We Are Not Machines

Original and enlightening, rooted in reality and populated by people. Not many books about the labour market make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes. This one does. It’s the kind of writing that AI will never replace… She talks to miners in Sweden, care workers in the Netherlands, drivers in America and online workers everywhere from Costa Rica to the Himalayas. Out of those stories she creates a remarkable picture of what is happening to jobs – Emma Duncan * The Times *
Moving, powerful and refreshing… We Are Not Machines isn’t against technology per se… what animates the book is a question more concerned with humanity than technology – Christopher Webb * Spectator *
Sarah is one of the few people who really understands how AI is changing the character of work already and what it means for all of us – David Runciman * Past Present Future Podcast *
Enjoyable… O’Connor uncovers stark differences in the way technology is affecting people’s working lives, depending on their bargaining power over the way it is introduced… Importantly, O’Connor also reviews the growing evidence that we may be reading, thinking and understanding less as we lean on technological shortcuts – potentially changing the very nature of human intelligence – Heather Stewart * Guardian *
Truly predicting how this technology will manifest in our lives is an impossible task, but O’Connor offers fascinating insights into the many ways in which it can affect workers…This book is a plea that as technological change occurs, we hold on to what makes us human – Frieda Klotz * Irish Independent *
Tactful… a curious and stimulating investigation… O’Connor implores that she still holds the belief that technology can help make the world better, but it won’t just happen naturally. The future that so many of us want and desire can happen, but “not without a fight” – Neve Blue * Buzz Magazine *
A fierce, wise, beautiful book – Tim Harford
A lively and engaging read which teases out some compelling human stories. O’Connor describes both the peril and promise unleashed by AI - and issues a powerful call to arms for us all about how to respond. A must-read for educators, policy makers, executives and employees – Gillian Tett
No-one provides a better worms-eye view of the world of work than Sarah O’Connor. True to form, this is a brilliantly insightful grassroots account of how the revolution in AI is changing work for good (and for bad) and how practically technology might be configured to enhance our minds, bodies and souls, rather than deplete them. This holds the key to harvesting the full fruits of the fourth Industrial Revolution and securing its societal, as distinct from technological, success – Andy Haldane
An invaluable guide to one of the biggest economic stories of our age. Most books about AI lurch between hype and despair but Sarah O’Connor has captured something far rarer: a glimpse of how machines are actually reshaping our lives and livelihoods – Ed Conway

Sarah O’Connor is a columnist, reporter, and associate editor at the Financial Times. She writes a weekly column focused on the world of work, as well as longer features and investigations.

She has won:

• The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils
• The Wincott Award for financial journalism
• Business Commentator of the Year at the Comment Awards
• Financial/Economic story of the year at the Foreign Press Awards
• Business and Finance Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards

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