Tech journalist and science fiction author Cory Doctorow has a new book that takes a direct aim at the artificial intelligence industry. In The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI, Doctorow argues that the way to burst the AI bubble is to strike at its roots — not just complain about its excesses.
Doctorow, who previously wrote Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It, is known for his sharp critiques of technology. According to Ars Technica, Doctorow doesn't actually enjoy talking about AI, but he's constantly being asked to comment on it.
"I made the tactical error of being sick of talking about AI," Doctorow told Ars. "So I wrote a book about why I think it's a dumb thing to keep asking people to talk about, and now I have to talk about it."
Sorting out the bullshit from the material reality
Doctorow's new book is his attempt to separate hype from reality when it comes to AI. He calls The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI a follow-up of sorts to his previous work, focusing specifically on AI and related issues.
According to Ars Technica, Reverse Centaur is Doctorow's attempt to "sort out the bullshit from the material reality." The book argues that the AI industry is built on shaky foundations, and that the way to address it is not through surface-level criticism but by targeting those foundations directly.
What "strike at its roots" means
Doctorow's central argument is that the AI bubble — the massive investment and hype around artificial intelligence — can be burst by focusing on the structural problems that support it. This includes issues like the reliance on questionable data, the environmental costs, and the economic models that make AI companies unsustainable.
In automation theory, per Doctorow, the idea of a "reverse centaur" refers to a system where humans are reduced to doing the work that machines cannot yet handle — a reversal of the traditional centaur model where humans and machines work together. Doctorow's book explores how this dynamic plays out in the AI industry and what it means for the future.
Our Take: A necessary reality check
Doctorow's approach is refreshing because it doesn't just complain about AI — it offers a clear strategy for addressing the problem. By focusing on the roots of the AI bubble, he provides a framework for thinking about how to move forward. In our view, this is exactly what the conversation about AI needs: less hype and more honest analysis of what is actually happening. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, Doctorow's book is a valuable contribution to the debate.
