Book Review: Co-Intelligence (or the obsolescence of AI books)
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but bookstore tables are overflowing with books on artificial intelligence. Well, podcasts, social media, YouTube channels, and even newspapers and TV (yes, they still exist, who would have thought). While there’s a fascinating array of books from argentinian authors to read and review, today I’m tackling one that (still) hasn’t been published in Spanish: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI. Its author, Ethan Mollick, was already a strong figure in the field of generative artificial intelligence, and his book has received high praise from critics and readers alike.
Mollick is a management professor, and it’s pretty clear on his writing. The book is not technical (but it’s no less rigorous for that). The author is not a techno-skeptic (but he doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenges and dangers of the technology he explains). The book focuses on discussing mechanisms for incorporating generative artificial intelligence into the day-to-day work of knowledge workers, whether as collaborators, creatives, tutors, or coaches. AI is a multifunctional player, and thus, following the philosophy of Dr. Bilardo, it’s always called up and invited to put on its gear and play the field where the championship is being contested.
If you manage to get the book, don’t give up on the first few pages. There’s something slightly… strange? original? about the organization of the chapters, and instead of giving a proper introduction and diving into the subject, the author quickly addresses the topic of alignment (usually a closing topic) before getting to the main issue without further interruptions. Starting low and ending high? I like it.
Still, don’t delay too much in getting the book because, although it’s new (published in April 2024), it’s very likely to become obsolete quickly (something the author is well aware of, as he makes the necessary disclaimers whenever he deems necessary). In 2013, I wrote about obsolescence in business books (in Spanish, sorry), and although I still more or less think the same, I have to live with the contradiction because I believe there are mitigating factors in this case: generative artificial intelligence usage is a hyper-relevant topic today, one that needs to be addressed. There’s no room to be cautious. Everything is changing, faster and faster. As Mollick says, the artificial intelligence we are currently using is, in many ways, the worst of all compared to what we will use in the future.
Obsolescence is in vogue. We’ll have to hustle to avoid becoming obsolete ourselves.
This article is also available in spanish on my blog, «Reseña: Co-Intelligence (o la obsolescencia en los libros de inteligencia artificial)»
