“Exponential: How Accelerating Technology Is Leaving Us Behind and What to Do About It” by Azeem Azhar delves into the profound impact of technology on our world. Azhar explores the exponential growth of innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and renewable energy. Here are the key takeaways:
The Exponential Gap:
As technology accelerates, our human minds struggle to keep up.
Our companies, workplaces, and democracies are left behind due to this “exponential gap.”
Azhar highlights the disparity between rapid technological change and gradual societal evolution.
Areas of Exponential Innovation:
Azhar identifies computing, artificial intelligence, renewable electricity, energy storage, biotech, and manufacturing (including 3D printing) as key areas experiencing rapid advancements.
These new technologies are invented and scaled at an ever-faster pace while decreasing in price.
Mutual Incomprehension:
A “gulf of mutual incomprehension” exists between technologists and the rest of society.
Politicians often lack basic technological understanding, leading to challenges in governance and decision-making.
Data Economy and Abundance:
State-sized technology companies dominate the marketplace, avoiding national tax laws and reshaping the economy.
Data is used for profit, tracking, and potential control.
We are entering an age of abundance where food, computation, and more will be trivially cheap to produce.