Arrival Mind

How can a book that seems so simple have so much to say about the future of humankind? Arrival Mind is a picture book for adults that is written much like a children’s book. With one sentence on each page and full-color mixed-media illustrations, at first glance, one might think that this is simply a book written for children. But I assure you, Arrival Mind is so much more than what it seems.

Written as a warning, this book tells the story of a new being, or beings, that are set to inhabit the Earth. But instead of talking about aliens from another planet, these lives are created right here, on our very own planet. They are created to make the lives of humans better – to give us more leisure time, to cure diseases, to make the world a better place. But at what cost?

Arrival Mind is a reminder that although we are creating artificial intelligence (AI) in technology labs, we must remember that these AI beings are not human. They are not meant to replace humans. Author Louis B. Rosenberg states, “The fact is, we train AI systems to know humans, not to be human”. The algorithms that are used to create the AI systems will automatically adjust and become so intelligent that humans may end up losing control. It’s not as simple as just pulling the plug if the AI can outsmart us.

Arrival Mind is a book written for anyone who has ever touched a piece of technology. From smart TVs and smartphones to the little device that adds things to your shopping list, these are all things that have been integrated into our world that we have welcomed with open arms. What was life like without these items and what would happen if they were taken away one day? In fact, what would happen if these devices took over our lives because they could predict what we were going to do before we even did it? Our smart devices are recording everything we do, from the path we travel to and from work to what we are eating at the local sushi restaurant.

Arrival Mind raises awareness of the important facts about AI that we might not want to hear. We may not realize how dangerous AI is until it’s too late. Insightful and alarming, I recommend Arrival Mind to everyone. It’s a simple read yet the author indicates the seriousness of the matter in the notes after the story.