Description

‘Joins the dots in a neglected narrative of female scientists, visionaries and code-breakers’ Observer

How is artificial intelligence changing the way we live and love? Now with a new chapter, this is the eye-opening new book from Sunday Times bestselling author Jeanette Winterson.

Drawing on her years of thinking and reading about AI, Jeanette Winterson looks to history, religion, myth, literature, politics and, of course, computer science to help us understand the radical changes to the way we live and love that are happening now.

With wit, compassion and curiosity, Winterson tackles AI’s most interesting talking points – from the weirdness of backing up your brain and the connections between humans and non-human helpers to whether it’s time to leave planet Earth.

‘Very funny… A kind of comparative mythology, where the hype and ideology of cutting-edge tech is read through the lens of far older stories’ Spectator

‘Refreshingly optimistic’ Guardian

A ‘Books of 2021’ Pick in the Guardian, Financial Times, Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard

Publisher Review

Thought provoking and necessary * Guardian * Briskly and breezily, it [12 Bytes] joins the dots in a neglected narrative of female scientists, visionaries and code-breakers -- Claire Armitstead * Observer * 12 punchy, fact-laden and witty essays... Her writing engulfs you in lucid, fairytale-like realities that take you on gender-bending and time-warped explorations of religion, love, sex, and sexual identity. -- Charlotte Cripps * Independent * An unusual and entertaining read...[12 Bytes] is inflected with the same delightful, dry humour as the rest of her work... With its imaginative, insightful and wide-ranging essays, 12 Bytes will undoubtedly prompt readers to begin their own circlings around AI. -- Laura Grace Simpkins * New Scientist * Aspects of this AI future are frightening...[and] for any non-scientist wanting to understand the challenges and possibilities of this brave new world, I can't think of a more engaging place to start. -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer *