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Age of Invisible Machines: A Practical Guide to Creating a Hyperautomated Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers
Cut through the hype and unlock the game-changing potential of conversational AI.
In Age of Invisible Machines, celebrated tech leader Robb Wilson delivers an eye-opening and startlingly insightful blueprint for leveraging conversational AI in order to make your organization self-driving—with a growing ecosystem of interconnected automations accelerating all aspects of your business.
Conversational AI is changing the nature of every job at every company (starting yesterday) and this book is relevant for anyone who will be affected by the acceleration of these technologies. You’ll learn how to develop a strategy for hyperautomation by identifying the outdated processes and systems holding your organization back. You’ll discover ways of internalizing and orchestrating new technologies that are force-multipliers for rapid growth. A must-read for every business leader, Wilson’s book debunks common myths about conversational AI while laying bare the inevitable complexity of restructuring your business to unlock the massive opportunities this new era affords.
You’ll also find:
-Compelling discussions of the ethical dilemmas that lie in wait as mass adoption of conversational AI takes hold
-Fascinating explorations of what a self-driving organization looks like and how you can use conversational AI to create a durable competitive advantage
-Strategies behind creating an ecosystem for hyperautomation that any company can begin implementing immediately
-QR links to ongoing, interactive online discussions of the material covered in each chapter
An essential and practical discussion of the future of conversational AI and hyperautomation, Age of Invisible Machines belongs in the hands of founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, designers, tech enthusiasts, and anyone else with a stake in the future of business.
In Age of Invisible Machines, celebrated tech leader Robb Wilson delivers an eye-opening and startlingly insightful blueprint for leveraging conversational AI in order to make your organization self-driving—with a growing ecosystem of interconnected automations accelerating all aspects of your business.
Conversational AI is changing the nature of every job at every company (starting yesterday) and this book is relevant for anyone who will be affected by the acceleration of these technologies. You’ll learn how to develop a strategy for hyperautomation by identifying the outdated processes and systems holding your organization back. You’ll discover ways of internalizing and orchestrating new technologies that are force-multipliers for rapid growth. A must-read for every business leader, Wilson’s book debunks common myths about conversational AI while laying bare the inevitable complexity of restructuring your business to unlock the massive opportunities this new era affords.
You’ll also find:
-Compelling discussions of the ethical dilemmas that lie in wait as mass adoption of conversational AI takes hold
-Fascinating explorations of what a self-driving organization looks like and how you can use conversational AI to create a durable competitive advantage
-Strategies behind creating an ecosystem for hyperautomation that any company can begin implementing immediately
-QR links to ongoing, interactive online discussions of the material covered in each chapter
An essential and practical discussion of the future of conversational AI and hyperautomation, Age of Invisible Machines belongs in the hands of founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, designers, tech enthusiasts, and anyone else with a stake in the future of business.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published September 27, 2022
85 people are currently reading
1225 people want to read
About the author
Robb Wilson
6 books9 followersRobb Wilson is the Founder, Lead Designer, and Chief Technologist behind OneReach.ai, the highest-scoring company in Gartner’s first Critical Capabilities for Enterprise Conversational AI Platforms report. Robb has spent more than two decades applying his deep understanding of user-centric design to unlocking hyperautomation. In that time he built UX Magazine into the world’s largest experience design publication while simultaneously creating Effective UI, a full-service UX firm that competed with IDEO and Frog Design. In addition to launching 15 startups and collecting over 130 awards across the fields of design and technology, Robb has held executive roles at several publicly traded companies and mentored colleagues who went on to leadership roles at Amazon Alexa, Google, Ogilvy, GE, Salesforce, Instagram, LinkedIn, Disney, Microsoft, Mastercard, and Boeing.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 25, 2022
This book is nothing but a sales pitch. Reading this book was a waste of time and my money which I paid $17.00 for the Kindle version. The author's writing is a word salad, all the buzz words are there so it will show up in search results. The author makes up statistics as if you were listing to a sales pitch. The book is buzz word bingo. Name dropping quotes fill almost every chapter. Of course, he has to quote all the big names like Bill Gates and others in the news. He has to include the buzz words block chain and crypto currency. It is obvious he knows nothing about the block chain data structure. He makes analogies of the software development process with books like "Moby Dick". The only reason I gave this book a 1 is because I could not give it a 0. He creates words by adding the prefix "hyper" in front of verbs. Sentences are so verbose you have to read them several time just to try and guess what he is trying to say. Three letter acronyms are used without definitions like a salesman pitch that he wants to make you think he knows what he is talking about. Some sentences with made up words and acronyms are nonsense. He makes predictions like API's are going away and are obsolete. It you think you are going to learn something about software development process of voice-controlled applications forget it. The author knows virtually nothing about AI and speech recognition programming. He writes a short section on Markov Chains that is almost funny and shows he know nothing about statistics. Before you make the mistake that I did and buy the book, download a sample are read the sample carefully before you waste your time and money. The only thing I learned from this book is that there is a lot of fake technologists that can't develop software and can't write either. This was a miserable read.
November 8, 2025
This was my first book about AI, and it really helped me understand the basics and see the bigger picture of where AI is heading. A great starting point for anyone curious about the topic.
January 12, 2023
The beginning chapters were somewhat enjoyable because the author hypothesized on some tangible changes to our lives when it comes to AI but everything discussed was surface level. I appreciated that the author even made some bold claims - like that APIs will be a thing of the past in the near term - but offered very little explanation.
As other readers have stated, the whole thing ends up being a one-sided, bias explanation of why AI interaction is the future and how their company is exactly the solution for businesses to rely on. In true consulting fashion, all topics/roads lead back to the solutions their company offers. They even included individual QR codes at the end of each chapter to go to their website, which are no doubt intended A as data gathering and measuring what topics are hooking people into learning more. Clever, but it really shows the true intent of the book. Unless you’re a CTO in the midst of implementing AI/ML to your customer service needs, don’t bother with this book.
As other readers have stated, the whole thing ends up being a one-sided, bias explanation of why AI interaction is the future and how their company is exactly the solution for businesses to rely on. In true consulting fashion, all topics/roads lead back to the solutions their company offers. They even included individual QR codes at the end of each chapter to go to their website, which are no doubt intended A as data gathering and measuring what topics are hooking people into learning more. Clever, but it really shows the true intent of the book. Unless you’re a CTO in the midst of implementing AI/ML to your customer service needs, don’t bother with this book.
February 6, 2023
Not a recommended read for folks that are anti artificial intelligence, but for anyone in business and technology this is like a staple must-read - the book basically predicted chatGPT.
December 20, 2023
User Experience Designer Quest - Recently reading a number of books on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications (see my review of Kissinger et al’s “The Age of AI”), I got intrigued when I saw this title. It turns out the that the “Invisible Machines” consist of Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Bard or Bing, helping users communicate and the coordinating “behind the scenes” among and between all the applications and devices that might be in use. Within the text, the author conveys the quest of user experience designers and engineers like himself to realize such improvements.
The book’s contents consist of a Preface, Introduction and 18 chapters in four Parts. Namely, there is Part I: Imagining an Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers, Part II: Planning an Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers, Part III: Building An Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers, and Part IV: Conclusion - Where Do We Go from Here? Also included are Notes, information About the Authors, and an Index. Basically, the authors suggest a number of different scenarios where such “Hyper-automation” could come into play and go through the various stages of what might be involved in such adoption.
Parts that stood out for me were where there was a literary reference and other descriptions to characterize current interfaces and the potential of AI in the user experience. For instance, early on (Location 465), the author likens his efforts to that of “Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick” where conversational AI is the a “powerful and elusive white whale” he is seeking. A little later (Location 468-710) he relates that “. . . [As an] early practitioner . . . [all too familiar with the] absolute worst experiences . . . [of] purgatorial voice automated call centers and feeble chatbots trying to solve problems online . . . Lifting users and organizations out of the doldrums seemed like the true white whale of experience design.” For similar metaphor utilization and related writings see my review of Kane et al’s “Technology Fallacy” and Tenumah’s “Waiting for Service.”
With such a backdrop, the narrative turns to the possibilities that AI might afford and what will be involved with their inclusion. As an example (in Location 602-608), he asks “What happens when . . . you'd be communicating with . . . an umbrella conversational interface that has become your primary interaction point with most of the technology in your life.” Per his indication (Location 540) “The trick is to be nimble and swift, riding the waves alongside them as everything churns madly around you . . . harness conversational UI, composable architecture, and no-code creation by creating a strategic environment where everyone can use technology effectively and no one is left behind (or out to sea).” Along these lines see my review of Pursell and Walker’s “Outsmarting AI.”
However, while promoted as a guide, the book seems limited at times to generalized approaches. From the start (Location 530), the author admits that” . . . many high-minded projects get dragged through protracted development processes only to stumble down into “release and regret” . . .” Although proclaiming his methods help avoid such a fate, it seems too much to expect there will not be many "left out to sea" as these activities proceed. Then, there is also the author’s mention of Marshall McLuhan (such as in Location 1105) as a mentor without further explanation or much use of the media theorist’s thought to elucidate the prospective effects of this new technology (e.g., see my review of Gordon’s “McLuhan: A Guide for the Perplexed” for more information).
