In The Coming Wave, Mustafa Suleyman, cofounder of DeepMind and CEO of Microsoft AI, offers a candid look at the realm of artificial intelligence and other powerful technologies.
Drawing on his experience at the center of this transformation, he outlines a future where AI, synthetic biology, quantum computing, and similar tools will become deeply embedded in everyday life, reshaping how we work, govern, and live.
Suleyman explores both the promise and the peril of these developments. On one hand, they have the potential to create significant advances in health, energy, and productivity. On the other, they introduce risks that current institutions are not prepared to manage. Technologies once limited to a few elite labs are becoming more accessible, raising concerns about misuse, instability, and a growing gap between innovation and oversight.
A central theme of the book is what Suleyman calls the “containment problem.”
This refers to the urgent need to maintain control over technologies that are becoming increasingly autonomous and influential. He argues that without coordinated action, society could face a difficult choice between allowing these tools to spread without limits or relying on heavy-handed surveillance and restrictions. Neither option offers a stable or desirable future.
The Coming Wave does not present easy fixes. Instead, it encourages readers to think carefully about the direction of technological progress and the systems needed to guide it. It is a timely and compelling examination of the balance between innovation and responsibility.
