Who would you trust with the future?
The year is 2050. In the teeth of a climate catastrophe, the world is left with a drastic solution: one global leader to steer it through the coming apocalypse.
The final two candidates are ex-US President Lockwood, and Solomon, the world’s first political artificial intelligence.
As whispers of a global conspiracy emerge, investigative journalist Marcus Tully find himself at the centre of it – when Solomon’s creator turns up murdered.
Overnight, one investigation becomes two, and it’s not just the result of the election that’s at stake but the future of the species. Suddenly humanity must make an impossible choice – between salvation, or freedom.
Artifical Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver was published in paperback on 4 June by Penguin. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour
I am always attracted to speculative fiction, especially when it feels as though it could become reality far sooner than we'd like to imagine. Artificial Wisdom is a perfect fit for me. It's intelligent, gripping and filled with issues that stayed with me long after I had turned the final page.
Set in 2050, the world is facing the full force of the climate crisis. Countries are struggling, millions of people have been displaced and humanity is desperate for a solution. In an extraordinary global election, the two final candidates are former US President Lockwood and Solomon, the world's first political artificial intelligence. It is an absolutely fascinating idea and one that frightens the life out of me to be honest ..... but then again, some of our current world leaders absolutely terrify me, so maybe that is a better option??? a
At the centre of the story is investigative journalist Marcus Tully. When the creator of Solomon is murdered, Marcus gets caught up in an investigation that becomes more complex and more dangerous. As he follows the evidence, he also discover secrets and this really turns up the tension. I really enjoyed the mix of mystery, political thriller and speculative fiction.
I really loved the imagined future. The technology is inventive without ever feeling too ridiculous, compared to what we already have, while the impact of climate change is genuinely unsettling because so much of it feels possible.
There are quite a few characters introduced early on, so I needed a little time to settle in with them all, but they each had their own distinct voice and purpose. I also liked that very few people were entirely good or entirely bad. Everyone seemed to be making difficult choices in impossible circumstances, which added plenty of depth to the story.
As someone who really enjoys speculative and dystopian fiction, this was exactly the sort of book I hoped it would be. It combines an engaging thriller with thought provoking questions about artificial intelligence, leadership, climate change and the choices we may one day have to face. There's also some emotional depth too, which I enjoyed.
If you enjoy fiction that entertains while also giving you plenty to think about, then I would highly recommend Artificial Wisdom. It is an ambitious and compelling novel that feels remarkably relevant. Highly recommended
Thomas R. Weaver writes stories about tomorrow to help make sense of today. A tech entrepreneur turned author, he holds a degree in Computer Science but never expected to actually use it in his career. After spending years exploring how technology could transform experiences in the places outside of the home and the office, he founded a tech startup in the restaurant hospitality space, which was later acquired by Just Eat Takeaway. Exiting in 2018–2019 left him with no more excuses not to pursue a long-held dream: writing fiction.
Despite vowing he had enough grey hair already and he’d never to run another startup, he continues to build a portfolio of interesting new ideas with his former cofounder, backed by a major Silicon Valley tech accelerator.
Outside of spending time with his family, he loves to cook, draw, paint and lose at online bullet chess. He loves a great movie or TV series, and collects more books than time allows to read.
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