The New Empire of AI

The Future of Global Inequality

Author: Rachel Adams

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Description

As AI takes hold across the planet and wealthy nations seek to position themselves as global leaders of this new technology, the gap is widening between those who benefit from it and those who are subjugated by it. As Rachel Adams shows in this hard-hitting book, growing inequality is the single biggest threat to the transformative potential of AI. Not only is AI built on an unequal global system of power, it stands poised to entrench existing inequities, further consolidating a new age of empire.

AI’s impact on inequality will not be experienced in poorer countries only: it will be felt everywhere. The effects will be seen in an intensification of international migration, as opportunities increasingly concentrate in the hands of wealthier nations; in heightened political instability and populist politics; and in climate-related disasters caused by an industry that is blind to its environmental impact across supply chains.

We need to act now to address these issues. Only if the current inequitable trajectory of AI is halted, the incentives changed, and the production and use of AI decentralized and decoupled from wealthier nations will AI be able to deliver on its promise to build a better world for all.

Also available as an audiobook

Critic Reviews

"Incisive and alarming, The New Empire of AI lays bare the human and environmental costs of our AI-driven world. Adams deftly weaves together history, economics and ethics to reveal the troubling parallels between AI’s rise and historical patterns of exploitation. Essential reading for anyone concerned with technology’s role in shaping our global inequities and future justice."
Chen Qiufan, author of AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future

"This book captures the profound impact of AI on society, particularly for the global majority outside the West. Adams puts our current discontent in the context of our histories and shared hopes for the future. It’s a powerful reminder that the time for change was yesterday; now is a close second!"
Vukosi Marivate, University of Pretoria

"A must read, if you want to understand the implications of AI for the Global South!"
Urvashi Aneja, Founding Director of Digital Futures Lab

“Ultimately, Adams paints a troubling picture: AI is not the great equaliser, but rather a new empire in the making – one that could lock poorer societies into cycles of exploitation and poverty.”
The Parliament Magazine

About the Author

Rachel Adams is the Founder and Executive Director of the African Observatory on Responsible AI. She sits on the UNESCO Expert Committee for the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the AI Safety and Ethics Committee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Multistakeholder Expert Group of the Global Partnership on AI. She is also an Associate Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge and at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Cape Town.