Toby Walsh, God AI

 

 

- This new book by Australian AI expert Professor Toby Walsh is a must read. It's remarkably good, full of detail and wisdom. I've read a few books on AI and many articles over the years, but this exploration of the future of human society dominated by AI over the next five or fifty years is extraordinary. 

- Walsh has dotted his thesis with quotes over the decades from visionaries like Arthur C Clarke, Stephen Hawking, Geoffrey Hinton, Alan Turing and Albert Einstein - all confronting a possible AI’s potential and destructive inevitability. And he includes the views of today's AI leaders like Open AI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei. We are facing Boom or Doom. 

- The big question is when will artificial intelligence exceed human intelligence? Within the next five or fifty years? Most experts predict five. 'The AI revolution now promises to automate much of our cognitive work'. Sure, many jobs will disappear, but there will be plenty of shortages of jobs in critical areas, particularly the services sector. And many of us will work only four days a week. 'All in all, we might live healthier, wealthier and worthier lives'. 

- Walsh's final chapter 'Machines of Loving Grace' opts for optimism not pessimism. Although he admits he could be wrong. 'There is something unmistakably theological about the way many AI researchers speak of AI. It often sounds less like an engineering project and more like a religious movement. Baldur Bjarnason, author of The Intelligence Illusion, a critical examination of the tech industry, described it well: 'They like to think they're sensible people making sage comments, but they sound more like monks in the year 1000 talking about the Rapture. It's a bit frightening.' 

- Dario Amodei has it both ways: 'I like to think most people are underestimating just how radical the upside of AI could be....just as I think most people are underestimating how bad the risks could be'. (Only his first sentence is in bold). 

- Walsh ends his book with this piece of wisdom: 'If we train AI systems on data that reflects historical inequities and biases, we will amplify injustice on an unprecedented scale. It we allow a small number of corporations or nations to monopolise AI development, we will embed dangerous concentrations of power into the fabric of our future. The lesson I believe we should take from this is simple, and straight out of Frankenstein. Only wise choices made today will ensure that the gods we build tomorrow don't become monsters beyond our control.' 

  

Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, Yeganeh Torbati, Stolen Revolution

 - This superbly written book is a fascinating and detailed dissection of the current Iranian religious regime and the suppression of its reformers. It's thoroughly enlightening on every level.

- It focuses on the incredible stories of six principal activists and dissenters. Their stories are ones of sheer bravery and heroism. The regime is utterly brutal, murderous, and misogynistic on every level. 

- I can do no better than provide this excellent summary of the book inside the cover:

'The moving, riveting and immersive story of six Iranians who, together, lived the entire arc of modern Iranian history: the promise of the 1979 revolution, its betrayal by the Islamic mafia state and a people’s undying spirit of resistance. 

Fuelled by Iranians’ dreams of social justice and political freedom, the 1979 revolution swept aside the shah's ailing repressive monarchy. But in its place the revolution's leader Ayatollah Khomeini and his acolytes built a system that served his narrow Islamic fundamentalist faction and worsened every failing and brutality that had existed under the shah. Award-winning journalists Bozorgmeh Sharafedin and Yeganah Torbati tell the entwined stories of six Iranians, providing a powerful new lens on Iran’s recent history in all its bitter twists and stubborn hope as crises engulf the country.

MEDHI KARROUBI: a devotee of Khomeini, he rose to the heights of power on the wave of the revolution, before being casted out of its inner circle.

HILA SEDIGHI: a young activist, who gave voice through her poetry to her peers' hopes during the reform years and ultimately immortalised their shattered dreams.

AMIR MOGHADAM: an ambitious government bureaucrat, who witnessed corruption and graft on a scale that impelled him to take enormous risks to expose the truth.

SAID RAHMANI: a successful global tech entrepreneur who returned to Iran to spark a start-up boom in his native country, and encountered a ruthless security state that wanted his company for itself.

ROZHIN YOUSEFZADEH and KOSAR EFTEKHARI: both born in the 1990s, they escaped their gendered destinies by leaving their hometowns for Tehran, where they joined a mass movement that confronted a ferocious state apparatus: the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. Each paid an enormous price.

