TWO YEARS ago, when Elinor Lobel was 16, a "smart" insulin pump was attached to her body. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), it tracks her glucose levels and administers the right dose of insulin at the right time to keep her healthy. It is a miraculous innovation for diabetes sufferers and just one of myriad new ways that data and ai can help improve lives. Your browser does not support the audio element. Books that decry the dark side of data abound.

We often hear of the dark side of artificial intelligence (AI), how it will plunge us into a dystopian world of lost privacy and bad automated decisions, culminating in the robots killing us all. Professor Orly Lobel's The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future (Public Affairs, October 2022) offers a very different view – one of optimism. Orly's book is an exuberant and insightful account of the bright side of AI and related digital technologies. Her book is filled with fascinating facts and engaging stories. Orly Lobel is the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law; University Professor; and Director, Center for Employment and Labor Policy at the U.C. San Diego School of Law.