Cory Doctorow's New Book Targets AI Bubble

Cory Doctorow, author of 'Enshittification,' has released a new book titled 'The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI,' which critiques the AI industry and proposes ways to burst the AI bubble. In the book, Doctorow introduces the concept of a 'reverse centaur'—a human serving as a peripheral to a machine, exemplified by Amazon delivery drivers monitored by AI cameras. He argues that the AI hype is a bubble that can be burst by striking at its roots, such as the exploitative labor practices and overhyped promises. The book is a follow-up to his previous work and aims to separate reality from hype. Doctorow, a tech journalist and science fiction author, wrote the book reluctantly after being constantly asked to comment on AI, stating it was a 'tactical error' to be sick of talking about it. The book draws on automation theory and critiques the current AI landscape.