Will AI drive explosive economic growth or is it just hype? Will AI drive explosive economic growth or is it just hype? Nations and companies around the world are weighing up AI's costs and benefits. Almost one trillion dollars, that's how much tech companies are estimated to be spending on building up the artificial intelligence industry over the coming years. Supporters of the technology say AI will increase productivity, boost incomes and revolutionise the global economy.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly embedding itself within militaries, economies, and societies, reshaping their very foundations. Given the depth and breadth of its consequences, it has never been more pressing to understand how to ensure that AI systems are safe, ethical, and have a positive societal impact. This book aims to provide a comprehensive approach to understanding AI risk. Our primary goals include consolidating fragmented knowledge on AI risk, increasing the precision of core ideas, and reducing barriers to entry by making content simpler and more comprehensible. The book has been designed to be accessible to readers from diverse backgrounds. You do not need to have studied AI, philosophy, or other such topics. The content is skimmable and somewhat modular, so that you can choose which chapters to read. We introduce mathematical formulas in a few places to specify claims more precisely, but readers should be able to understand the main points without these.