{"id":1407,"date":"2026-03-31T17:36:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T21:36:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/?p=1407"},"modified":"2025-12-31T12:37:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T17:37:23","slug":"book-review-superagency-hoffman-and-beato","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/uncategorized\/book-review-superagency-hoffman-and-beato\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: SuperAgency (Hoffman and Beato)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 data-start=\"290\" data-end=\"355\">What Could Possibly Go Right?!<\/h2>\n<blockquote data-start=\"390\" data-end=\"816\">\n<p data-start=\"392\" data-end=\"816\">\u201cEven among AI developers, some believe that future instances of superintelligent AIs could represent an extinction level threat to humanity\u2026 As hard as it may be to accurately predict the future, it&#8217;s even harder to stop it\u2026 That\u2019s because as much as collaboration defines us, competition does too\u2026 and that means you\u2019ll never get the future you want simply by prohibiting the future you don\u2019t want.\u201d \u2014 <em data-start=\"796\" data-end=\"809\">SuperAgency<\/em>, p. 12<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"818\" data-end=\"1223\">This sobering yet hopeful opening sets the tone for <em data-start=\"870\" data-end=\"883\">SuperAgency<\/em>, a timely and techno-humanist exploration of artificial intelligence and its role in shaping the future. Written by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and investor at Greylock, and tech journalist Greg Beato, the book advances a provocative argument: AI will either amplify human agency\u2014or undermine it entirely. It\u2019s up to us to decide, but timing is critical.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1225\" data-end=\"1228\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"1230\" data-end=\"1274\">You would be interested in this book if\u2026<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"1276\" data-end=\"1773\">\n<li data-start=\"1276\" data-end=\"1368\">\n<p data-start=\"1278\" data-end=\"1368\">You\u2019re trying to make sense of the current moment in AI development and where it&#8217;s headed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1369\" data-end=\"1448\">\n<p data-start=\"1371\" data-end=\"1448\">You believe in the potential of AI to augment\u2014not replace\u2014human capabilities.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1449\" data-end=\"1551\">\n<p data-start=\"1451\" data-end=\"1551\">You want a clearer vocabulary around competing narratives: doomers, gloomers, zoomers, and bloomers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1552\" data-end=\"1673\">\n<p data-start=\"1554\" data-end=\"1673\">You\u2019re a school leader, policymaker, or educator wondering how to integrate digital fluency into your graduate profile.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1674\" data-end=\"1773\">\n<p data-start=\"1676\" data-end=\"1773\">You see the value in iterative deployment and agile innovation\u2014but still want space for critique.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1775\" data-end=\"2003\">You would not enjoy this book if you\u2019re looking for a deeply critical or wellness-centered perspective on AI. The authors\u2019 optimism often overshadows concerns about digital wellbeing, power asymmetries, and ethical slow-walking.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2005\" data-end=\"2008\" \/>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Superagency by Reid Hoffman - 2 Minute Summary #ai #artificialintelligence @OpenAI @LinkedIn\" width=\"491\" height=\"872\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3je8oCGj1co?start=1&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2010\" data-end=\"2039\"><\/h3>\n<h3 data-start=\"2010\" data-end=\"2039\">A Techno-Humanist Compass<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2041\" data-end=\"2125\">Hoffman and Beato channel McLuhan throughout the book, most clearly when they write:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"2127\" data-end=\"2437\">\n<p data-start=\"2129\" data-end=\"2437\">\u201cWe continuously create new tools to amplify our capabilities and shape the world to our liking. In turn, these tools end up shaping us as well\u2026 Every new technology we\u2019ve invented, from language to books to the mobile phone, has defined, redefined, deepened, and expanded what it means to be human.\u201d (p. 14)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2439\" data-end=\"2748\">They call this perspective \u201ctechno-humanism\u201d\u2014the belief that humans and tools co-evolve and are integrated into our human development &#8211; always have been. The central question is no longer <em data-start=\"2562\" data-end=\"2566\">if<\/em> AI will shape the world, but <em data-start=\"2596\" data-end=\"2601\">how<\/em> we\u2019ll shape AI so it reflects our values. Their thesis: when used well, AI can produce a new kind of collective lift\u2014what they call <em data-start=\"2734\" data-end=\"2747\">superagency<\/em>:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"2750\" data-end=\"2933\">\n<p data-start=\"2752\" data-end=\"2933\">\u201cSuperagency is what happens when a critical mass of individuals, personally empowered by artificial intelligence, begin to operate at levels that compound through society.\u201d (p. 13)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2752\" data-end=\"2933\">GenAI has the potential to level-up humanity, what we do well, and how we can still grow our humanity through an ethical and values-based lens. But it takes more than government to do this &#8211; the public must be involved. But how?<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2935\" data-end=\"2938\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"2940\" data-end=\"2980\">Iterative Deployment, Not Perfection<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2982\" data-end=\"3208\">The authors push back against the precautionary principle that says AI should be deemed \u201cguilty until proven innocent.\u201d Instead, they argue for <em data-start=\"3126\" data-end=\"3148\">iterative deployment<\/em>\u2014a kind of real-time, collective stress test for AI systems:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"3210\" data-end=\"3420\">\n<p data-start=\"3212\" data-end=\"3420\">\u201cInstead of settling for nothing less than risk-free models, we should make it our goal to understand the risks that occur in real-world conditions and systematically work to manage and reduce them.