Science Publisher Ingrid Gnerlich has acquired world rights, including audio, to AI for the Public Good by Verity Harding. Coming at a critical juncture in the development of AI, Harding鈥檚 book argues that society must act with clear purpose and intentionality to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) serves the public good now and in the future.
AI for the Public Good draws on pertinent historical examples from the 1950s to today, including the Space Race, IVF, and the early Internet, to show how transformative technologies of the recent past were deliberately controlled and shaped by values and ideals. Harding makes the case that to be successful, AI cannot be value-neutral, but must be peaceful in its intent, serve purpose not profit, embrace its limitations, and be rooted in societal trust.
With a background in politics, academia and tech, Harding has a deeply qualified vantage point from which to reflect on these forces at play. The founder of Formation Advisory Ltd and a Visiting Fellow at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at Cambridge University, Harding has held roles at Google and DeepMind, where she co-founded ethics and societal impact teams. An Oxford and Harvard-trained historian, and former senior adviser to the United Kingdom鈥檚 Deputy Prime Minister the Right Honorable Sir Nick Clegg, she has helped establish the independent Partnership on AI and has served on the OECD’s Network of AI Experts, the body which developed the first set of AI principles signed by the G20. Harding presently serves as Chair of the Board for Girls Who Code UK and a Director of the Friends of the Royal Academy of Arts.
According to Gnerlich: 鈥淲hile books on AI abound, Verity Harding is uniquely positioned to offer a truly fresh take. Outside of an insular and quite male-dominated community, how many of us really understand AI and what goes into its development and operation? Verity gives us an insider鈥檚 perspective and makes a strong case for establishing a moral and ethical roadmap for AI鈥檚 future. Using historical examples and drawing on her own personal experiences working across politics and the tech industry, I believe that her voice, streetwise idealism, and insights will resonate with many. I鈥檓 absolutely thrilled to be working with her on such an important book and can鈥檛 wait to bring her debut to readers around the world鈥攁nd to see AI put to work for good.鈥�
AI for the Public Good is slated for publication in 2024.