans to Easter Island, and so on. It’s not just that civilizations don’t survive; it’s that unsustainability seems to be inherent in their structures. Civilizations that collapse are not the exception; they are the norm. A survey of sixty civilizations suggests that they tend to last around four hundred years on average before disintegrating. Without the advent of new technologies, they encounter hard limits to development in terms of available energy, food, and social complexity, which ultimately lead to their downfall. - CONTAINMENT OF AI: The fourth part of the book explores how we can manage this modern technology. The author proposes an outline of ten steps that can be implemented in small, incremental steps or gradually leading to a larger vision of containing this technology so that it can be harnessed for good rather than becoming a force for evil in the wrong hands. We have already made nuclear reactors safe, and the use of checklists has resulted in safer flying experiences. - AVIATION SAFETY AND CHECKLISTS: In the early days of aviation (1950’s) crashes and fatalities were frequent. By early 2010s, fatalities had significantly decreased to just 1 per 7.4 million passenger boardings. Years have passed without any fatal accidents involving American commercial planes, flying is one of the safest modes of transportation available. Sitting thirty-five thousand feet in the sky is safer than sitting at home on your couch. The remarkable safety record of airlines is due numerous incremental technical and operational improvements over the years. However, it’s equally important to recognize the role of culture in this success. The aviation industry has adopted an initiative-taking approach to learning from mistakes at every level. - CONCLUSION: AI offers numerous benefits far outweighing its concerns. When considering a variety of solutions, we’ve successfully made nuclear power stations incredibly safe, although this process took considerable time. Similarly, it’s possible that AI and biotechnology will achieve similar safety in the future. An amazing book about a wave that will sweep all before it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Insightful and thought provoking
*by A***R on 11 January 2024*

There were two things that drew me to reading The Coming Wave. Firstly, that it was written by someone actively involved in the development of AI over the last decade. The second was that having only been released last autumn, it hopefully wasn't too out of date yet. At the current rate of progress, this isn't a given. There are two main technologies that Mustafa Suleyman tells us are propelling the coming wave, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Synthetic Biology (SynBio). He also touches a little on Quantum Computing in relation to these topics, but if you are after a more in-depth view on this subject, you should really look elsewhere. At £10.99 for the Kindle edition, this isn't a cheap book. In fact, I don't think I've ever paid that much for a non-technical eBook before. However, due to its content a book of this type is likely to date very quickly, so the publishers probably want a return on their investment sooner rather than later. Suleyman accepts some liability for what is about to be unleashed and is part of a growing voice wanting to temper the rapid changes happening around us. Yes, the potential benefits of AI and SynBio are likely to be life changing, but there will always be downsides. From out-of-control AIs and acts of bioterrorism to the breakdown of the nation state as we know it. This leads to the latter part of the book which tries to look ahead to the short and medium term. It's really a thought exercise on approaches for reining in these technologies. How can we get the benefits without the potentially devastating drawbacks? How can we ensure bad actors don't gain access to the more powerful AIs? It's an eye-opening book in many ways, although it does take the shine off the current advances in AI to a degree. Whilst I'd love to think that there could be a global consensus on how to deal with these technologies going forward, the sceptic in me thinks it won't happen until something untoward forces us to. Would I recommend reading The Coming Wave? Yes, I would. Overall, it's an insightful and thought provoking read, that doesn't require any prior knowledge of AI or SynBio. However, be prepared to slog though some sections where the author seems to get bogged down. Oh, and try not to worry about our potential dystopian future too much.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An important book about the near future - a 'must read'
*by K***H on 29 June 2025*

IMHO this book should be read by everyone who has an interest in the future, particularly those who have young children, because AI is making our current education systems unfit for purpose, and it's also going to dramatically affect the world of work, in fact it already has for some professions. Some of the predictions in the book may seem far fetched, but if anyone knows how AI is going to evolve and how powerful it will become, it's the author who is one of the founders of AI company, Deep Mind, who is now the CEO of Microsoft AI. The book is well written and begins by charting the technological waves throughout human history, and how they changed the world we live in. This helps understand how this technological revolution is different. For the first time we are entering an 'industrial' revolution that will impact highly paid, professional jobs, and while it will probably result in new jobs, like previous industrial revolutions, it will be far fewer that the number of jobs that disappear - actually the jobs won't disappear as such, they will simply be performed by far fewer people whose productivity has been amplified by AI, at least in the short term! Unfortunately, it is hard not to develop a sense of foreboding while reading this book, but I believe it is better that people fully understand what's coming, especially for the sake of their children.

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