Through vivid and original reporting, Stolen Revolution offers a compulsively readable new story of Iran, centering ordinary Iranians' lives, whilst providing a visceral understanding of how life is actually lived under a modern authoritarian state. This is a harrowing story of power, corruption and greed - and those brave individuals who fought back.'

- Both authors are highly experienced, award-winning journalists who spent five years working on this book, interviewing hundreds of Iranians, many in fear for their lives. 

Adam Ouston, Mine

- Adam Ouston has written a thoroughly engrossing novel. Magical, deep and an absolute joy to read. 

- Ouston’s focus is on men at the extremes. His first novel Waypoints, published four years ago (which I reviewed here), explored the same theme. 

- An old man in his late seventies, a poet and retired academic, falls down a mine shaft in Northwest Tasmania. He’s severely injured, and can't see a way out. He’s desperate for water and to relieve his pain by moving. But if he sucks the drip near him will he be poisoned? But he's dying of thirst so is it worth the risk? He reflects on his life, his passions, and his deceased friend the journalist who shared his anger at the world. The old man attended his funeral service and was unimpressed by the superficiality of it, especially the comments by friends and colleagues.The tepid mundanity of it angered him. 

-  What sort of person emerges from his reflections, memories and stories? An angry, unhappy one. A man with a ‘natural tendency to understatement and rumination’. A university lecturer who loved the word ‘bullshit’. His students did too. He was interested ‘in getting to the bottom of things’. Tasmania was ‘a cartography of sighs’ and nature a ‘gnashing machine of time’. 'It could be said he'd long been in possession of an issue with authority...protesting pulp mills, dams, deforestation, and the grubby practices of governing bodies, good old-fashioned Tasmanian dissent facing off against good old-fashioned Tasmanian corruption...'

- The novel is one long sentence of 278 pages. The man's thoughts, registered in poetic and fluid prose, are winding and loose, and glide smoothly in and out of the major events in his long life. The reader can’t help but be captivated by this man and his magnificent descriptions of nature and its wild glory. 

- As for the men 'in extremis', We're immersed in the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company and its ‘secrets, half-truths and straight up lies’. Copper mining was the obsession a century ago and the mining boom continued, with its smelters and railroads. '...it was staggering what some people did and allowed to be done to something so precious, something so beautiful, so meaningful...he could not fathom the irrespressible greed...how could it be that greed was the most robust condition? not love or lust or ambition, but greed...'. 

- We're reminded of the tragic story of the research expedition deep into the Antarctic by Sir Douglas Mawson over a century ago, and the subsequent missions by ships to the icebergs to rescue ships and crews, and confront illegal whale hunters. The old man was on one of them, the Aurora. 

- The early explorers of the 16/17/18th centuries believed there must have been a  southern landmass with ‘fifty million souls’ or so. Scottish geographer Alexander Dalrymple was certain, and the British were determined to explore it. 

- We're taken deep into the detail of the disaster of the North Mt Lyell mine in 1912. There were dangerous tunnel collapses, fires, choking black smoke and poisonous carbon monoxide. And no alarm system, and the cage got stuck. Dozens of men, some 1000 feet underground, lost their lives despite the bravery of rescuers who did all they could. And many more suffered from illnesses related to coughing and breathing for the rest of their truncated lives. The author absolutely immerses us in this horror. 

- 'For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror' (Rilke). The novel ends with the old man thinking about 'the nature of evil, the emptiness of evil, the way it can lurk in beauty or come dressed as beauty...' And he thinks about the ship Aurora and its crew and passengers trapped in the Antarctic ice, forever. And there's a full stop at the end. And that's meaningful.

Bernard Keane, Seize the Moment

 

- Crikey's politics editor Bernard Keane, easily the best political journalist in the country, has written such a detailed and important book that everybody with half a brain should be forced to read it. 

- Bernard is often personal, as he draws on his time in the public service and later as a journalist, which often adds a human dimension to the serious and substantial public issues he dissects and critiques. 

