In The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma, Mustafa Suleyman, cofounder of DeepMind and current CEO of Inflection AI, presents a sweeping exploration of the technologies poised to redefine our civilization. Joined by writer Michael Bhaskar, Suleyman invites readers to confront an urgent question: How do we harness artificial intelligence and synthetic biology without being consumed by them?
The author’s credentials lend the book a unique insider’s authority. As someone who helped shape the AI revolution, Suleyman offers not only technical insight but also moral urgency. He describes a “coming wave” of technological power that cannot be stopped, only contained. From AI systems capable of creating synthetic viruses to algorithmic tools that can reshape economies and politics, the stakes could not be higher.
Where The Coming Wave excels is in its clarity and accessibility. Suleyman writes with the confidence of a practitioner but the patience of a teacher. Even readers with little background in computer science will find the narrative approachable. Through vivid examples and thoughtful storytelling, he connects technology to the human condition how power is distributed, how societies adapt, and how progress often comes paired with peril.
The book’s greatest strength lies in its examination of power. Suleyman articulates how technology amplifies influence empowering not only governments and corporations but also individuals. He warns of a world where deepfake media erodes truth, AI systems monitor every action, and synthetic biology blurs the line between life and invention. These ideas are unsettling, but also vital to consider.
However, The Coming Wave is not without flaws. While Suleyman is compelling in diagnosing the dangers, his proposed solutions feel overly optimistic. The idea of “containment” as a global strategy where governments coordinate to control development sounds logical, but history suggests otherwise. As reviewer Peter observed, regulation often lags behind innovation, and choke points in technology rarely hold. AI is cheap, fast, and decentralized. Trying to control it with 20th-century frameworks may prove impossible.
Another limitation is depth. Suleyman covers immense ground AI, synthetic biology, geopolitics, ethics but sometimes skims where readers might crave more detail. The arguments are thought-provoking, but the book occasionally reads as a polished warning rather than a fully grounded roadmap.
Despite these shortcomings, The Coming Wave succeeds as a mirror of our collective anxiety. Suleyman captures the pulse of an era standing on the brink of transformation. His central message resonates deeply: technology is not a distant force acting upon us; it is an extension of human choice. What we build reflects who we are. The real danger lies not in machines, but in how we use them.
For anyone curious about the intersection of technology, power, and morality, this book is a must-read. It will not tell you exactly how the future unfolds, but it will make you question the assumptions that drive it.
Verdict: A thought-provoking and accessible look into the disruptive potential of AI and synthetic biology. Insightful, occasionally idealistic, but undeniably essential reading for our time.
👉 Buy The Coming Wave on Amazon: https://amzn.to/42BH9S1
