Future Tense: How We Made Artificial Intelligence—and How It Will Change Everything

by Martha Brockenbrough

Human history has always been shaped by technology, but AI is like no technology that has come before it. Unlike the wheel, combustion engines, or electricity, AI does the thing that humans do think. While AI hasn’t reproduced the marvelously complex human brain, it has been able to accomplish astonishing things. AI has defeated our players at games like chess, Go, and Jeopardy!. It’s learned to recognize objects and speech. It can create art and music. It’s even allowed grieving people to feel as though they were talking with their dead loved ones.

On the flip side, it’s put innocent people in jail, manipulated the emotions of social media users, and tricked people into believing untrue things.

In this non-fiction book for teens, acclaimed author and teacher Martha Brockenbrough guides readers through the development of this world-changing technology, exploring how AI has touched every corner of our world, including education, healthcare, work, politics, war, international relations, and even romance. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how artificial intelligence got here, how to make the best use of it, and how we can expect it to transform our lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Science, Audiobook, History, Artificial Intelligence, Historical

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2024

About the author

Martha Brockenbrough is author of The Game of Love and Death, Finding Bigfoot, The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy, and Devine Intervention, books for young readers. For adults, she has written Things That Make Us [Sic], a hilarious guide to things that can go wrong with English, and It Could Happen to You, a diary of her first pregnancy. She's the founder of National Grammar Day and SPOGG, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar.

Reviews

[Aiden Thomas]

i literally CAN'T WAIT to read this

[Sarah Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person who doesn’t like math or coding or scary changes to life as we know it, I’ve avoided thinking about AI as much as possible. But I kept hearing dire predictions about it. So I picked up this book. FUTURE TENSE explains the history, current impact, and future ramifications in an accessible way. Now when I come across a news story or product that mentions AI, I can engage with it in a meaningful way. Highly recommend for kids and adults without a math or tech background.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I appreciate the approachable writing style and learned some new things. I think this would be a great intro to AI book and will definitely promote this at school. What I would have liked is a deeper dive into the ethics of use, attribution, and data collection-->generation.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting!

[Mandi MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an accessible history of AI! It also gives a great starting point for young adults as they begin to figure out what AI will look like for this generation.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admirable overview of AI for young adult readers. Not enitrely out of the reach of middle grade readers, but definitely more high school in tone. Brockenbrough definitely strives to be neutral, but doesn't always hit the mark. I don't think she mentions AI hallucinations once, and some of the future predictions about AI deliberately avoid mentioning the drawbacks that were noted in earlier chapters. Still, reading this will definitely leave the reader more equipped to understand AI in general.

[Baudshaw (Aadi Indradevi) · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: start/finish date is approximate).

A nice, short overview on the impacts AI will have on society. The military aspects are especially interesting to me, and even a bit worrying.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advance copy of Future Tense. Martha Brockenbrough is one name I feel I can always count on when it comes to solid YA nonfiction, and Future Tense ranks right up there with her best work. With AI becoming a fire-hot topic in the world of eduction, thereby impacting students, I think this look behind the curtain is helpful for students and teachers alike. Interesting and full of information, Future Tense deserves a place on bookshelves.

[Chris G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly readable, comprehensive look at the history of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on a variety of fields such as medicine, manufacturing, and education. Problems of bias in AI are noted. Sections on the future of AI are frank, thorough, and include positive and negative outcomes. I couldn't help but think of Neal Shusterman’s “Sythe” series as I read Brockenbrough’s predictions and I finished the book feeling more uneasy than hopeful, which is probably the right place to land. No AI was used in the writing of this review. EARC from Edelweiss.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book for teens and adults explains how AI will have an unparalleled impact on our world. Explore the evolution and achievements of AI, as well as the concerns it presents. Gain insights into how this transformative technology is shaping our lives, and learn how to harness its potential while preparing for its profound influence.

This book is a helpful introduction to AI. It’s informative and easy-to-read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was looking at this as a possible resource to introduce AI to our middle school and the ethical use of it in our classes. However, I found parts of Brockenbrough's work to be a little too much for a middle school crowd - this would be a wonderful addition to a high school library. I love how outlined and easily referenced usage is here.

[John L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Future Tense: How We Made Artificial Intelligence—and How It Will Change Everything," Martha Brockenbrough takes readers on a captivating journey through the history, present, and potential future of artificial intelligence (AI). With a balanced and engaging approach, Brockenbrough demystifies AI, exploring its roots, its current applications, and its potential to reshape our world.

The book's early chapters provide a thorough foundation, tracing AI's history from ancient ideas to modern technological developments. While the language in this section may be dense at times, Brockenbrough's clarity in technical explanations and respect for young readers' intelligence shines through. As the book progresses to modern applications, the writing becomes more engaging, tying AI to students' lives through relatable examples and covering the broader international context.

Brockenbrough presents both the positive and negative aspects of AI, from its potential to revolutionize healthcare and solve complex problems to the risks of surveillance, deception, and bias. The author maintains a careful neutrality while making clear ethical judgments regarding certain uses of AI, such as privacy violations and the manipulation of opinions and emotions.

