Book Review: Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark

The world is asleep. Dazed by endless scrolling, lulled into complacency by bite-sized distractions, we barely notice the future hurtling toward us. AI isn’t coming. It’s already here. And Max Tegmark’s Life 3.0 is a stark, necessary wake-up call for those still dozing in their algorithmically curated bubbles.

This book lays it out clearly: life has evolved in three stages. Life 1.0 - biological, constrained by genetics. Life 2.0 - cultural, where humans learn and adapt. And now, Life 3.0 - entities that can rewrite themselves, shedding the last vestiges of biological limitation. AI isn’t just another tool; it’s the next phase of intelligence itself. And we, the unthinking masses i.e the humans, are handing over the keys without a second thought.

Max Tegmark doesn’t waste time on sci-fi fluff (although he does go into detail about what could happen if superintelligence takes over). Instead, he forces us to confront questions that should be keeping us up at night:

• Who gets to decide what AI does? A handful of tech elites? Governments? No one?
• What happens when AI doesn’t need us anymore? Will it be benevolent, indifferent, or catastrophic?
• Are we even capable of steering this technology responsibly? If history is any indicator, probably not.

AI has the power to reshape civilization, yet most people are too busy scrolling on tiktok to care. Life 3.0 spells it out: the real danger isn’t technology. It’s us. We have been blind to how power is being concentrated, blind to the choices being made on our behalf. AI won’t need to outsmart us. We’re already outmaneuvering ourselves.

I loved this book for its sharp technical insights and well explained ethical concerns. But sometimes Life 3.0 drifts into techno-optimist daydreams and talk of utopian AI-managed societies, digital immortality, and post-human consciousness. Sounds great, but given our track record with technology, the road there is more likely paved with data breaches, misinformation, and power imbalances.

This book isn’t just another AI think piece. It’s a necessary jolt to a society sleepwalking into an era it barely understands. AI won’t ask for permission. The future is coming whether we’re ready or not. The question is, will we look up from our screens in time?

This book will be added to our book club/reading recommendation series. Will you be picking it up anytime soon?

Sonam Pelden

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