My review of a v good new book about TikTok. What I appreciated most was there were no faux dramatic outrage about how social media works—we’re way past that. The book focusses instead on the *politics* of tech and how TikTok becomes caught in that net.

My conclusion:

The paperback edition of my book came out this month! If you haven't picked up a copy yet, listen to @jasonfurman.bsky.social who called it “a unique, evidence-based contribution to the AI debate that is currently overly dominated by the extreme alternatives of doomerism and blind optimism.”

This bit is so true for AI.

This time last year I was on stage at the wonderful @hayfestival.bsky.social being interviewed by @jonniepenn.bsky.social about (what was then) my new book “AI Needs You”. It was a dream to be there and to be the third best- selling book of the day! Good luck to all authors going this year 📚

This is true—I write about the convergence of Democrat and Republican Party policy when it came to internet privatisation and (de)regulation in the 1990s in chapter 3 of my book, and what we can learn from that when it comes to this moment in AI.

A taster:

Now I’m barely on Twitter/X I’m reposting here some very kind feedback about my book “AI Needs You”.

Here’s a recommendation from @jasonfurman.bsky.social who is so clever and well-read you should take it very seriously:

Had such an enjoyable conversation with @baratunde.com about AI, politics and democracy. Check out our episode of his podcast “Life With Machines”:

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/w...

(Also on YouTube!)

youtu.be/pNBIy8aCmGg?...

Sneak peek here:

Always a blast seeing a piece in print—my latest for the FT: