Some news many years in the making: My book EMPIRE OF AI, out May 20, is ready for pre-order at empireofai.com. It tells the inside story of OpenAI as a lens for understanding the moment we’re in: the tech elite's extraordinary seizure of power and its threat to democracy. 1/ - ThreadSky

karenhao.bsky.social • 5 days ago

Some news many years in the making: My book EMPIRE OF AI, out May 20, is ready for pre-order at https://empireofai.com. It tells the inside story of OpenAI as a lens for understanding the moment we’re in: the tech elite's extraordinary seizure of power and its threat to democracy. 1/

Comments

danbeforetime.bsky.social•5 days ago

Does where I preorder affect how much you get paid? Please let me know so I can act accordingly.

louarn.bsky.social•4 days ago

📌

karenhao.bsky.social•5 days ago

This book is the culmination of my ~7 years of reporting on AI for @technologyreview.com, @wsj.com, and @theatlantic.com. It is based on 300+ interviews with ~260 people, including 150+ interviews with 90+ current & former OpenAI people, and an extensive trove of correspondence and documents. 2/

karenhao.bsky.social•5 days ago

The book asks the central question: How do we govern AI? More importantly, *who* should govern it? AI is the most consequential technology of our era. The future of AI is thus inextricably tied to our future, and whether it will get better or worse. 3/

karenhao.bsky.social•5 days ago

To answer this question, EMPIRE OF AI examines in detail OpenAI’s first decade: from its founding as a nonprofit in 2015 to its evolution into one of the most aggressive for-profit businesses in Silicon Valley. 4/

karenhao.bsky.social•5 days ago

It documents the many interpersonal and ideological clashes that happened along the way, including the full story of Sam Altman’s sudden firing and rehiring, as leaders and employees fought fiercely to re-form OpenAI around their contrasting visions for AI development. 5/

karenhao.bsky.social•5 days ago

Far from staying within the walls of OpenAI, the book also looks at the profound ripple effects these clashes—and the company’s singular obsession to reach so-called AGI first—have had on communities globally, from data workers in Kenya to environmental activists in Chile. 6/

karenhao.bsky.social•5 days ago

It is from this intimate and expansive portrait of OpenAI and the AI industry that the book gets its name, EMPIRE OF AI. I argue that the only way to fully understand the far-reaching implications of the AI race is to recognize companies like OpenAI as new forms of empire. 7/

alexstrachan.bsky.social•5 days ago

Existential question: Given the state of things right now, how do we know — how does anyone know? — the book might be out of date by May 20? 🤔
@marymcnamara.bsky.social #AI #wednesday

aselbst.bsky.social•5 days ago

Congrats, Karen! Excited to read it!

jtemple.bsky.social•5 days ago

Congrats Karen!

noahgift.bsky.social•4 days ago

Love the premise! will read

nice-nihilist.bsky.social•4 days ago

Just pre-ordered!!

karenhao.bsky.social•4 days ago

Thank you!!

hidenseek2026.bsky.social•4 days ago

📌

rappstar.bsky.social•5 days ago

Very much looking forward to this. @karenhao.bsky.social in hindsight, do you think it was ever truly possible that "they were the good guys"? Was that always a naive take? Can there still be good guys in SV (or all VC/PE-funded tech)? Truly curious if you think, now, it's even plausible.

janelleshane.com•5 days ago

Congratulations! Really striking cover too - I love it when the cover is a texture and a vibe.

karenhao.bsky.social•4 days ago

Thank you so much Janelle!

kris-tristesse.bsky.social•4 days ago

I would love to read it.
I'm working on a uni paper about big tech vs democracy. I read S. Zuboff, M. Ressa, T. Snyder, Ch. Wylie, sth about history of Google, T. Rid, few articles but nothing really on AI. Will your book be available in Poland as well?

karenhao.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yes it will! Should be available across Europe.

kris-tristesse.bsky.social•3 days ago

Fantastic 😍

hypervisible.bsky.social•5 days ago

Congrats!!!

karenhao.bsky.social•5 days ago

Thank you!!!

janoschdelcker.bsky.social•5 days ago

This looks so cool and interesting, Karen! Can’t wait to read it.

naz-andalibi.bsky.social•4 days ago

Can’t wait

leahfeiger.bsky.social•4 days ago

can’t wait to read! congratulations!!

robsims.bsky.social•5 days ago

Congrats!! Can’t wait to read this! Couldn’t be more timely!

lucastosborne.bsky.social•4 days ago

📌

stevebasnett.bsky.social•5 days ago

Fascinating just reading the introductory thread to your book, Karen. Thanks for posting it here on Bluesky.
Many congratulations on getting to this point - it's clearly the culmination of a monumental effort.
In the years it took, did you ever wonder if an Ai system would beat you to publication?

karenhao.bsky.social•4 days ago

Thanks so much Steve. And to your question, never.