The Mad Metropolis
by Phillip E. High (Ace, 1966)
reprinted as “Double Illusion” (Dobson, 1970)
While the central premise remains relevant—humanity entrusting itself to an AI but installing a kill switch that sends it crazy—High’s execution is amateurish, adding layer after extraneous, unpolished layer to turn an intriguing short story idea into a flabby novel.
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies
by Nick Bostrom (Oxford University Press, 2014)
Machine superintelligence has the potential to make or break our future, the outcome likely depending on our methodology and the precautions we take during its development. Highly speculative yet also highly technical, Bostrom’s work deserves serious consideration, albeit by a limited readership.