Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI

What does it mean to be human in a world that is rapidly changing thanks to the development of artificial intelligence, of automated decision-making that both draws on and influences our behaviour?

Through the voices of ordinary people in places far removed from Silicon Valley, Code Dependent explores the impact of a set of powerful, flawed, and often exploitative technologies on individuals, communities, and our wider society. Madhumita Murgia, AI Editor at the FT, exposes how AI can strip away our collective and individual sense of agency – and shatter our illusion of free will.

AI is already changing what it means to be human, in ways large and small. In this compelling work, Murgia reveals what could happen if we fail to reclaim our humanity.

Review

A penetrating look at how we’re allowing artificial intelligence to infiltrate all parts of society, from policing, welfare, justice and health, to the point where whole lives are being altered – often ruined – by systems that hardly any of us understand ― The Daily Telegraph

There’s nothing like a long plane journey to rediscover the joys of reading an entire book in one sitting and I have just had that pleasure [with Madhumita Murgia's Code Dependent], understanding the dangers of where AI might take us. -- Anne Sebba, The Guardian

Code Dependent is the intimate investigation of AI that we’ve been waiting for, and it arrives not a moment too soon. -- Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism

Brilliant story telling. Books about AI often put the tech centre stage but Murgia makes you, the human, the hero and sadly often the victim in this fascinating collection of stories about the impact of code on our future. -- Marcus du Sautoy, author of The Creativity Code

Murgia explores what the rise of AI means for us as a society by looking at the impact it has on nine ordinary people around the world. -- BBC Culture, ‘2024's Most Anticipated Books’

With its compelling narrative, Code Dependent is a testament to the power of storytelling in unraveling the complexities of AI. Murgia's profound insights and meticulous research offer a rare and invaluable perspective on the intersection of technology and society. -- Azeem Azhar, founder of Exponential View

Provides a much needed corrective to the trendy breathless Silicon Valley insider AI history -- Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, co-founder of the AI Now Institute

About the Author

Madhumita Murgia is the first Artificial Intelligence Editor of the Financial Times and has been writing about AI, for Wired and the FT, for over a decade. Born and raised in India, she studied biology and immunology at Oxford University. She lives in London.