Empire of AI
Empire of AI is a compelling investigative work by award-winning journalist and longtime AI insider, Karen Hao. Her narrative positions OpenAI as a central figure in a new age of technological empire, highlighting the global implications of AI's unchecked growth. Drawing from over 260 interviews and internal documents, Hao delves into the rise of OpenAI under CEO Sam Altman, offering a critical examination of its transformation from a nonprofit to a profit-driven entity. The book explores the ethical dilemmas, environmental concerns, and labor issues associated with the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies. Empire of AI has been noted for its in-depth reporting and critical perspective, offering readers an insider's view of one of the most influential tech companies shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
Deeply researched, gripping.”
— The Economist
“Our lives are about to be remade by artificial intelligence...If you ever wondered whether all of this is inevitable, whether to believe all the promises of tech luminaries, whether we could save a little bit of our democracy in the age of AI, then read this book!”
— Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor, MIT, and recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
“With a cast of scientists, scammers, and scoundrels, Empire of AI documents the hype campaign that caused the world to fall in love with a technology whose immediate harms are legion and benefits remain unproved.”
— Roger McNamee, cofounder of Elevation Partners and New York Times-bestselling author of Zucked
“Karen Hao's Empire of AI is an epic exposé that pulls back the curtain on the egos and uneasy compromises behind the rise of OpenAI and ChatGPT.”
— Parmy Olson, Bloomberg columnist and author of Supremacy
“Empire of AI is a heroic work. Karen Hao braved many obstacles with gritty determination as she traveled the yellow brick road to the Oz of the storied corporation OpenAI to bring us this work of essential public education...If you think the digital future is safe in the hands of brilliant scientists, smart investors, and earnest political leaders, read this book and think again.”
— Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Charles Edward Wilson Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business School
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist covering the impacts of artificial intelligence on society.
She writes for publications including The Atlantic and leads the Pulitzer Center’s AI Spotlight Series, a program training thousands of journalists around the world on how to cover AI.
She has received numerous accolades for her coverage, and her work is regularly taught in universities and cited by governments.