The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman review – a tech tsunami

The co-founder of DeepMind issues a terrifying warning about AI and synthetic biology – but how seriously should we take it?

Revealed: how Hitchhiker’s Guide author predicted rise of ebooks 30 years ago

In unseen notes to be published in a new book, Douglas Adams foresaw the success of a host of technology we now take for granted

‘I hope I’m wrong’: the co-founder of DeepMind on how AI threatens to reshape life as we know it

From synthetic organisms to killer drones, Mustafa Suleyman talks about the mind-blowing potential of artificial intelligence, and how we can still avoid catastrophe

UK publishers urge Sunak to protect works ingested by AI models

Publishers Association’s call comes as ChatGPT firm argues US lawsuit ‘misconceives scope’ of copyright law

The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman review – AI, synthetic biology and a new dawn for humanity

The DeepMind co-founder calls for the ‘containment’ of new technology in a heartfelt and candid exploration of what the future may hold for us

AI watch: from architects’ assistants to writers’ rivals

This week in artificial intelligence

Report finds YouTube more popular than TikTok for young book buyers

Despite recent stories about the popularity of BookTok, Neilsen’s survey found more of those aged between 14-25 searched YouTube for new reads

The Gutenberg Parenthesis by Jeff Jarvis review – how print shaped culture

From the Gutenberg press to the digital age, an illuminating account of the way technology influences the stories we tell

My big Birmingham bookshop crawl: why booksellers are suddenly thriving

In 2009, two bookshops a week were closing in the UK and the days of physical books seemed numbered. Now, indie stores are booming. What explains the turnaround – and can it be sustained?

Samuel Leighton-Dore: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

The artist and author shares what makes him laugh online. It is extremely gay – and includes two sketches about serial killers

‘What if everybody decided not to have children?’ The philosopher questioning humanity’s future

Émile Torres has become a thorn in the side of the branch of moral philosophy that advocates prioritising our distant descendants. They explain the danger of utopian movements

Oppenheimer biographer supports US bill to bar use of AI in nuclear launches

Kai Bird, author of American Prometheus, says technology is ‘too dangerous to gamble with’ and supports US senator’s attempt to bar it

Meaty, chewy, sticky: how AI’s listening kitchen can redefine the art of cooking

Written recipes have become too formulaic. Computing can help restore the fun and the fusion of the oral tradition, says writer Philip Maughan

Authors call for AI companies to stop using their work without consent

Margaret Atwood, Viet Thanh Nguyen and 8,000 others have signed an open letter asking that permission is obtained and compensation given when a writer’s work is used by AI

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah review – a big and bold dystopian satire that lacks nuance

The US author’s violent tale of death row inmates starring in gladiatorial contests for mass entertainment is an intriguing conceit, but its execution is heavy-handed