Karen Hao’s epic and urgent book Empire of AI —an instant New York Times bestseller — is the culmination of her years of insider access and original reporting, spanning five continents. In this timely talk, drawing on years of original research, Hao examines a growing body of evidence to ask whether AI will ever produce broad-based economic benefit. Companies like OpenAI have become empires in the full sense of the word, consolidating extraordinary power and wealth in the hands of the few and threatening an unraveling of democracy. But there are viable paths forward. Hao offers a pragmatic and hopeful look at how to create a world we all want in the age of AI.
This lecture is a partnership between Lafayette College Libraries and the Office of the Provost, with generous support from the endowment of John L. Hatfield ’67.