Book Review: Supremacy by Parmy Olson
I read through Parmy Olson's Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World very easily. It felt like I was reading a historical account about something that has just happened.
The book reads like a long and timely news article about AI. Published in March of 2024, and considering Olson's journalism background the latter should not come as a surprise.
Somehow, it did.
Supremacy first chapters ping-pong between the lives and careers of two visionaries in AI: Sam Altman, a St. Louis-raised Jewish American entrepreneur, and Demis Hassabis, a Greek-Singaporean UK-born math wizz.
Both are remarkably different types of geniuses. We've got Altman, a charismatic dealmaker with an obsession for scaling ideas. We also learn that he is (unlike many tech leaders these days) incredibly charismatic and charming.
For example, there's a passage in Chapter 1 "High School Hero", where Olson explains that being gay during Altman's high school days in conservative Missouri, USA was difficult. Homosexual youth tended to find safety in silence where Altman was from.
But not Sam. Altman was different. He tended to speak up.
Olson writes in the book,
"Altman, was that one kid in highschool that tried to transcend the label that others tried to slap on him."
Demis Hassabis, on the other hand, is a deeply intellectual scientist with a love for video games, a chess prodigy and obsessed about learning more about how the brain works.
Despite their vastly different paths, both are united by a singular, all-consuming pursuit: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
So, it so happens there's a slight difference between AGI and AI. Who knew?
AGI refers to a form of AI that can perform any intellectual task a human can do, as opposed to today’s more narrow and widely used term AI.
AI excels only at specific tasks (e.g., facial recognition or language translation). AGI represents the pinnacle of machine intelligence, capable of reasoning, learning, and adapting across virtually any domain.
The dream of AGI fuels both Altman’s work at OpenAI and Hassabis’ leadership at DeepMind.
Why You Should Read Supremacy?
If you’re curious about how and why Sam Altman was fired and then reinstated as CEO of OpenAI, this book is really good at walking you through the story. However, the latter is talked about in the final chapters of the book. I wouldn't suggest skipping to that section without reading all the background Olson masterfully leads up to.
Exploring Altman and Hassabis' rivalries, motivations, and compromises in a rapidly evolving AI landscape is critical to understanding the decisions that are being taken today. Also, it helps bring context about how and why we are still being enforced AI through the auspices and determinations of private sector companies.
About the Author: Parmy Olson
She is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist with years of reporting on AI and technology regulation, Olson has a track record of uncovering the hidden power dynamics behind tech innovations.
From her investigations into companies overstating their AI capabilities to her groundbreaking coverage of Google’s AI spin-out efforts, Olson’s perspective is informed, nuanced, and deeply credible.
Core Themes and Lessons From the Book
To me, the central lesson of Supremacy is both sobering and thought-provoking: no matter how idealistic the original visions of AI pioneers like Sam Altman and Demis Hassabis, the development of AGI cannot escape the gravitational pull of tech giants.
Google, Microsoft, Elon Musk and others fund the research, dictate the priorities, and ultimately shape how this supercharged intelligence is deployed.
Olson makes a good point of the fact that their influence is what often steers AI toward corporate goals rather than collective human benefit. And that is where this book doesn’t shy away from addressing the darker sides of AI development.
We learn about the controversies around AI “hallucinations,” or how algorithms reinforce societal biases. Olson questions the opaque practices of companies like OpenAI and DeepMind, stating:
"Archrivals OpenAI and DeepMind refuse to share details about their training data and methods, making it almost impossible for independent researchers to scrutinize their technology for potential harm."
This lack of transparency, combined with the dominance of monopolistic corporate entities, raises critical questions about the future of AI governance. Olson reminds us that even the ethical boards initially set up by pioneers like Altman and Hassabis have proven ineffective, functioning more as public relations tools than as genuine checks on corporate power.
My Favorite Parts of the Book:
Effective Altruism and AI Hype
Call me ignorant or maybe I was not clued in enough to tech circles. Nonetheless, I found fascinating the parts of this book mentioning, explaining and debating effective altruism.
For people like me, unfamiliar with the term, "effective altruism", it's a philosophy and a movement that greatly influenced Altman and the AI professional entourage he orbits. Effective altruism is a philosophy and social movement that seeks to use evidence and reason to identify and implement the most impactful ways to improve the world.
Through out Supremacy we learn how the movement intersects with the AI race. This has sparked debate about whether lofty ideals of “benefiting humanity” are truly achievable under the weight of corporate interests.
The other thing I loved about this book is how its author avoids falling for the AI hype we are all experiencing at the moment (timestamp: December 2024).
In an era when AI is often portrayed as either humanity’s savior or destroyer, Parmy Olson cuts through the noise with a level-headed analysis.
While the tech world is abuzz with promises of AI revolutionizing every industry, be it healthcare, education, entertainment, or even climate change, Supremacy offers a balanced perspective. Olson acknowledges the technology’s transformative potential but does not shy away from highlighting its current limitations, risks, and the ethical dilemmas.
From the overblown claims of some AI startups to the real challenges of transparency, fairness, and governance, Olson scrutinizes the reality behind the hype, making the book both timely and deeply insightful.
Reflections and Takeaways
What struck me most about Supremacy is its continuous reminder of the growing gap between AI’s promise and its reality.
Let me explain.
Altman and Hassabis may have started with dreams of empowering humanity, but their work was increasingly appropriated by corporate agendas. So in the end, its not just a story about two individuals or even two companies competing against each other.
At first Supremacy tricks you into thinking it is a biography of Altman and Hassabis's AGI journeys. Actually, it narrates how a few tech monopolies have influenced the future of intelligence, privacy, and autonomy for billions of people.
Think about it. That's huge.
My one track mind also left me thinking of the few bits that mention the environmental angle. In a world grappling with climate change, the energy-intensive nature of AI research and deployment feels like a double-edged sword. While AI could help us innovate our way out of environmental crises, its unchecked development risks exacerbating them too.
Olson’s reporting reminded me of the precarious balance between innovation and oversight.
With no global AI regulations in place yet (beyond the EU’s AI Act, which won’t take effect until 2026), we’re entering uncharted territory where the risks far outweigh the safeguards.
Finally, I appreciated Olson’s focus on transparency or should I say the lack thereof. In an era when trust in institutions is eroding, AI development methods are deeply troubling.
As Olson writes,
“Sam and Demis set out to create powerful technology that would benefit humanity. But that has become a distant dream.”
For anyone interested in the future of technology, ethics, marketing, or climate change, Supremacy is a must-read. It’s not just a book about AI, it’s a reflection on what happens when human ambition collides with unchecked corporate influence and environmental constraints.
You care about sustainable futures? Read this book.
