2024 could be dubbed 'the year of AI books' - amongst other AI-related labels - as scrolling through my LinkedIn feed, I notice at least one new AI-related book recommendation every second day. From dystopian warnings to enthusiastic how-to guides, from philosophical reflections to technical deep-dives - the spectrum is incredibly huge.
When curating resources for my workshops and consulting projects, I noticed that the value of any AI book heavily depends on the reader's mindset, role, and way of processing information. What serves as an eye-opener for a systemic thinker might appear too abstract for a pragmatic operations leader. What excites an innovation enthusiast might trigger resistance from a critical analyst.
So, instead of adding another '10 must-read AI books' list to the internet, I thought about a more tailored approach.
After doing some research and talking with Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude, I came up
- with a top 20 title list (I share here my Google Sheet, will further update it),
- and a selection curated by three fictional personas, distilled from my broad business audience, see below.
I created distinct reader personas with the support of Claude.ai, representing a different approach to understanding and implementing AI - think of them as your own personal guides through the world of AI books.
your AI Bookshelf: A Curated Guide for Different Mindsets
Let me introduce you to three guides who might mirror different voices in your company - or perhaps even aspects of your own journey with AI (visual representations created with freepik.com).
Dr. Sarah Jacobs - The reflective analyst
Some call her the conscience of digital transformation, others the friendly skeptic. Sarah embodies what many of us feel: fascination with AI's potential mixed with deep care for human implications. As Head of Organizational Development, she navigates between C-level enthusiasm for AI efficiency and employees' concerns about workplace changes.
If you're someone who looks beyond the tech specs to see systemic impacts, who values ethical frameworks over quick wins, you'll find her perspective particularly valuable. Even if you're more focused on immediate implementation, Sarah's critical lens offers important considerations.
Her Top 5:
- "Human Compatible" by Stuart Russell
- Aligns with her focus on human-centric approach
- The control problem speaks to her interest in organizational dynamics
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"Atlas of AI" by Kate Crawford
- Perfect match for her critical-analytical mindset
- Addresses the hidden human costs
-
"Co-Intelligence" by Prof. Ethan Mollick
- Speaks to her organizational development role with practical leadership insights
- Focuses on human-AI collaboration
-
"AI Snake Oil" by Arvind Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor
- Satisfies her need for balanced perspective
- Helps her distinguish genuine opportunities from hype in her advisory role
-
"The Worlds I See" by Dr. Fei-Fei Li
- Offers a woman scientist's perspective
- Combines personal narrative with ethical considerations
Marcus Weber - The pragmatic implementer
Meet the person who asks 'But how exactly will this work on Monday morning?' Marcus represents those leaders who've moved beyond the AI hype cycle to practical integration questions. As COO of a traditional company, he faces what many of you experience: the pressure to digitalize while maintaining operational excellence and keeping the workforce on board. If you're in operations, manufacturing, or leading traditional businesses, his no-nonsense approach to AI literature will resonate strongly. Even if you're more innovation-focused, his pragmatic filter can help ground big visions in day-to-day reality
His favorite book list:
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"All Hands on Tech" by tom Davenport & Ian Barkin
- Practical implementation guide that matches his operational focus
- Addresses the human-technology integration for his manufacturing context
-
"Mastering AI" by Jeremy Khan
- Provides the concrete business cases and ROI examples
- Offers practical insights
-
"How AI Ate the World" by Chris Stokel-Walter
- No-nonsense approach
- Gives clear explanations of AI's impact on industry and operations
-
"The Economy of Algorithms" by Marek Kowalkiewicz
- Directly relevant to his business transformation needs
- AI-driven decision-making in industry
-
"Irreplaceable" by Pascal Bornet
- Focus on pragmatic career shifts
- Helps him balance technology adoption with workforce considerations
Lisa Bergmann - The innovation catalyst
She's the person who sees opportunities where others spot problems. Lisa bridges the gap between cutting-edge tech possibilities and human adoption - something many of you tackle in change and communication roles. As an independent consultant and leadership coach, she knows both startup dynamics and corporate realities. If you're in communications, change management, or leading innovation initiatives, you'll find her curated reading path particularly inspiring. Even if you prefer more structured approaches, her perspective offers valuable insights into making AI initiatives stick through effective storytelling and engagement.
On her desk we find:
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"The Coming Wave" by Mustafa Suleyman & Michael Bhaskar
- Offers forward-looking perspectives
- Combines technological insights with broader societal implications
-
"Supremacy" by Parmy Olsen
- Provides the latest industry developments and competitive dynamics
- Offers rich narrative material
-
"Brave New Words" by Salman Khan
- Aligns with her interest in learning and development
- Provides fresh perspectives on AI's transformative potential
-
"Nexus" by Yuval Noah Harari
- Resonates with the underlying fears she faces in her team
- Allows to see the valid critical arguments
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"DEMIS HASSABIS - The Genius Behind the Code" by Anderson C. Davis
- Provides storytelling material for change management
- Offers personal insights into AI leadership she can use in her consulting
Not sure about our three persona characters, but most of us do not find the time to read full books - luckily AI has a solution: Do you still kindle or do you already blinkist? 😉
And even full books from all decades can be now digitalized and made available for direct and smart conversations: Harvard researchers found ways to make incredibly large amount of relevant literature easily accessible to everyone via AI. They published a dataset with nearly one million titles — ranging from Shakespeare to Dickens to Dante - Wired reports that’s about five times the printed content used to train Meta’s Llama models 🤯.
more into fictional books?
You may like these recommended novels with AI-drive plots:
- William Hertling - The Turing Exeption. Singularity series in the mid 2020ies (available also in German)
- Emily St. John Mandel - Sea of Tranquility (2022) - A time-travel novel, exploring the option of life being an AI experiment (available also in German)
- Kazuo Ishiguro - Klara and the sun (2021) - The first-person narrator, Klara, is a robot, joining a human family
Over the holidays, I just finished a book by Karl Olsberg: Virtua. Artificial. Intelligent. Unstoppable, which is - despite the international title - only available in German language, but talks about many valid issues around a future world with AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), the dystopian ending made me sleep badly for a few nights...
Beyond the Books: how to make Knowledge Work
We all know that the real value emerges not from reading or watching webinars, but from how we process and apply the insights.
Create your balanced reading and learning diet by:
- Starting with the books that match your current perspective, where you'll find your concerns and questions directly addressed
- Exploring the favorte books from various viewpoints to challenge your thinking (ChatGPT and Claude are great buddies for this!)
- Taking notes, mainly abut about questions that arise - they often lead to the most valuable discussions, e.g. in your organization
Share your book reviews and thoughts in the comments or connect with me directly.
And if you're looking to create a structured learning journey around AI for your team or organization, let's jointly explore how these different perspectives can enrich your approach.
📞 Schedule a call to discuss AI learning paths for your organization!
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