Catastrophe: The Unstoppable Threat of AI

by Louis S. Berman, John Sherman, Felix De Simone

Catastrophe offers a concise, unflinching look at the imminent existential threat posed by superintelligent AI, but through a personal and humanized lens rarely seen in the genre. Unlike other recent works, the author asserts that AI without limits will inevitably lead to human extinction, arguing there's fuck-all we can do to avert this impending near-term catastrophe. Yet despite this bleak outlook, Catastrophe shows us how to find both purpose and agency in the face of such an implacable horror. Our actions, it argues, are crucial. They may be all that's left to perpetuate the human story for as long as possible.

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2025

Reviews

[Doug MOSER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louis Berman manages to achieve something miraculous in his book CATASTROPHE: THE UNSTOPPABLE THREAT OF AI. Although the subject matter often plunges the reader into terrifying territory, the work is endlessly entertaining. He manages to hide, mask, and tuck the existential dread beneath layers of humor and astounding insight. The short chapters give us bite-sized information we can digest and mull without overwhelming. Whether it’s a satire on the satire of Jonathan Swift, or a weird little short story about the singularity, Berman gathers his resources to build his case and provide the ultimate warning: this is not a test, this is not a theory. This is real and it is happening now.

Berman puts it all in language that we plebeians can understand, demystifying the science in such a way that anyone can understand. He’s not above inserting a laugh line here and there to add (pumpkin) spice to help the information go down.

This is a sincere, heartfelt book that should be mandatory reading. You don’t have to read it in one fell swoop, nor read it in order. Pick a chapter, any chapter, and I guarantee you’ll be riveted and, yes, terrified. But not so much that you want to hide your head in the sand.

The final solution, of course, is mankind. And Berman leaves us with several grace notes that point to a way out. Humanity is the only fight against the onslaught of unfettered AI. So it’s time to embrace each other while we do everything in our power to make sure the right people are listening.