At the Speed of Irrelevance: How America Blew Its AI Leadership Position and How to Regain It - Hardcover

by Al Naqvi (Author), Mani Janakiram (Author)

Get the inside story of American Artificial Intelligence (AI) failure and fall: Learn how to reassume American AI leadership and win against China

On the eve of the Sino-American great power competition General Mattis challenged America to move forward at the speed of relevance. To compete effectively America needed to excel in its AI capacity. The call fell on deaf ears - and years later the nation found itself sliding towards a state of irrelevance on the global stage. A series of blunders contributed to what President Biden calls American AI's "failing and falling behind."

This is the story of American AI's fall from grace. Capturing the live moments of American excitement and mastery of AI to the tragedy of ending up behind China, the authors give a behind the scenes account of what transpired. Get an inside view on who dropped the ball at a time when America needed its best leadership. As the mystery unravels, it shows the great misses and deceptions, colossal mistakes, policy failures, and negligence that cost America its leadership position.

This story could become the story of America's own decline and fall. But there is hope. In the past America has shown resilience to bounce back from the agony of defeat to win in the long run. This book gives a path to rebuild American AI and secure such a victory.

Whether you are a business leader or a policy analyst, a supply chain expert or an academic, a congressmember or an agency head At the Speed of Irrelevance: How America Blew Its AI Leadership Position and How to Regain It will change your thinking about your responsibility to your firms, agencies, and the country. This will be the most timely and patriotic book you will ever read.

Front Jacket

From a position of unparalleled dominance, America's status as the undisputed world leader in artificial intelligence technology has vanished. China has assumed that mantle and, in doing so, threatens the national security and stability of the United States.

In At the Speed of Irrelevance: How America Blew Its AI Leadership Position and How to Regain It, a team of distinguished tech experts delivers the tragic tale of America's increasing irrelevance on the global stage and a hopeful and inspiring call to action for how to reverse the trend.

In the book, you'll explore how the United States' leaders regularly ignored warnings from high-ranking generals, businesspeople, and academics that America needed to shore up its capacity to research and develop innovative artificial intelligence technologies to maintain its geopolitical and economic advantage. You'll also discover the series of blunders that followed, contributing to what President Joe Biden has referred to as America's AI "failing or falling behind."

The authors explain that this need not be a story of overall American decline, however. There is hope. At the Speed of Irrelevance describes a realistic and practical roadmap to rebuild America's capacity for creating revolutionary AI technology and secure long-term victory against China and her allies.

An indispensable and patriotic remedy for the United States' inexcusable surrender in the battle for AI supremacy, At the Speed of Irrelevance will transform how you think about your responsibility to your company, your partners, and your country. It belongs in the libraries of every business leader, lawmaker, analyst, and academic.

Back Jacket

PRAISE FOR AT THE SPEED OF IRRELEVANCE

"Much like the Space Race and the Cold War of a bygone era, the authors argue we have entered a new frontier of international competition in artificial intelligence -- one that will determine geopolitical primacy. The scary thing is, most Americans don't realize we're engaged in a life-or-death struggle, and, worse, we have no coherent national U.S. strategy for winning."
--THOMAS W. DERRY, CEO, Institute for Supply Management

"Some books nurture and coddle the reader. This book is not that kind of book. That, however, should not dissuade readers from digging into this book and embracing the important message it offers. In At the Speed of Irrelevance, authors Naqvi and Janakiram provide a direct and critical assessment of AI in America in a riveting if not anguish-inducing manner. The writing is compelling, and it is often difficult to put the book down, because the message is so sharp and urgent. They make the case that AI is central to the future success and livelihood of America and conclude that America is perilously lagging behind. They examine how the landscape has changed and how decisions have been made in the public and private sector which have contributed to the current dire state for AI in America. Their passion and deep knowledge drive a thoughtful and incisive assessment, and thankfully gives some hope for a favorable turnaround. It is a clarion call for action to rebuild what they argue is a national capacity."
--JAMES B. RICE, JR., Deputy Director, Center for Transportation and Logistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"This book is an operating manual to rebuild America with AI."
--TANICE "TK" GONSALVES, President, WTI

Author Biography

AL NAQVI is a Professor and President at the American Institute of Artificial Intelligence. He teaches classes on applied artificial intelligence, deep learning, and cognitive transformation. His research is focused on applying deep learning to advanced models of financial engineering, portfolio management, and asset management.

MANI JANAKIRAM is a Manufacturing Supply Chain and Analytics executive and also an academician. His 25+ years of professional experience includes the semiconductor, automotive, and aerospace industries. Mani has two patents and has published over 100 papers. He is an accomplished speaker and serves on several committees to advance practical application of AI and Analytics. Mani holds a PhD from Arizona State University and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.