A LOCUS AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL Award-winning author Chen Qiufan's Waste Tide is a thought-provoking vision of the future. Translated by Ken Liu, who brought Cixin Liu's Hugo Award-winning The Three Body Problem to English-speaking readers. Mimi is drowning in the world's trash. She’s a waste worker on Silicon Isle, where electronics -- from cell phones and laptops to bots and bionic limbs — are sent to be recycled. These amass in towering heaps, polluting every spare inch of land. On this island off the coast of China, the fruits of capitalism and consumer culture come to a toxic end. Mimi and thousands of migrant waste workers like her are lured to Silicon Isle with the promise of steady work and a better life. They're the lifeblood of the island’s economy, but are at the mercy of those in power. A storm is brewing, between ruthless local gangs, warring for control. Ecoterrorists, set on toppling the status quo. American investors, hungry for profit. And a Chinese-American interpreter, searching for his roots. As these forces collide, a war erupts -- between the rich and the poor; between tradition and modern ambition; between humanity’s past and its future. Mimi, and others like her, must decide if they will remain pawns in this war or change the rules of the game altogether. "An accomplished eco-techno-thriller with heart and soul as well as brain. Chen Qiufan is an astute observer, both of the present world and of the future that the next generation is in danger of inheriting." – David Mitchell, New York Times bestselling author of Cloud Atlas

How will AI change our world within twenty years? A pioneering technologist and acclaimed writer team up for a “dazzling” (The New York Times) look at the future that “brims with intriguing insights” (Financial Times). This edition includes a new foreword by Kai-Fu Lee. A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Financial Times Long before the advent of ChatGPT, Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan understood the enormous potential of artificial intelligence to transform our daily lives. But even as the world wakes up to the power of AI, many of us still fail to grasp the big picture. Chatbots and large language models are only the beginning. In this “inspired collaboration” (The Wall Street Journal), Lee and Chen join forces to imagine our world in 2041 and how it will be shaped by AI. In ten gripping, globe-spanning short stories and accompanying commentary, their book introduces readers to an array of eye-opening settings and characters grappling with the new abundance and potential harms of AI technologies like deep learning, mixed reality, robotics, artificial general intelligence, and autonomous weapons.

Zhou Chongbo, a marketing agent in Beijing, comes up with an absurd though effective idea to promote Mr. Wan's photo-editing app: blessed by a mysterious Buddhist master, the app becomes a cult phenomenon, shared by millions of users. However, when people begin to bless everything, often with ambiguous purposes, the situation turns into a nightmare and Zhou Chongbo must run away... from the city, from the company and from his own family, to take refuge in a Buddhist temple with unexpected consequences for himself... and the entire universe. Inspired by the famous short story by Chen Qiufan, "Buddhagram" was adapted by the Chinese Science Fiction author himself and illustrated by Jacopo Cigarini.

As the end of the world arrives in downtown Shanghai, one man’s only wish is to return a library book... When a publisher agrees to let a star author use his company’s attic to write in, little does he suspect this will become the author’s permanent residence... As Shanghai succumbs to a seemingly apocalyptic deluge, a man takes refuge in his bathtub, only to find himself, moments later, floating through the city's streets... The characters in this literary exploration of one of the world’s biggest cities are all on a mission. Whether it is responding to events around them, or following some impulse of their own, they are defined by their determination – a refusal to lose themselves in a city that might otherwise leave them anonymous, disconnected, alone. From the neglected mother whose side-hustle in collecting sellable waste becomes an obsession, to the schoolboy determined to end a long-standing feud between his family and another, these characters show a defiance that reminds us why Shanghai – despite its hurtling economic growth –remains an epicentre for individual creativity.

En quelques années, l'intelligence artificielle (IA) s'est imposée comme une technologie dont l'impact et le potentiel semblent infinis. Kai-Fu Lee est un expert international de l'IA qui a mené sa carrière en Chine et aux États-Unis. Chen Qiufan a quitté le monde de la technologie pour devenir l'un des écrivains de science-fiction les plus prometteurs en Chine. Fruit de leur association, IA 2042 propose dix scénarios où l'intelligence artificielle joue un rôle clé. Médecine du futur, automatisation du travail, hypertrucage sur les réseaux ou villes augmentées... Chaque fiction nous entraîne dans un futur réaliste ; elle est suivie d'une analyse scientifique qui permet de démêler le certain du possible, l'état de la recherche et la part d'imagination. En mêlant fiction prospective et analyse scientifique, IA 2042 nous entraîne sur tous les continents dans une expérience immersive, ouvrant dix fenêtres passionnantes sur notre futur technologique. Bienvenue en 2042 !

