A Book Review of Inhuman Power: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Capitalism

Abstract

Inhuman Power: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Capitalism by Nick Dyer-Witheford, Atle Mikkola Kjøsen, and James Steinhoff is part of the Digital Barricades series that addresses concerns in the nexus of digital media, geopolitics, and political economy. In this wider context, Inhuman Capital assesses the relationship of AI and capitalism with a twofold purpose. On an empirical level, the book surveys the current state of AI research and development while, on a theoretical level, it explores in depth the utility of Marxist thought toward an analysis of a capitalist project beyond and without human involvement. Despite their unambiguous ideological leanings, the authors’ deliberate situating of the work among literature in the discourse, the attention to underlying political economies, and a detailed overview of AI technologies - and this can be said at the outset of the review - are certain to broaden the prospective readership of Inhuman Power beyond academic circles.