- His focus is how Australia will fare in the next 25 years. Surprisingly, he's optimistic. Chapter 1 is a superb summary of our recent history and the necessary pathways into the future. 'The coming 25 years will be dominated by multiple challenges: technological change that may well be even faster and more profound than that of the last quarter century, a rapidly ageing population, a deepening climate crisis, an increasingly powerful and high-tech China and a US empire in retreat both from its strategic role internationally and from the democratic norms it has long promoted, if not always followed'. 

- He explores five areas Australia must focus on: decarbonisation and new green industries, a new strategic direction that moves beyond the utter rubbish of our 'shared values' with the US and AUKUS, a well funded tertiary education sector, a continued celebration of immigration and multiculturalism, and a reformed tax system that improves its fairness and is sufficient to fund the necessary government services we need.

- In his climate change chapter he clearly outlines where Australia is currently wrong. We’re killing ourselves. He also outlines in detail our renewables challenge and how increasingly central China is. 

- His final chapter delves deep into the policy development processes in governments over the years and how bogged down in fussy detail and timidity they've now become: 'How we reverted from Keating's standing on our own feet to Albanese's bending the knee...federal governments of both sides have lost the ability to undertake significant reforms and hard decisions, and the country has stagnated and been allowed to drift as a result'. And there are exorbitantly paid 'consultants' in every nook and cranny.  

- At the end Keane outlines why he thinks it's time to reform our voting system because politics doesn’t relate to young people. In fact our politicians work against them. The system should be weighted: His argument is clear and convincing: 'For argument's sake, you could multiply the vote of under-30s by 1.3 and that of 30- to -60-year-olds by 1.1)'. 

- I can't recommend this insightful treatise highly enough. 

(No index and no author photo. Typical of the cheap Allen&Unwin)

Omar Musa, Fierceland

- This novel, surprisingly, won the 2026 Miles Franklin Award, an award that focuses on novels that examine the Australian way of life. Most people, including me, were surprised by that decision, as Fierceland is only tangentially about Australia. While it's a deep dive into ugly colonialism and it’s destructive legacy, it doesn’t hold back on constantly immersing us in things Malaysian - the language, politics, towns, forests, trees, wildlife, beliefs, spirits, birds, and insects. It offers an incredibly rich tapestry of Borneo's political history and corruption. 

- It's a totally absorbing read, written in brilliant prose, thick with lush detail. Sure, it's often clogged, but it's poetic and throbbing with life. Read it slowly. Let it sink in. 

- The central focus is on two kids from a very wealthy family - the delightful and spunky Rozana, and her clever younger brother Harun. Their father, whom they love, has made a fortune from clearing forests to establish a palm-oil industry in Borneo. They're sent to Australia to attend high school and university. In later life they reflect on 'the horrors of high school in Australia' and its 'mediocre parochialism'. Both are frequently bullied at school for being Mussies and are questioned about their 'terrorism' by classmates after 9/11. They have to pretend to be real Aussies in dress and accent to be accepted. Roz, in particular, gets into weed and shoplifting.

- We follow them through the first two decades of the 2000's. Roz does well in Art and English at school (so her father buys her a Jaguar!). She eventually becomes an artist. Harun becomes a tech enthusiast who establishes his own successful company. 

- One character in the book is fascinating and breathes life into it - the distant relative 'Crazy Auntie'. She's a passionate critic of the wealthy palm oil parents and their destructive colonial operations. And the kids get persuaded by her - Roz in particular because they share a love of books and reading. 

- In 2018 the father, Abah, dies. After the funeral Crazy Auntie and other relatives indulge in rants about Old Malaysia, New Malaysia - ‘same old politics. Same kleptocracy, same ethno-nationalist fascism, same Malay Supremacy. The mainland using the Borneo states...As we watched the country crumble into corruption, mediocrity and madness…’ 

- Roz and Harun are finally awakened to reality. The final chapters of the novel see them walking through the magic forests and hearing the voices of those who've suffered from their destruction. 

