The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, refers to the rapidly advancing field of computer science dedicated to creating intelligent machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Suleyman discusses AI extensively in the book, highlighting its potential to revolutionize various industries and societies while also raising concerns about its ethical implications and pointing to the need for responsible development and governance. AGI, or Artificial General Intelligence, represents a hypothetical future state of AI where machines possess the ability to understand, learn, and apply knowledge in a manner that exceeds human intelligence across a wide range of tasks. In The Coming Wave, Suleyman defines a middle point between current AI capabilities and hypothetical AGI: Artificial Capable Intelligence, or ACI. ACI can achieve a wide range of complex tasks, without reaching full AGI. Suleyman argues that ACI is a more useful measurement of AI’s capabilities for the future, and he warns that AI is quickly approaching ACI.

Asymmetry, as discussed in The Coming Wave, refers to the unequal distribution of power and capabilities enabled by emerging technologies. Suleyman explores how advancements in fields like AI, synthetic biology, and robotics have the potential to disrupt existing power structures and empower individuals or entities with asymmetric capabilities to influence global events, posing new challenges for governance and international security.