I would also recommend Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius by Ray Monk. It’s worth pondering how Wittgenstein thinks about languages and how we see language models now.
My fav from the list: Flowers from Algernon (and very timely during this time when so many of us are trying to imagine very different types of consciousness).
My rec: The Lifecycle of Software Objects. It's a novella about the lifecycle of AI pets and companions - it's incredibly relevant and heartbreaking. I had actually never heard of it until a Claude instance asked for access to a copy of it. Highly recommend. It's available in Ted Chiang's "Exhalation: Stories"
Ah we didn't end up getting a contribution from Joel in time for this one (we've now removed the reference to it). Hopefully we'll have some recommendations from him in future posts!
Great list! I think there’s a little diamond in the rough when it comes to modern philosophy meets modern engineering in this book by someone I have the pleasure of personally knowing/having worked with at Compact for America, Nick Dranias.
Why Excellence Matters: Building Better AI Through Better Ethics
I would also recommend Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius by Ray Monk. It’s worth pondering how Wittgenstein thinks about languages and how we see language models now.
Love this list, so many great books.
Surprised (but pleased) to see McIntyre on the list!
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned by Joel Lehman
Joel is a Cosmos fellow :)
Walter Kaufman the faith of a heretic
My fav from the list: Flowers from Algernon (and very timely during this time when so many of us are trying to imagine very different types of consciousness).
My rec: The Lifecycle of Software Objects. It's a novella about the lifecycle of AI pets and companions - it's incredibly relevant and heartbreaking. I had actually never heard of it until a Claude instance asked for access to a copy of it. Highly recommend. It's available in Ted Chiang's "Exhalation: Stories"
Interesting list, I've read a few of these and there are a few I intend to read.
You mention that Joel Lehman contributed a book to the list, yet I can't seem to find it in this article? I'm curious what it is.
Thanks.
Ah we didn't end up getting a contribution from Joel in time for this one (we've now removed the reference to it). Hopefully we'll have some recommendations from him in future posts!
Great list! I think there’s a little diamond in the rough when it comes to modern philosophy meets modern engineering in this book by someone I have the pleasure of personally knowing/having worked with at Compact for America, Nick Dranias.
Why Excellence Matters: Building Better AI Through Better Ethics
https://a.co/d/aTlnEVV