- Borneo is neither a single country nor exclusively a region of Malaysia—it is the third-largest island in the world, and it is shared among three separate sovereign nations:

1. Malaysia: Occupies the northern portion of the island (East Malaysia), which consists of two states—Sabah and Sarawak—and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
2. Indonesia: Occupies the largest portion (roughly 73% of the island), known as Kalimantan, which is divided into five provinces.
3. Brunei: An independent sultanate located entirely on the northern coast of Borneo, surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak.

So while parts of Borneo belong to Malaysia, Borneo itself is an island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. (Gemini).

Amy Remeikis, Screw Nice.

- This book is brilliant on every level. Amy Remeikis is easily one of Australia's best political journalists and cultural commentators. She's the Chief Political Analyst at  The Australia Institute and a contributing editor for The New Daily. 

- She's angry and she's a fighter. And she's very well informed. Screw Nice (or as I'm sure she would have preferred to call it, 'Fuck Nice') is a fascinating critique of our current social and political world - a mix of philosophical, psychological, and economic. She puts the bomb under so much bullshit. 

- What I found most appealing about the book is its reach. She ranges widely and takes us to the US, the UK and Europe, as well as Australia. She's excellent on the major post-World War 2 economic and political histories - neoliberalism, stagflation, oil shocks, wealth inequality, the destruction of labour unions, media power, hate speech, anti-immigration movements, women’s appeasement and submission for financial reasons, the general decline of liberal democracies and the current ‘autocratisation’ and growing authoritarianism in the Trump era. And of course the extraordinary growth and influence of powerful billionaires. 

- She also focuses on the individuals that are central to the madness we are forced to stomach, for instance Trump, the draft dodger, sexual predator and liar; Charlie Kirk and his lies and distortions; and Netanyahu. There are plenty of others. 

- She catalogues Australia’s dismal record on a host of important issues. 

- The book is full of statistics and details which enrich it enormously.  And quotes from influential thinkers, philosophers, politicians, and activists. Being 'nice' or 'civil' or 'centrist' or 'balanced' is just being captured and accomodating. 

- Her final words are:

'I am not a nice person. 

I try to be kind and compassionate. I like to think I am empathic and reasonable. I have an open mind, and I believe in equality. But niceness? Pretending a civil society is not tolerating abuse or hatred, or punching down on those already fighting for survival? I’m done with that. And I am hopeful for the sake of decency, for upholding the society we all should be fighting for. A tolerant society - intolerant of the intolerable - one that lays claims to actual civility and not the toxic civility we allow to oppress what we know is right. And I hope that you are too. 

Not being nice may be the only way we can create safe spaces for everyone, where equality and tolerance of difference is the standard, not the fight. 

And honestly, wouldn’t that be nice?'

 

Homer, The Odyssey

 

- This translation of Homer's classic by Emily Wilson was published by Norton in 2017. Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. 

- The book is unbelievably good - written in clear, modern and rhythmic English (iambic pentameter). There have been many translations over the last few hundred years, (including a new one by Daniel Mendelson published by Penguin this year). 

- The book contains a brilliant 90 page introduction which is a must read. It outlines all the details of Odysseus's journey from Troy back home to Attica after twenty years. Wilson also includes Notes at the end that summarise each of the 24 chapters and clarify many of the references.  

- The poem was written around 8-900 BC, nearly three thousand years ago. Odysseus was a 'complicated man'. He's aristocratic, wealthy and authoritative, but also a thinker, a plotter, and highly intelligent. And he's certainly not adverse to indulging in brutal savagery to get his way. Slaughter in those days was the way to achieve peace. (In 'those days'?!)

- This summary of the poem on the front flap is excellent: 

'Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. 

This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, none more so than the 'complicated' hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, and many moods, who emerges in this version as a more fully rounded human being than ever before.

Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, Emily Wilson’s Odyssey sings with a voice that echoes Homer’s music; matching the number of lines in the Greek original, the poem sails along at Homer’s swift, smooth pace.'

(According to Wilson in a recent interview Christopher Nolan’s film is 'long, lightweight and profoundly disappointing').

(The book is 582 pages long and beautifully designed. And the price in Australia is only $31.99)