Bacteria to AI

Reviews / Votes

"This profound book provides a valuable way of considering a future in which humans collude with nonhuman symbionts." * Library Journal * "In a charming, wonkish interview of the type only the most vanguard humanists can pull off . . . Hayles lays out the complexities of determining who or what is responsible for certain kinds of allegedly 'intelligent' behavior." -- Margaret Wertheim * Science Goddess * "With a subversive message that turns traditional thinking on its head, Bacteria to AI: Futures with our Nonhuman Symbionts outlines a surprisingly compelling new perspective on the role of humans in the world. Penned by a polymath with expertise in both chemistry and literary criticism, its eclectic content perhaps reflects the unconventional, integrated approach that the author advocates for our future existence, breaking down disciplinary boundaries and synthesising latent meaning from truths we have known all along. It certainly prompts the reader to re-evaluate some deeply-held conventions, offering a provocative challenge to human-centred thinking." * British Society for Literature and Science * "Bacteria to AI will change the terms of the debate on the cognitive capacities of contemporary AI and their place in human lifeworlds. Following from the groundbreaking critical insights of Unthought, Hayles traces her integrated cognitive framework into the age of generative AI. From the bacteria-inspired techniques of gene editing to the text generation of GPT-3, Hayles brings her unique and astute voice to some of the most urgent questions of our times. Bacteria to AI is a must-read." -- Louise Amoore, Durham University "Energized by advances in AI, biotechnology, and semiotics, Hayles offers fresh interpretations of established theoretical paradigms from disciplines as diverse as cybernetics and new materialism to ecocriticism and literary studies. With the fearlessness of thought demanded by this unprecedented moment, Bacteria to AI provides incisive accounts of today's most pressing technoscientific horizons-highlighting opportunities for collective meaning making." -- Avery Slater, University of Toronto "A brilliant reimagining of what it means to think-and even to be human-at a time when all around us, we can see the lines between the artificial, the natural, and the informational beginning to dissolve." -- Fred Turner, Stanford University