Set in the year 2041, each protagonist's arc reveals something of the potential and pitfalls our high-tech future will bring. Fittingly, they reveal the heights of optimism and depths of dread that this burgeoning AI superpower inspires.

His tales take us around the world and back to China with a visit to futuristic Shenzhen, zipping along with self-driving cars, and a Shanghai bristling with robots, automated health-code restrictions, and the dread of a long-lasting pandemic (sound familiar?).

The fiction is provided by acclaimed sci-fi writer Chen, who has previously won 12 Chinese Nebula Awards for his short stories. He also writes the essays detailing the state of the science, inherent challenges, and possible solutions. Lee, the famous billionaire futurist, provides in his introduction a list of over 70 AI-enabled innovations 'with a greater than 80 percent likelihood of coming to pass' by 2041. Though not without its problems, this engaging, timely, and informative volume of short stories and analytic essays largely achieves the authors' aim, outlined in the book's introduction, of 'a uniquely engaging and accessible primer on AI.' The two authors blend their expertise well, overall.

This is the paradox at the heart of AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future, the newly released collaboration between technology venture capitalist Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China and author of AI Superpowers), and fellow engineer-turned-writer Chen Qiufan ( Waste Tide). Your future is in grave peril, when those same AI marvels shoot down your job security, economic prospects, and, perhaps, you. Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan Explore Humanity's Future in New Book 'AI 2041' Adam Robbins Entrepreneur Kai-Fu Lee and sci-fi writer Chen Qiufan weave fiction and technical explanation to illustrate the opportunities and pitfalls of artificial intelligence The future of humanity is bountiful, rich with cheap clean energy, abundant material goods, and amazing medical breakthroughs all made possible with artificial intelligence.

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