Reader Bot
What Happens When AI Reads and Why It Matters
In her enlightening book Reader Bot, Naomi S. Baron examines the benefits and sacrifices of human dependency on AI for reading, writing, and research.
Noting that AI has exploded in the past few years, offering to make work easier, hobbies more fulfilling, and cut the time required for various tasks, the book asserts that offloading processes of critical thinking is not without its hazards. Showing the limitations of AI by explaining data sets and other relevant factors, placed alongside statistics about people’s declining rates of reading for pleasure, the book is erudite and even-handed in voicing its concerns.
The topics are covered in satisfying detail, each forming a piece of the overall AI puzzle. For example, the book illustrates both the causes and effects of the increased homogenization of news articles: many are prepared using AI, which tends to reduce the use of unusual words and other measures of complexity. As a result, humanity’s reading skills can stagnate, resulting in “brain rot.” Interesting and relevant related history is shared, as when the book considers “automation bias” in aviation, where increased reliance on technology improves outcomes while also leading to unprecedented dangers. A history of abridgment while discussing AI summaries is also shared, providing valuable context and increasing interest.
The book also delves into philosophical considerations of topics including empathy, trust, authenticity, and the differences among various kinds of reading and writing. It issues no firm prescriptions or prohibitions, just thorough analyses of current research on the subjects, enhanced by interviews and anecdotal evidence. As one might hope given the book’s worrying accounts of AI “hallucinations,” in which references are fabricated, a complete list of notes and sources is included.
Reader Bot is a vital guide to AI as it affects human beings’ reading lives.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
