Book Club Discussion Questions
- Technological Change
Why does the author begin the book by exploring the nature of technological change? Is our current era of change different in scale, scope, and significance from previous technological and social transformations like the agricultural, writing, industrial, and computing revolutions? How so? - AI and Biotechnology
Do you agree with the author’s assessment that the most important developments of our time are human-engineered intelligence and human-reengineered biology? Why or why not? - Predictive and Preventive Healthcare
How do you feel about the future of predictive and preventive healthcare the author describes? Would you be willing to share your most personal health and medical information on a continuous basis if doing so could help you identify future health threats before they emerge? How do privacy concerns fit into your calculation? Would you rather not know if you carry an increased risk for a disease you may or may not contract in the future? - Agriculture as Biotechnology
Do you agree with the author’s assessment that agriculture itself is a form of radical biotechnology—and that the difference between the plants our ancestors domesticated and our current staple crops is far more significant than the differences between today’s staple crops and their genetically modified cousins? If so, does that inspire you to think differently about GMOs and gene-edited crops? - Cultivated Meat
Would you be comfortable eating meat products grown from animal cells in industrial bioreactors if they were biologically identical to products extracted from slaughtered animals? To what extent do the climate, environmental, animal cruelty, and human health downsides of industrial animal agriculture influence your assessment? - Risks and Scenarios
The author outlines multiple scenarios of things that could go wrong if the overlapping AI, genetics, and biotechnology revolutions go awry. Which of these scenarios frightened you the most? Do these risks outweigh the potential benefits of these technologies? Why or why not? - Steps Toward Positive Outcomes
In the final chapter, the author lays out steps that can be taken today to increase the odds of positive outcomes and decrease the odds of negative ones in the future. Did you find these arguments convincing? Did they leave you feeling more optimistic or more pessimistic about the future - Personal Responsibility
How can you—as an individual and as part of multiple communities—play a role in ensuring that our most cherished values guide the application of our most powerful technologies? - Interconnected Fates
The author writes: “Whether we like or even accept it or not, our fates are intertwined with each other, with all living beings, and with the health of our planet in our increasingly interconnected world.” Do you agree? If so, what might that realization inspire you to do differently in your life?