In any event, the book is useful as it gives an indication of a way AI can become most widely used allowing others to anticipate its benefits and implications more fully.
The book’s contents consist of a Preface, Introduction and 18 chapters in four Parts. Namely, there is Part I: Imagining an Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers, Part II: Planning an Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers, Part III: Building An Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers, and Part IV: Conclusion - Where Do We Go from Here? Also included are Notes, information About the Authors, and an Index. Basically, the authors suggest a number of different scenarios where such “Hyper-automation” could come into play and go through the various stages of what might be involved in such adoption.
Parts that stood out for me were where there was a literary reference and other descriptions to characterize current interfaces and the potential of AI in the user experience. For instance, early on (Location 465), the author likens his efforts to that of “Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick” where conversational AI is the a “powerful and elusive white whale” he is seeking. A little later (Location 468-710) he relates that “. . . [As an] early practitioner . . . [all too familiar with the] absolute worst experiences . . . [of] purgatorial voice automated call centers and feeble chatbots trying to solve problems online . . . Lifting users and organizations out of the doldrums seemed like the true white whale of experience design.” For similar metaphor utilization and related writings see my review of Kane et al’s “Technology Fallacy” and Tenumah’s “Waiting for Service.”
With such a backdrop, the narrative turns to the possibilities that AI might afford and what will be involved with their inclusion. As an example (in Location 602-608), he asks “What happens when . . . you'd be communicating with . . . an umbrella conversational interface that has become your primary interaction point with most of the technology in your life.” Per his indication (Location 540) “The trick is to be nimble and swift, riding the waves alongside them as everything churns madly around you . . . harness conversational UI, composable architecture, and no-code creation by creating a strategic environment where everyone can use technology effectively and no one is left behind (or out to sea).” Along these lines see my review of Pursell and Walker’s “Outsmarting AI.”
However, while promoted as a guide, the book seems limited at times to generalized approaches. From the start (Location 530), the author admits that” . . . many high-minded projects get dragged through protracted development processes only to stumble down into “release and regret” . . .” Although proclaiming his methods help avoid such a fate, it seems too much to expect there will not be many "left out to sea" as these activities proceed. Then, there is also the author’s mention of Marshall McLuhan (such as in Location 1105) as a mentor without further explanation or much use of the media theorist’s thought to elucidate the prospective effects of this new technology (e.g., see my review of Gordon’s “McLuhan: A Guide for the Perplexed” for more information).
In any event, the book is useful as it gives an indication of a way AI can become most widely used allowing others to anticipate its benefits and implications more fully.
August 22, 2024
Whether or not we are in the world of technology and the new things that come out on the market all the time, we will be affected by them. Some of us will be able to change our lives for the better by becoming rich, others will lose our jobs and feel frustrated. Others will more or less carry on.
Where are these changes going? Towards using generative artificial intelligence to change the way we work. Using this artificial intelligence to create IDWs (Intelligent Digital Workers), which will be nothing more than robots that do many of the tasks we do today.
The best thing is that these IDWs will be able to do the things that humans do not only the same as us, but much better. They will understand us and help us using natural language, in whatever language.
This book is aimed at people who want to learn about the subject to use it to their advantage or for companies that are already implementing IDWs, as it is something very different from the programming and way of working before. Very good tips and processes.
Excellent book.
Where are these changes going? Towards using generative artificial intelligence to change the way we work. Using this artificial intelligence to create IDWs (Intelligent Digital Workers), which will be nothing more than robots that do many of the tasks we do today.
The best thing is that these IDWs will be able to do the things that humans do not only the same as us, but much better. They will understand us and help us using natural language, in whatever language.
This book is aimed at people who want to learn about the subject to use it to their advantage or for companies that are already implementing IDWs, as it is something very different from the programming and way of working before. Very good tips and processes.
Excellent book.
December 23, 2023
The book primarily focuses on highlighting the achievements of Robb Wilson's company and its concept of hyper-automation. However, it tends to lean towards a self-promotional tone, leaving the reader anticipating valuable insights that are never quite delivered. The book appears to adopt a more self-centered approach, and I found myself questioning whether I had essentially purchased a sales manifesto.
