SW

Shared Wisdom: Cultural Evolution in the Age of AI

Alex "Sandy" Pentland

Technology & society

Shared Wisdom: Cultural Evolution in the Age of AI

By Alex "Sandy" Pentland, the Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and professor of information technology in the MIT Media Lab

MIT Press · 2025

How can we build a flourishing society by using human nature to design technology rather than letting technology shape society? Pentland explores how cultural inventions, from civilizations to the Enlightenment, accelerated innovation and collective wisdom. He argues that understanding these key factors in cultural evolution is essential for solving global challenges like climate change and pandemics, and shows how AI and digital media can aid rather than replace human deliberation.

From Summer 2026 recommended reading from MIT (MIT News). Cover image via Google Books.