A smart incisive look at the technologies sold as artificial intelligence the drawbacks and
pitfalls of technology sold under this banner and why it’s crucial to recognize the many ways
in which AI hype covers for a small set of power-hungry actors at work and in the world. Is
artificial intelligence going to take over the world? Have big tech scientists created an
artificial lifeform that can think on its own? Is it going to put authors artists and others
out of business? Are we about to enter an age where computers are better than humans at
everything? The answer to these questions linguist Emily M. Bender and sociologist Alex Hanna
make clear is “no ” “they wish ” “LOL ” and “definitely not.” This kind of thinking is a
symptom of a phenomenon known as “AI hype.” Hype looks and smells fishy: It twists words and
helps the rich get richer by justifying data theft motivating surveillance capitalism and
devaluing human creativity in order to replace meaningful work with jobs that treat people like
machines. In The AI Con Bender and Hanna offer a sharp witty and wide-ranging take-down of
AI hype across its many forms. Bender and Hanna show you how to spot AI hype how to
deconstruct it and how to expose the power grabs it aims to hide. Armed with these tools you
will be prepared to push back against AI hype at work as a consumer in the marketplace as a
skeptical newsreader and as a citizen holding policymakers to account. Together Bender and
Hanna expose AI hype for what it is: a mask for Big Tech’s drive for profit with little
concern for who it affects.