While the initial chapters promise a brighter future through hyper-automation, it takes five chapters to encounter a somewhat inadequate definition. Throughout the entire book, the author refrains from divulging the supposed secret, merely emphasizing its existence repeatedly.
Opting for a thought-provoking Black Mirror episode might be a more entertaining and engaging use of your time, as the book may not offer the depth of insight or entertainment you might expect.
Can I get my money back?
November 13, 2025
As someone genuinely interested in automation, AI, and the future of digital work, I found this book both insightful and inspiring. It goes far beyond buzzwords, showing how intelligent digital workers can reshape organizations and everyday workflows. While it’s not an easy read for everyone — especially without some tech background — it offers real depth, clarity, and vision for those ready to dive in.
For me, this is one of the best works about how technology truly transforms the way we work — and I sincerely recommend it to anyone who wants to understand this topic in depth, not just on the surface.
For me, this is one of the best works about how technology truly transforms the way we work — and I sincerely recommend it to anyone who wants to understand this topic in depth, not just on the surface.
January 18, 2023
As a UX designer I was searching for that human aspect in the book, or at least a bit of cognitive science and psychology to understand not only the hyper automation - a term used extensively throughout the book - of the integrated ecosystems of the “total experience” that the evolution of conversational AI offers, but also how the human brain follows a holistic approach to more intelligent information sharing processes within a variety of user ecosystems and use cases, but it all seemed focused on the hyper automation of digital communications and workspaces.
November 4, 2025
I'll admit, I was nervous about picking up a book about AI - as this feels like a field where anything from two days ago is ancient.
I was completely wrong. The second edition of Age of Invisible Machines is surprisingly evergreen. It provides a foundational understanding that is far more useful than many of the more current articles I've read or podcasts I’ve listened to. It focuses on the concepts that last, so if you're looking for a book that will still be relevant in your discussions in two years, this is it. Highly recommend.
I was completely wrong. The second edition of Age of Invisible Machines is surprisingly evergreen. It provides a foundational understanding that is far more useful than many of the more current articles I've read or podcasts I’ve listened to. It focuses on the concepts that last, so if you're looking for a book that will still be relevant in your discussions in two years, this is it. Highly recommend.
November 13, 2025
This is my first book about AI, and I’ll be honest — at the beginning it felt a bit complicated. But after a few chapters everything suddenly clicked, and the ideas started making perfect sense. Age of Invisible Machines explains things in a clear, relatable way, and the more I read, the more interesting it gets. I’m really enjoying how the book shows the real impact of conversational AI on businesses without making it feel too technical. Glad I picked it up, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to understand where AI is heading.
January 2, 2023
Do you ever read a book and think the author is full of BS but wonder if they just got a good book deal? I sort of get the feeling it was ghostwritten too (as someone who has ghostwritten in the past, there are some similarities --- this is not an accusation, just a personal feeling). Yeah, that's what I thought about this book.
Full disclosure: I did not read the full book.
Full disclosure: I did not read the full book.
January 9, 2024
I loved the journey that Rob takes throughout this book. He has a way to showing where conversational ai is going and then breaking it down into bite sized chunks that make the changes we are seeing comprehensible. One of my favorite quotes is, "... to make sure that, as technology raced ahead, people weren't getting left behind." This book is a thesis on just that one subject.
April 12, 2025
Just rereading Age of Invisible Machines, and it’s wild how spot-on the book was. Predictions about ChatGPT-like models, MCPs, the decline of traditional SaaS, and the broader AI revolution weren’t just guesses—they were early signals from people actually building this stuff. Funny how some of the early dismissive comments aged like milk. Vision always looks like fantasy to the short-sighted.
April 21, 2024
This book reshaped and rewrote everything I could’ve possible thought for how the future may go. I am so glad I have dipped my toe into this vast field of AI and read about the largely tangible ways hyper automation could change the way we all use our time and interact with technology.
February 7, 2023
inspiring
Sets the vision for a leap forward that is about to storm every business and most certainly, tech people. Must read for leading tech teams into new age
Sets the vision for a leap forward that is about to storm every business and most certainly, tech people. Must read for leading tech teams into new age
May 31, 2024
Terrible. Full of hype and mumbo jumbo and hyper made up words. I was expecting substance and was very disappointed. Wish I could get my money back.
November 13, 2024
A guide for what current AI can do and how it can/should be designed to be most effective. Well worth the quick read.
October 10, 2025
3.5 good overview, good ideas, not very practical, tends to repeat
June 20, 2023
“You must be willing to look a little foolish at first.” To do your best work on the cutting edge of conversational AI, you must be willing to fail and learn fast.