One of the book's strengths is its emphasis on the diverse humans behind AI's creation and the need for wisdom, humility, and ethics in its development. Brockenbrough invites readers to think critically about AI's promise and its growing presence in our daily lives.

"Future Tense" is an important and timely read for teens and adults alike. With comprehensive research, rigorous documentation, and accessible prose, Brockenbrough has created a valuable resource for classrooms, libraries, and anyone seeking to understand the complexities and implications of artificial intelligence. This book is a must-read for those who want to be informed and prepared for the future that AI will undoubtedly shape.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.S. King, one of my favorite YA authors, recommended this book on her IG page, so of course I had to read it. And am I ever glad that I did! As an educator, I have been concerned about AI such as ChatGPT which can write anything for students, and I have attended a few webinars on its impact in schools. This book shows a much wider use of AI. Some of it we have been using for so long that we forget it's AI and accept it without any thought. I have seen enough movies like The Terminator, I Robot, Space Odyssey 2001, and Surrogates, to name a few, to have some fear about what AI can turn into.

The author provides plenty of history about AI and our attempts to harness the opportunities it offers. From beating chess masters and other games to the algorithms that now control our scrolling on social media, AI is already here and embedded in our lives. We aren't living the Jetson life yet (but we do have vehicles that drive themselves!), but we are well on our way.

Wtih pros and cons, charts, photos, data, and so many examples, we learn that AI is here whether we like it or not. There is no doubt of its current benefits, and the author shows future possibilities that can improve (and save) lives. Brockenbrough obviously spent great time researching this topic (the bibliography is impressive), and she presents a credible read on something we all should be aware of. This is a YA book, but adults can learn much from this, too.

[Brad McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good stuff here. Lots of scary stuff here. And a couple etymological tidbits!

Here are my notes:

Narrow AI used by social media algorithms can change your mood without you knowing it. (4)

The word algorithm comes from the last name of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, the inventor of algebra. (12)

Morse assigned the most frequently used letter, e, the simplest thing, a single dot. On the other end, Q is dash dash dot dash. (19)

Bit stands for binary digit. (19)

Moore’s Law is named after Gordon Moore, founder of Intel. (39) I feel like I shoulda known that!

Learning releases dopamine. (59)

More than half of people who got COVID have long-haul symptoms. (101)

AI helped develop a vaccine just 254 days after the pandemic was declared. This beat the previous vaccine development record…which was the 4 years it took to develop the mumps vaccine. (101)

She mentions Clearview AI. (113) The story behind that company is troublesome. I read about it in Your Face Belongs to Us by Kashmir Hill.

You can delete Alexa’s recordings of you by saying “Alexa, delete everything I’ve ever said.” (116)

There are 19 spy agencies in the US. (156)

“Our brains are adaptable enough to support as many as eight additional limbs.” (189)

Asimov coined the term robotics. (212)

[Robert Yokoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Future Tense is an insightful book about the positive and negative implications of artificial intelligence. I have to thank artificial intelligence for speeding up the development of the COVID vaccine. I'm also thankful to artificial intelligence for creating Siri for my information searches. I look forward to using a robot for my personal care needs as I get older. I have mobility issues, so I think using a driver less car would appeal to me when it becomes safer.

The biggest lesson for me is to be responsible with any data I share on social media and my cell phone communication, because my information could be used in a way that I am not comfortable with. The two words that I learned are misinformation and singularity. Misinformation and singularity are new words and concerns for me in learning about the dangers of artificial intelligence.

I learned that misinformation is information that can used without my consent, and this is a concern for me with every piece of information I share. Singularity is the word for the time period when artificial intelligence takes over the world, and that will be in about two decades if not sooner, so I hope I can upgrade my skills and continue working.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book's target audience may be adolescents, those of us who are far past that age and certainly not digital natives, can learn a great deal about Artificial Intelligence from it. Not only does the author provide a history of AI as well as pondering its possibilities, both positive and negative, and how it's already changing our lives, but she does so in a relatable way with examples and anecdotes, even discussing its effects on jobs and future careers, Surprisingly, it may be that those who are most educated or in fields such as medicine, education, and journalism will find themselves easier to be replaced by AI than they originally thought. While Brockenbrough doesn't explore deeply some of the ethical concerns behind this increased reliance on AI, she raises important questions that readers--no matter their ages--will want to ask themselves after they finish the book. Reading this book made me feel much more informed about the topic, and while it's clear that there's no stopping AI, how it's used matters. This book is a great starting place for anyone curious about AI, and I hope more individuals will read and discuss it.

[Chelsea Kowal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, Future Tense by Martha Brockenbrough, is the 26th book I’ve read this year (2024).

Focused on Artificial Intelligence, this book is absolutely my favorite scientifically educational books. I’ve read a lot of books about science but this one stands out.

In my opinion, everyone from youth to elderly people needs to read this book. The book addresses all different ways that AI is going to and already is changing our world. It is imperative for everyone in our world to understand AI and its implications.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is that it is readable for everyone and easy to understand, yet it is extremely profound. This book reads like a novel, but explains everything pertaining to AI.

