13 free resources on this topic. Everything here is free and hand-picked. You can also search within this topic.
Publishing-industry analyst Thad McIlroy's blog, with ongoing coverage of AI's impact on book publishing, authorship and copyright.
Thad McIlroy examines whether the surge of AI-generated books is flooding the market and diluting the value of human-authored work, discussing the Chakrabarty paper and publishing-industry responses.
Internet Archive's open book catalogue: read, borrow and discover more than 3 million books free.
Why I recommend it: Free account needed to borrow; popular titles can have a waitlist.
Official site for The Technological Republic by Palantir co-founder Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska, arguing that Silicon Valley abandoned work of national consequence. The site is free to browse and lists press coverage and every retailer.
Why I recommend it: The site is free; the book is not — it is sold in hardcover, ebook and audio, so borrow it from a library if you can. Read it as an argument from a man whose company sells software to defense and intelligence agencies, because the book is making the case for that industry.
MIT Press's open-access programme: hundreds of scholarly books and journal articles you can read and download in full for free, legally, including work on computing, AI, economics and design.
Why I recommend it: Before you buy an academic book or hit a paywalled paper, check here and on the author's own page. Not the whole catalog is open, only the titles funded for it, so search the specific book rather than assuming.
Site of the historian behind Sapiens and Nexus, with essays and talks on information technology, power and what automation does to societies.
From the site: Prof. Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher and best-selling author of 'Sapiens' and 'Homo Deus'. Discover his ideas, writing and lectures.
Why I recommend it: He writes about technology as a historian, not an engineer, which is exactly why he is worth reading next to the engineers.
Site of the DeepMind co-founder now running Microsoft AI, with his writing on AI and containment.
From the site: Personal site of Mustafa Suleyman, AI pioneer and author.
Why I recommend it: He runs a major AI business and writes about restraining AI. Both things are true at once, which is worth holding in mind while reading.
A technical learning platform with 60,000+ books, 30,000+ hours of video, live online events, and interactive labs and sandboxes from O'Reilly and nearly 200 other publishers.
Why I recommend it: Check your public library card and any school or employer account before paying — many library systems give full O'Reilly access for free, and some live events are open to anyone.
How to Decide, Delegate, and Build Systems That Remember. A practical book for knowledge workers who want to use AI as a real operating layer.
Why I recommend it: I am always looking for resources that treat AI as an operating layer rather than a toy. This book is a practical frame for deciding what to delegate and what to keep human.
Open-access book exploring the environmental and societal impacts of AI infrastructure — data centers, energy, labor, and the politics of large-scale computation.
From the site: Expanding Perspectives on Automation, Communication and Media
Why I recommend it: Open-access research on AI's physical footprint — great background for anyone advising on green tech, data-center careers, or responsible AI procurement.
Princeton scholar on race, technology, and justice, author of Race After Technology.
In plain terms: This website features the work of scholar Ruha Benjamin on race, justice, and modern technology. You can read her articles, explore her books, and access educational resources on the social impact of innovation.
From the site: Ruha Benjamin is an Associate Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, where she studies the social dimensions of science, technology, and medicine.
Why I recommend it: Essential reading before you take any job building automated decision systems.
Harvard historian and New Yorker writer placing today's technology fights in a much longer story.
In plain terms: This website collects the books, essays, and interviews of historian and writer Jill Lepore. You can read her work to explore historical perspectives on law, politics, and modern technology.
Why I recommend it: History gives you perspective that keeps you steady in a hype cycle.
Author and activist writing on platform power, monopoly, and digital rights.
In plain terms: This website collects articles, books, and podcasts focused on digital rights, tech monopolies, and online privacy. You can read critical essays, listen to podcast discussions, and download free books to better understand how modern technology affects society.
Why I recommend it: Read him for the vocabulary — he names the patterns other people only feel.
