First published 2026
Artificial intelligence promises to transform everything, but Doctorow argues we need to look past the marketing to see what's actually happening. He introduces two key concepts: centaurs, who use technology to enhance their work, and reverse centaurs, who become servants to machines operating at inhuman speeds. Think of delivery drivers pushed to work nonstop, warehouse employees denied breaks, or programmers forced to produce impossible amounts of code. The real audience for AI hype isn't workers but bosses and investors. Investment bankers project AI will generate over $16 trillion in value, a figure that only works if machines replace massive numbers of human workers. Every AI story gets framed as inevitable disruption to justify these valuations. Even robot apocalypse scenarios serve to amplify AI's supposed power. Doctorow explains how we reached this point and charts a path forward. When the AI bubble eventually bursts, he shows what ordinary people might salvage from the wreckage to build tools that serve human needs instead of corporate profits.
Genres: science, business, economics, non-fiction, technology, artificial-intelligence
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: dystopian, social-commentary
240 pages · Paperback · MCD