Silicon Valley Reads examines AI’s potential impact on society – East Bay Times

The books selected for next year’s Silicon Valley Reads explore the implications of artificial intelligence, from a nonfiction work about AI’s potential impact on society to fictional stories about how it can be used for both exploitation and connection.

The national community engagement program includes books on the theme ‘Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World’. Silicon Valley Reads kicks off on January 30, 2025 with a free in-person and live-streamed event at De Anza College in Cupertino. Mercury News’ Sal Pizarro will moderate a discussion with the authors of the three featured books.

Recently named “The Godmother of AI” by Wired Magazine, Dr. Fei-Fei Li shares her personal journey and insights into the technology’s development and potential in “The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI.”

“The Mountain in the Sea,” a science fiction novel by former Santa Clara University professor Ray Nayler, follows a marine biologist who studies a highly intelligent species of octopus, sparking a global race to understand and possibly exploit the species.

Charlee Dyroff’s ‘Loneliness and Company’ is set in near-future New York, where isolation has seemingly been eradicated. The novel follows a woman tasked with training an AI companion.

In addition to the curated book list, Silicon Valley Reads will host a series of events in February and March where participants can hear from leading figures in the AI ​​movement, explore how technology is shaping our daily lives, discuss the ethical implications of AI, and other emerging technologies and learn about innovative ways to use technology to tackle societal challenges.

Silicon Valley Reads is presented annually by the Santa Clara County Library District, the Santa Clara County Office of Education and the San José Public Library. The full schedule of events is available at siliconvalleyreads.org in the new year.