Artificial intelligence is the hottest tech topic there is at the moment. It is therefore not surprising that there are hundreds of books available on the impact of AI on business and society. One question I get asked a lot is: Which is the best book on AI? In this post, I try to answer that question.

1. What Is The
Best Book On
Artificial
Intelligence?

2. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
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IntroductionIntroduction
AI is rapidly changing the way we live and do business, which leaves many business leaders
feeling like they’re struggling to keep pace with developments. As such, business leaders
often ask me for tips on recommend reading – they want to know which books will help
them understand the AI revolution, grasp its impact on our world and plan for an AI-driven
future.
I read a lot about AI, for my consulting work, and more recently as research for my latest
book ‘Artificial Intelligence in Practice’ and, of course, because I find the subject absolutely
fascinating. In fact, I’d say I’ve devoured pretty much every key AI book that’s been
published in the last decade.
What Is The Best Book On
Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

3. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Title
Text
IntroductionIntroduction
My plan for this article was to nominate the single best book on AI – as in, if you could only
read one, which book should it be? But, honestly, it was just too difficult to narrow down my
favourites to one book!
Instead, I offer you my top five. In my view, these are the very best AI books that are
available right now. All focus on the implications of AI for business and society (as opposed
to the nitty-gritty tech side of AI). So if you're interested in the potential impact of AI, or how
AI is going to transform every aspect of our world, I highly recommend these five books.
What Is The Best Book On
Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

4. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
This fascinating book argues that AI will have enormous implications for the human race,
to the extent that it will redefine what it means to be human. As background, Reese sets
out the previous three ages where technology has reshaped humanity and sets up AI and
robotics as the fourth age of transformation. In other words, it’s a gripping (and
surprisingly optimistic) account of how we got where we are today, and how we should
approach the new age that’s upon us.
Best for: Understanding what AI will mean for us as a species, without getting sucked into
into a doom-and-gloom dystopian fantasy.
The Fourth Age: Smart Robots,
Conscious Computers, and the Future
of Humanity
By Byron Reese, published May 2018

5. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
One of Barack Obama's favorite books of 2018 and named Book of the Year by both The
Times and The Daily Telegraph, this highly praised book more than lives up to the hype.
In it, Tegmark, who is a physicist and cosmologist, sets out to separate AI myths from
reality in an approachable and lively way. Impressively, he manages to cover some quite
challenging topics and questions (How can we create a more prosperous world through
automation? How can we protect AI systems from hacking and nefarious use?) without
being too high-brow or dumbing down – and without telling the reader what to think.
Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of
Artificial Intelligence
By Max Tegmark, published July 2018

6. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Best for: Facilitating challenging, thought-provoking conversations about AI, whether
you want to impress folks around the water cooler or instigate serious AI strategy
discussions.
Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of
Artificial Intelligence
By Max Tegmark, published July 2018

7. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Following on from his smash hit Sapiens, which explored how the human race evolved,
Harari peeks into the not-too-distant future to see what’s in store for the human race.
Artificial life is just one part of this envisioned world, and Harari explores a range of other
challenges, including immortality. If you enjoyed Sapiens (I mean, who didn’t?), this follow-
up is a must-read.
Best for: Combining hard science with stimulating philosophical questions around human
human identity. Definitely one to make you feel smarter!
Homo Deus: A Brief History of
Tomorrow
By Yuval Noah Harari, published March 2017

8. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Following on from his smash hit Sapiens, which explored how the human race evolved,
Harari peeks into the not-too-distant future to see what’s in store for the human race.
Artificial life is just one part of this envisioned world, and Harari explores a range of other
challenges, including immortality. If you enjoyed Sapiens (I mean, who didn’t?), this follow-
up is a must-read.
Best for: Combining hard science with stimulating philosophical questions around human
human identity. Definitely one to make you feel smarter!
AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley
And The New World Order
By Kai-Fu Lee, published January 2019

9. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Key to this book is the idea that no business process will be left untouched by AI. Across
all areas of business, humans and intelligent machines are working more closely together
and changing how companies operate. Indeed, the authors set out six hybrid ‘human +
machine’ roles that they believe every business must put in place.
Best for: Providing a practical blueprint for business leaders who want to capitalize on the
the AI revolution.
Human + Machine: Reimagining Work
in the Age of AI
By Paul Daugherty and H. James Wilson, published March
2018

10. © 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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