Back in August, I posted about wanting to deep dive into conversation design research topics. The support was awesome, and this is when I connected with Elias A. Parker’s work on Age of Invisible Machines with Robb Wilson and Josh Tyson. After I provided feedback on a select chapter, he sent over the full copy.
It wasn’t until May 1st that I finished the book and today that I shared my thoughts—anyone following my Goodreads can attest to my lengthy reading list!
Following my original journey of diving deep, I was judicious in re-reading chapters, highlighting valuable insight, and taking notes. Generally, I try my best to thoughtfully stick around topics after their initial hype. It’s here, almost a year after our connection, I can confidently say that Age of Invisible Machines is the intimidation-free field guide to conversational AI.
“Speech and text are methods for sharing information that nearly everyone on the planet can leverage without special training […] if conversational AI could fulfill its promise, it would effectively mask the machinations, making the machine invisible.”
For conversation designers and conversational AI leaders, new and tenured, this is *the* book to read. Not only does it sufficiently capture the core mission of conversational AI, it substantiates the frameworks that will bring your team to success.
Wilson and Tyson rightfully advocate for teams to focus on prescription, scalability, and defined roles with centralized enablement resources. They also detail how data and human-in-the-loop (HitL) analysis are instrumental in regularly evaluating success and bolstering the performance of conversational AI.
“…you need both a strategy for co-creation that involves everyone in your workforce and a platform that allows anyone to design a conversational experience without having to write code.”
“…no matter how many random chatbots you have or how much money you throw at them, if your machines aren’t part of an ecosystem that reaches your entire organization, then you’re operating without a design strategy.”
Inspiring, this book is just a starting point on what should be a long and experimental learning journey. Save for the few cheeky OneReach.ai sales pitches towards the end of the book, it provides a solid foundation for moving on to learning the concrete, technical steps in successful implementations.
“We’ve entered an era where a conversational interface will become the primary entry point into your organization. In order to succeed, this kind of interface needs to connect to everything and do a great many things. Really, the only way to approach something so vast and all-encompassing is to fail faster than you’ve ever failed before.”
Back in August, I posted about wanting to deep dive into conversation design research topics. The support was awesome, and this is when I connected with Elias A. Parker’s work on Age of Invisible Machines with Robb Wilson and Josh Tyson. After I provided feedback on a select chapter, he sent over the full copy.
It wasn’t until May 1st that I finished the book and today that I shared my thoughts—anyone following my Goodreads can attest to my lengthy reading list!
Following my original journey of diving deep, I was judicious in re-reading chapters, highlighting valuable insight, and taking notes. Generally, I try my best to thoughtfully stick around topics after their initial hype. It’s here, almost a year after our connection, I can confidently say that Age of Invisible Machines is the intimidation-free field guide to conversational AI.
“Speech and text are methods for sharing information that nearly everyone on the planet can leverage without special training […] if conversational AI could fulfill its promise, it would effectively mask the machinations, making the machine invisible.”
For conversation designers and conversational AI leaders, new and tenured, this is *the* book to read. Not only does it sufficiently capture the core mission of conversational AI, it substantiates the frameworks that will bring your team to success.
Wilson and Tyson rightfully advocate for teams to focus on prescription, scalability, and defined roles with centralized enablement resources. They also detail how data and human-in-the-loop (HitL) analysis are instrumental in regularly evaluating success and bolstering the performance of conversational AI.
“…you need both a strategy for co-creation that involves everyone in your workforce and a platform that allows anyone to design a conversational experience without having to write code.”
“…no matter how many random chatbots you have or how much money you throw at them, if your machines aren’t part of an ecosystem that reaches your entire organization, then you’re operating without a design strategy.”
Inspiring, this book is just a starting point on what should be a long and experimental learning journey. Save for the few cheeky OneReach.ai sales pitches towards the end of the book, it provides a solid foundation for moving on to learning the concrete, technical steps in successful implementations.
“We’ve entered an era where a conversational interface will become the primary entry point into your organization. In order to succeed, this kind of interface needs to connect to everything and do a great many things. Really, the only way to approach something so vast and all-encompassing is to fail faster than you’ve ever failed before.”
January 19, 2024
Don’t read this... unless you are looking for tips on how to build automated processes into your next great start up. Maybe just read each of these pieces on the New Yorker website. Radden Keefe does a reasonable job at the front in trying to string together this collection of his long form journalistic pieces. But there isn’t any reason to read them in this form other than convenience. Most of the pieces to still hold up as entertaining and fascinating, a testament to PRK’s qualities as a writer.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews