Roose K.: Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation

A New York Times technology columnist's timely, counterintuitive, and highly practical guide to success in the age of A.I. and automation.

The machines are here. After decades of sci-fi fantasies and hype, A.I. and automation have leapt out of research labs and Silicon Valley engineering departments and into the center of our lives. These machines aren't just threatening jobs--they're shaping every part of our lives, from the news we see to the products we buy and the relationships we form. And while the timeless debate over whether or not robots will lead to mass unemployment rages on, a much more important question has gotten ignored:

What does it mean to be a human in the age of machines?

In Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation, New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose lays out a pragmatic vision of how people can thrive in the machine age by making themselves irreplaceably human.

In nine accessible lessons, Roose prepares readers to thrive in the coming age of intelligent machines. He shares the secrets of people and organizations that have successfully survived technological change, and explains how we can protect our own futures, with lessons like:

- Do work that is surprising, social, and scarce (the types of work machines can't do)

- Demote your phone

- Work near other people

- Treat A.I. like an army of chimpanzees

- Add more friction to your life

Roose's examination of the future rejects the conventional wisdom that in order to compete with machines, we have to become more like them--hyper-efficient, data-driven, code-writing workhorses. Instead, he says, we should let machines be machines, and focus on doing the kinds of creative, inspiring, and meaningful work only humans can do.