Artificial Wisdon: Salvation Has A Price

Reviews

• anna

  Finished November 1, 2024

  Every now and then, a book comes along that feels like a glimpse into our future, and Artificial Wisdom is one of the most striking examples I’ve come across. Weaver’s descriptions of the climate crisis, political disinformation, and the evolution of technology are disturbingly believable - captivating yet frightening in their closeness to our current reality. The world-building is terrific, and you get an unsettling sense of a future that’s both distant and terrifyingly possible. The story starts with a big plot that’s intriguing and ambitious. However it takes a detour and sidelines the main storyline, and when it attempts to come full circle, it doesn’t quite make it. Some plot points felt detached, almost like the author couldn’t settle on how to fully tie them together. The loose threads made certain parts feel disconnected from the main story. The ending was rushed and left too many questions unanswered. I felt like it needed a few more chapters, and even if there is a sequel at some point, this just felt too abrupt of an ending. Steven Pacey’s narration was incredible - this was my first audiobook narrated by him, and he brought such intensity and life to the story. Spoiler: One of my biggest issues with the story was a plothole dealing with Martha’s design of the AI. She put in countless failsafes to prevent Solomon from becoming all-powerful, but when his backup came into play, it lacked those restrictions and unleashed chaos without anyone able to stop it. It doesn't make sense that she would overlook this critical aspect. All in all, Artificial Wisdom is a captivating and thought-provoking read. It offers a disturbingly plausible vision of the future that will stick with me for a while, even if it didn’t quite stick the landing. I hope there will be a sequel because I loved the world and would love to experience more of it.

  ♡Like