This book made me think and question what I’ve already known about AI. It truly is an unbiased explanation of AI. It’s easy to see that Martha Brockenbrough knows a lot about AI.

This book is an easy 5 out of 5 stars… Honestly, I’d give it 10 out of 5 stars if I could…

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know about y'all, but ever since OpenAI unleashed ChatGPT on the world, things have felt even more chaotic for me. I love new tech, but I'm also cautious when the hype is big and people are urging us to get on board or get left behind. Times like these, it's great to get a bird's-eye view of things and some history. Brockenbrough does a fantastic job tracing the history of AI's development in a succinct, snappy style and helps me track patterns and trends. She's got me thinking now about whether robots will be caring for me in assisted living, and that "uncanny valley" thing of AI feeling human but yet not quite. This is a fast, pithy read, giving me enough working knowledge of the AI already in my life and the AI that's soon to land. This book should be in middle and high schools, stat. I'd make it a required reading!

[Kalpesh Patil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it provided a thought-provoking exploration of the presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our daily lives. The author skillfully uses metaphors and human interactions to illustrate how AI is not only ubiquitous but also constantly evolving.
What struck me was the way the book highlighted the dual nature of AI - a machine that relies on its training data, yet has the potential to shape and reshape our world in profound ways. The book offers a compelling insight into the pervasive influence of AI, showcasing its applications in various aspects of life, both with and without human intervention.
I appreciated how the book revealed the depth of AI's involvement in our lives, often in ways we may not even realize. It's one thing to know that AI is here, but this book provides a nuanced understanding of its far-reaching implications.

[Will Ruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "future tense" explains how AI is different than other technologies in the past and how it will affect our everyday lives in the future. It also explains how AI will eventually be better than us at almost everything, especially the small things we do in life. This growth of AI the future is hard for many people to think about but will help us all the same.

quote #1:“It's possible for social media apps to change your emotional state without your knowledge. Their software, guided by algorithms that let it learn from you and others, can influence your behavior and feelings.” pg:4

quote #2: "Someday, people might seek an artificial relationship over a biological one. When you think about the way people have demonstrated a tendency to bond emotionally with chatbots-even as they know they are fake- its not hard to imagine some choosing digital love over relationships with living, breathing human beings." pg: 197

quote #3: other challenges unrelated to technology matter when it comes to our future with AI cars. If an autonomous car crashes or causes an accident, who's responsible? The owner of the car? The driver? The maker of the software. Even though automated cars are safer, they're still not perfect.
pg: 124

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're living in it currently, however, as Brockenbrough notes, there was so much before it and so much more to come and we can to look at AI from multiple angles.

This book does a superb job of framing the changes AI will bring based on the changes versions of AI changed the past whether it was Alan Turing and codebreaking or Watson challenging Ken Jennings in Jeopardy and how the AI chatbot can talk similarly to the cadence and flow of a human on social media.

The book does not use overly complicated vocabulary or descriptions and sparing but important visuals when needed. It's all spaced out to provide for ample time to digest all that Brockenbrough throws out.

[Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a very thorough explanation of the history behind, and the possible future of, AI technology. It provides background for the current state of AI, and it also explains the good and bad possibilities for its use in the near future. If I had one complaint, it is that it uses some fairly technical terms that it often does not explain until the end of the section. This can be limiting for a YA audience if they are unfamiliar with too many terms that they believe will not be defined.

[Max de Freitas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more philosophical than scientific. Thought provoking but I need more to understand how AI works fundamentally, what its limitations are, and how to apply it. I sometimes let AI drive our Tesla. I am amazed by its progress over 3 years but I am occasionally puzzled by its decisions. I do however watch it closely, more so than I would a human driver who is in fact inherently more error prone.

[Kate]

I think this was an approachable, relatively easy read about the history and future of AI in our world. I definitely think it's perfect for high school level readers, but this certainly isn't going in depth into topics. I personally wasn't introduced to much new information in this one, but that's not an issue. I can see this giving a lot of good information to people who don't know as much about tech/AI.

[Julie Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an advance reader copy of FUTURE TENSE. This book is a close look at AI by an author who knows exactly how to do deep research and who tells her story true. If you have questions about AI (e.g. a breathing human) then tomorrow is your lucky day.

[J. Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written for teens, but this book is really for ANYONE who wants a clear understanding of the history of artificial intelligence, and what our future with it may look like.
Fact-based, carefully written, rigorously researched, and thoughtful.

[JTGlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 summer reading

Solid, accessible read that shares history, development and current use of AI technology.
154 Digital Silk Road; clearly explains China’s use of AI technology and the erosion of rights and privacy.

85 typo that
156 typo in every virtually

[Amy Etzel · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the history of computing and some highlights of what's easier for a human than AI, this book was PAINFULLY left-leaning to the point of distracting from the main focus of several chapters.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of science.

[Cynthia Levinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha Brockenbrough is brilliant, and this book is remarkably prescient.