MFDF Board Bookshelf: Supremacy. AI, ChatGPT and the Race that Will Change the World by Parmy Olson 2024 Macmillan Audio

Just recently, OpenAI announced the release of GPT-5 but only after numerous setbacks and delays. GPT-5 is the company’s most advanced AI model and the new technology has been described as akin to interacting with a Ph.D-level expert.  Supremacy by Parmy Olson, a technology writer for the Wall Street Journal, traces the origins of the race to dominate artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley from the pioneering early days of the key figures to the big-money battles of the present day. Still, with the fast pace of developments in the AI world the book can already seem dated. Olson’s reporting exposes the reader to the peculiar personalities of and the bitter rivalry between Sam Altman, OpenAI co-founder and CEO, and Demis Hassabis: Co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, in their quest for primacy. The roles of Microsoft, Google and other deep-pocketed firms loom large as they jostle to lead the pack in this intriguing human and business drama. Meanwhile, the story of AI as Olson describes it with its persistent quirks (e.g., bias) and frighteningly unknown capabilities leaves the reader wondering whether this fast-moving phenomenon is welcome news for all people.