2025 Was the Year When AI Stopped Feeling Like the Future
Ten books that helped readers slow down, take stock of what was happening, and prepare for what's coming in 2026.
In 2025, AI stopped feeling like a future problem and started shaping everyday life. These 10 books helped readers pause, zoom out, and understand what was really changing beneath the headlines.
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AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand
By Adam Brotman & Andy Sack
In AI First, you’ll hear from a who’s who of tech visionaries who spoke with the authors, including Altman himself, Bill Gates, and Reid Hoffman, sharing how they’re thinking of the transition to the new reality. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by authors Adam Brotman and Andy Sack, or view on Amazon.
Flash Teams: Leading the Future of AI-Enhanced, On-Demand Work
By Melissa Valentine & Michael Bernstein
Have you ever wished that you could assemble your version of The Avengers at work? That’s basically what it means to build a Flash Team. Bringing together the right set of experts at exactly the right time to tackle a tough, important job has become a realistic, repeatable goal for leaders today. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Melissa Valentine and Michael Bernstein, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want
By Emily Bender & Alex Hanna
A smart, incisive look at the technologies sold as artificial intelligence, the drawbacks and pitfalls of technology sold under this banner, and why it’s crucial to recognize the many ways in which AI hype covers for a small set of power-hungry actors at work and in the world. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Emily Bender and Alex Hanna, or view on Amazon.
The Intelligence Explosion: When AI Beats Humans at Everything
By James Barrat
With the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence, both existential fears and uncritical enthusiasm for AI systems have surged. In this era of unprecedented technological growth, understanding the profound impacts of AI―both positive and negative―is more crucial than ever. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author James Barrat, or view on Amazon.
This week, Book of the Day is brought to you by The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us — a must-read for those curious about why we seek to matter to ourselves and others. “[An] extraordinary and urgent book.” ―Jonathan Haidt. Pick up your copy today.
Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizenship
By Bruce Schneier & Nathan Sanders
An informative and wide-ranging exploration of how AI will alter every facet of democracy, and how to harness the technology to distribute rather than concentrate power. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders, or view on Amazon.
Read on for the rest of the list:
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