No livro 2041, um dos maiores especialistas em inteligência artificial imagina, através de análises e contos no melhor estilo Black Mirror, uma realidade dominada pela tecnologia Saindo do clichê dos livros teóricos e cheios de conceitos incompreensíveis ao público leigo, Kai-Fu Lee, fundador da Google China e autor do best-seller Inteligência artificial, e Chen Qiufan, um dos grandes nomes do sci-fi, apresentam ao leitor dez contos que mostram de forma divertida concepções que podem se tornar uma realidade até 2041. Ainda que alguns deles pareçam saídos de um filme de ficção científica, outros serão facilmente reconhecidos pelo leitor como parte do seu cotidiano. Cada conto de Chen Qiufan é acompanhado por uma análise de Kai-Fu Lee sobre como a tecnologia apresentada na trama fará em breve parte de nossas vidas. Os temas vão desde carros sem motoristas e robôs que farão todo o trabalho que consideramos entediante até novas formas de educação e de cuidados com aqueles que estão prestes a partir. Os autores apresentam de maneira simples e direta temas que poderiam, de outro modo, soar complexos, ao mesmo tempo em que refletem sobre como a inteligência artificial já é uma realidade para nós. 2041 demonstra como o mundo pode ser daqui a duas décadas em uma obra dedicada não apenas aos leitores que se interessam por tecnologia, mas também a todos aqueles que desejam ter um vislumbre de como serão os próximos anos.

El nuevo talento de la ciencia ficción llegado de China. Mimi se ahoga en la basura del planeta. Es una residual de la Isla de Silicio, lugar al que se envían a reciclar los teléfonos móviles, los portátiles, los robots y los miembros biónicos. Se acumulan en pilas enormes de residuos que contaminan cada centímetro de la tierra. La isla, situada cerca de la costa de China, es la tóxica necrópolis del capitalismo y la cultura de consumo. Mimi y miles de trabajadores residuales migrantes como ella son atraídos a la Isla de Silicio con la promesa de conseguir seguridad laboral y una vida mejor. Son la sangre que corre por las venas de la economía de la isla, pero se hallan a merced de los poderosos. Se avecina una tormenta avivada por las implacables bandas locales que se enfrentan por el poder. Los ecoterroristas están obcecados en acabar con el statu quo. Los inversores estadounidenses ansían más beneficios. Y un intérprete sinoestadounidense anhela reencontrarse con sus raíces. Estas fuerzas eclosionan y provocan una guerra entre los ricos y los pobres, entre la tradición y la ambición moderna, entre el pasado y el futuro de la humanidad. Mimi y los que son como ella tendrán que decidir si se limitarán a contemplar la guerra como meros peones o cambiarán por completo las reglas del juego. La crítica ha dicho: «Un logrado techno-thriller ecológico con cuerpo y alma.» David Mitchell «Una novela necesaria y despiadada que da que pensar. No podía dejar de leer.» Lavie Tidhar «Un análisis categórico y tenaz del futuro próximo.» Adrian Tchaikovsky

En quelques années, l'intelligence artificielle (IA) s'est imposée comme une technologie dont l'impact et le potentiel semblent infinis. Kai-Fu Lee est un expert international de l'IA qui a mené sa carrière en Chine et aux Etats-Unis. Chen Qiufan a quitté le monde de la technologie pour devenir l'un des écrivains de science-fiction les plus prometteurs en Chine. Fruit de leur association, IA 2042 propose dix scénarios où l'intelligence artificielle joue un rôle clé. Médecine du futur, automatisation du travail, hypertrucage sur les réseaux ou villes augmentées... Chaque fiction nous entraîne dans un futur réaliste ; elle est suivie d'une analyse scientifique qui permet de démêler le certain du possible, l'état de la recherche et la part d'imagination. En mêlant fiction prospective et analyse scientifique, IA 2042 nous entraîne sur tous les continents dans une expérience immersive, ouvrant dix fenêtres passionnantes sur notre futur technologique. Bienvenue en 2042 !