September 2021

Jeanette Winterson is Professor of New Writing at the University of Manchester and is perhaps best known for her book, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit in 1985.

In this book, she turns her – not inconsiderable – talents to exploring artificial intelligence and its impact on our lives and our world.

This is not a dry walk through of technological developments, it is rich and thoughtful exploration of ideas and the author’s wealth of historical, social as well as technical knowledge shines through. Funny and terrifying in equal measure, Winterson offers us ’12 Bytes’ in 12 essays, each one full to the brim with existential questions and historical context all wrapped up in Winterson’s accessible, entertaining but powerful language that ultimately brings us back to very simple questions about humanity that go beyond technology. 

Each chapter stands alone, but offers the reader a deeper insight into the profound issues raised by the author when read together.

“Imagine if the agenda of Big Tech really were to make the world a better place.
If the non-stop advertising could be checked.
If the monetising of our every move were disallowed.
If connecting people were just that – connecting people.
If the awesome power of Big Tech encouraged its users to take responsibility for the planet. To consume less. To travel with a lighter footprint. To look for genuinely shared collective solutions, where data could be put to good use to manage shortages, to distribute surpluses, to measure health, to spread risk, to target inequality. To use our online world to educate. 
The technology to change the world for the better is the technology that is in place right now.
It’s the best of times and the worst of times.
Dystopia or Utopia?
Nothing could be simpler. Nothing could be harder.”