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The Immortalists: The Death of Death and the Race for Eternal Life
“A fascinating, deeply reported adventure among the increasingly influential figures who believe they can defeat death - and a warning not to let dreams of tech-enabled immortality stop us building a more vibrant human world here and now.” - Oliver Burkeman
“Brilliantly troubling ... eye-opening, entertaining ... highly readable and meticulously researched” - New Scientist
“The author’s reporting…is utterly compelling…a philosophical test of a new creed” - New Statesman
“It explores the contradictions inherent in the movement, as well as its social consequences…She shows, rather than tells, and leaves the reader to decide” - The Guardian
“An entertaining and insightful account” - Financial Times
“Riveting” - The Daily Mail
From the epic of Gilgamesh to the alchemy of the philosopher’s stone, humanity’s eternal quest for immortality – and its rejuvenation tricks, therapies and tinctures – has always been our most mortal endeavour.
But now the giants of invention and investment are building a fountain of youth of their own creation: one they not only engineer, but also own and control. Death is simply their next problem to solve, the latest expression of a hubris that regards humans as appliances to be fixed and machines to be upgraded. By harnessing technology to ‘cure’ ageing, and funding cutting-edge – and often controversial – research, today’s immortalists are locked in an arms race to be the first to pocket the profits of longevity.
What was once a wild west of experimentation has wormed its way into Washington’s corridors of power. Award-winning broadcaster and academic Aleks Krotoski journeys from those cult fringes to the heartlands of government to meet the moguls, effective altruists, geroscientists and entrepreneurs who are disrupting death. Along the way she encounters radical life extensionists transfusing their teenage son’s blood, transhumanists who want to upload consciousness to the cloud, biohackers flogging AI-powered wellness apps and billionaire kingmakers building brand-new nations.
This razor-sharp, powerful and at times chilling investigation empowers us to consider what it truly means to be human, asking: do we really want a handful of Silicon Valley techno-fundamentalists to be the architects of our forever?
“Brilliant, painstakingly researched and all together a wonderful read, Aleks Krotoski serves up an essential parable for our digital times.” - Kevin Fong
“An elegant, gripping expedition into the technological apotheosis of an ancient dream.” - Tom Chatfield
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What is Trump's AI Agenda? AI is at a turning point, Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong ask what direction it will take and who is advising the most powerful man in the world on what vision of AI to pursue.
Should AI have a 'Kill Switch'? Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong ask if we'll need a kill switch for AI, and why do we think we'll need one? Where do these fears come from and are we worrying about the right things?
Why is AI erasing people? For years disabled and marginalised communities have fought for representation in what we see in the media. Aleks and Kevin find out if AI risks undoing all those hard-won victories.