The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, Deepmind, and the Quest for Superintelligence - Hardcover

by Sebastian Mallaby (Author)

An Instant New York Times Bestseller

What happens when one person’s scientific ambition becomes part of a global race to create a new form of intelligence?

In The Infinity Machine, Sebastian Mallaby traces the remarkable journey of Demis Hassabis—from a childhood chess prodigy and teenage programmer to neuroscientist, DeepMind cofounder, Nobel laureate, and one of the most influential figures shaping modern artificial intelligence.

Hassabis pursued artificial general intelligence as more than a commercial breakthrough. He imagined advanced machines capable of helping humanity confront foundational questions in biology, physics, medicine, and the nature of intelligence itself. That vision helped transform DeepMind from an ambitious London startup into a central force within Google’s global AI research.

Built upon more than thirty hours of conversations with Hassabis, Mallaby’s account also draws from cofounders, competitors, critics, and scientific pioneers. The result is both an intimate portrait of an extraordinary mind and a wider examination of the money, talent, computational power, corporate pressure, and existential risk surrounding the pursuit of superintelligence.

KEY FEATURES

• Biography of DeepMind cofounder Demis Hassabis

• History of DeepMind and its relationship with Google

• Explores the pursuit of artificial general intelligence

• Based on extensive interviews with Hassabis

• Includes perspectives from colleagues, rivals, and critics

• Examines AI research, corporate competition, and scientific ambition

• Discusses the costs of computing power and elite technical talent

• Considers both the promise and potential danger of advanced AI

• Written by Sebastian Mallaby

• Hardcover edition

PEOPLE & ORGANIZATIONS FEATURED

• Demis Hassabis

• DeepMind

• Google and Google DeepMind

• Mustafa Suleyman

• Ilya Sutskever

• Geoffrey Hinton

• Elon Musk

• AI researchers, investors, and academic pioneers

• Technology companies competing to build advanced AI systems

THEMES & SUBJECTS

• Artificial general intelligence

• Superintelligence and AI safety

• Scientific discovery and personal ambition

• DeepMind’s growth and acquisition

• Google’s role in the global AI race

• Corporate power and technological control

• The enormous cost of computing infrastructure

• Competition for research talent

• Biology, neuroscience, physics, and machine learning

• Whether inventors can control the systems they create

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sebastian Mallaby is an author, journalist, and chronicler of finance, innovation, and global capitalism. His books include the bestselling More Money Than God.

A former contributing editor at the Financial Times and a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Mallaby serves as the Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations.

PLEASE NOTE

• This book discusses rapidly evolving artificial-intelligence research, companies, and industry figures.

• Roles, affiliations, technologies, and corporate structures may change after publication.

• Predictions about artificial general intelligence and superintelligence remain uncertain and contested.

• The book incorporates interviews, competing perspectives, and the author’s interpretation of events.

• This is a work of biography and technology journalism rather than a technical guide to building AI systems.

• Cover artwork and publisher markings may vary by edition.

• Product colors may appear slightly different due to lighting and screen settings.

• Review the available edition and condition information before ordering.

WHY YOU’LL WANT TO READ IT

The Infinity Machine follows a mind determined to understand intelligence while asking whether intelligence can ever be fully controlled. It is a portrait of scientific obsession, immense corporate stakes, and a technological race whose finish line remains hidden—even from the people running toward it.

PRODUCT TYPE

Hardcover Technology-Biography and Artificial-Intelligence Books