The AI paradox

The AI paradox How to make sense of a complex future

Virginia Dignum

Book - 2026

Artificial intelligence will shape our future in unforeseen ways, and it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it could someday dictate the terms of our very existence. But the fact is, the more that AI can do, the more it underscores the irreplaceable qualities of human creativity, empathy, and moral reasoning. This is one of the eight paradoxes of AI that Virginia Dignum explores in this revelatory book. Drawing on her decades of experience in AI research and governance, Dignum cuts through the hype and sensationalism that often surround AI and reveals why the most profound questions it raises are not about technology but ourselves. The AI Paradox is a guide to seeing complexity with clarity, questioning the seemingly inevitable..., and using AI in ways that prioritize our collective values. Each paradox explored in this book illuminates a particular dimension of these emerging technologies while prompting us to reevaluate our most common preconceptions about them. Can they truly replicate human decision making or do they simply magnify our blind spots and biases? Is AI the ultimate problem-solving tool or does it introduce more problems? Is justice for all achievable when it comes to AI? Who does AI serve, big tech or the common good? How do we even define AI? With thought-provoking examples and paradoxical insights, this powerful little book challenges us to reimagine the role of these technologies in our lives, advocating for a collaborative, transparent, and inclusive approach that keeps humanity at the core of AI innovation.

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Subjects
Artificial intelligence > Social aspects.
Human-computer interaction.
Disruptive technologies.
Artificial intelligence.
Technologie de rupture.
Intelligence artificielle.
artificial intelligence.
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Social Aspects.
Artificial intelligence
Published
Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press [2026]
Language
English
Main Author
Virginia Dignum (author)
Physical Description
ix, 220 pages : charts ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-235) and index.
ISBN
9780691269085
  • 1 The AI Paradox
  • 2 The Agreement Paradox
  • 3 The Intelligence Paradox
  • 4 The Justice Paradox
  • 5 The Regulation Paradox
  • 6 The Power Paradox
  • 7 The Superintelligence Paradox
  • 8 The Solution Paradox
  • Epilogue
Review by Kirkus Book Review

In this optimistic take, the seductive skills of AI systems are pitted against the complexity of human intelligence. Will unchecked adoption of artificial intelligence overwhelm society? This book offers a reassuring counterpoint: AI's limitations remain stark when compared with the richness of human intelligence. Dignum, professor of responsible artificial intelligence at Umeå University in Sweden, challenges the popular image of AI as an all-powerful brain. Organizing her chapters around a series of "paradoxes," she argues: "The more AI can do, the more it reveals what makes human intelligence unique." The author begins by examining conflicting definitions of machine intelligence. Weaving together research across fields is no simple feat, given the fragmented and varied AI landscape. Drawing on her experience in both corporate and academic settings, she observes that enthusiasm and anxiety abound, yet consensus is elusive--not only on what AIis, but also on the meaning of artificial general intelligence. Pushing back against doomsday scenarios, she contends that while skeptics such as Yoshua Bengio warn of catastrophic risks, AI systems lack humanlike motives, drives, and multidimensional intelligence. Instead of framing AI as an unstoppable force poised to subjugate humanity, Dignum encourages us to see it as an augmenting technology we can shape. The book is dense with thought-provoking intersections that could be expanded into another volume. Dignum situates AI within cultural, scientific, and corporate currents, though her analysis gives less attention to the crucial role of government funding in shaping the field, including the notorious "AI winters" when investment dried up after overhyped promises. Acknowledging that prominent AI pioneers have raised alarms, Dignum counters: "We should be more concerned about those who develop, own and deploy these systems." A nuanced, hopeful vision of a future with human intelligence amplified, not overwhelmed, by machine intelligence. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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