\u201d (p. 133)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"3422\" data-end=\"3643\">They draw analogies to the automobile: laws, norms, and infrastructure emerged gradually <em data-start=\"3511\" data-end=\"3515\">as<\/em> people started driving. Likewise, real-world AI use will inform better policy\u2014<em data-start=\"3594\" data-end=\"3598\">if<\/em> we\u2019re proactive, engaged, and values-driven.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3422\" data-end=\"3643\">But the authors do glance over the many deaths that lead to these regulations. Much like they glance over the tragic consequences of GenAI use by youth, and naive users.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3645\" data-end=\"3648\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"3650\" data-end=\"3704\">Competing Narratives: Doom, Gloom, Zoom, and Bloom<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3706\" data-end=\"3795\">One of the book\u2019s most useful frameworks is its categorization of public discourse on AI:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3797\" data-end=\"4210\">\n<li data-start=\"3797\" data-end=\"3875\">\n<p data-start=\"3799\" data-end=\"3875\"><strong data-start=\"3799\" data-end=\"3810\">Doomers<\/strong> fear extinction-level threats from misaligned superintelligence.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3876\" data-end=\"3995\">\n<p data-start=\"3878\" data-end=\"3995\"><strong data-start=\"3878\" data-end=\"3890\">Gloomers<\/strong> critique both AI and doomer hype, focusing instead on short-term harms like disinformation and job loss.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3996\" data-end=\"4074\">\n<p data-start=\"3998\" data-end=\"4074\"><strong data-start=\"3998\" data-end=\"4009\">Zoomers<\/strong> advocate rapid, unregulated innovation to maximize productivity.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4075\" data-end=\"4210\">\n<p data-start=\"4077\" data-end=\"4210\"><strong data-start=\"4077\" data-end=\"4089\">Bloomers<\/strong>, where the authors reside, are cautiously optimistic and want broad democratic participation in shaping AI\u2019s trajectory.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"4212\" data-end=\"4372\">In this way, <em data-start=\"4225\" data-end=\"4238\">SuperAgency<\/em> aligns closely with civic technologists and education leaders who see AI as a tool <em data-start=\"4322\" data-end=\"4327\">for<\/em> human flourishing, not just economic output. It might be possible to recognize yourself in many of these different definitions depending on your use; however, the authors do not allow for this more nuanced argument.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"4374\" data-end=\"4377\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"4379\" data-end=\"4418\">The Data Deluge and the Case for AI<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"4420\" data-end=\"4479\">On page 46, a staggering data point supports their urgency:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"4481\" data-end=\"4706\">\n<p data-start=\"4483\" data-end=\"4706\">\u201cThe average U.S. inhabitant was already only consuming 0.004 of the information available each day in 1990. Today, in the time it takes you to read this sentence, the world produces enough data to fill 23 billion e-books.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"4708\" data-end=\"4887\">Their argument is simple: only AI has the capacity to synthesize this flood of information into actionable insight. In their equation, <em data-start=\"4843\" data-end=\"4887\">Big Data \u2192 Big Knowledge \u2192 Value Creation.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4889\" data-end=\"5234\">But the trade-off is real. They admit: \u201cPhones are the first thing people reach for in the morning, the last thing they interact with at night.\u201d (p. 96). Yet they fail to address what this means for digital well-being, cognitive overload, or the loss of solitude. Their model of agency is productivity-centered, not necessarily <em data-start=\"5217\" data-end=\"5233\">human-centered<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Reid Hoffman on embracing #AI with agency | Rapid Response\" width=\"491\" height=\"872\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QDq5e1i2bds?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"5236\" data-end=\"5239\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"5241\" data-end=\"5292\">Why This Matters for Educators &amp; School Leaders<\/h3>\n<blockquote data-start=\"5294\" data-end=\"5391\">\n<p data-start=\"5296\" data-end=\"5391\">\u201cLife as a human today means constantly upskilling\u2026 The 21st century has given us AI.\u201d (p. 149)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"5393\" data-end=\"5661\">In this world, education must prepare students not just for <em data-start=\"5453\" data-end=\"5460\">tools<\/em> of the future, but for <em data-start=\"5484\" data-end=\"5495\">decisions<\/em> about the future. For schools like Kingsway College School, this book resonates with our Portrait of a Graduate and our focus on student agency, ethics, and inquiry.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5663\" data-end=\"5765\">The authors argue that ethics, norms, and shared values\u2014not just policies\u2014must guide how we deploy AI:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"5767\" data-end=\"5849\">\n<p data-start=\"5769\" data-end=\"5849\">\u201cCitizens will play an active and substantive role in legitimizing AI.\u201d (p. 184)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"5851\" data-end=\"5986\">This reminds us that educators, students, and families have critical roles in shaping the discourse\u2014not just tech firms and regulators. The book does a good job of starting with the basics of what LLMs are, and how best to use them, so that is good; however, I think a more in-depth look at the precautionary principle, and at cautionary tails would have made this book more well-rounded.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"5988\" data-end=\"5991\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"5993\" data-end=\"6048\">Final Thoughts: A Book for the Zoomers and Bloomers<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"6050\" data-end=\"6210\">This is an engaging, well-researched book with a clear message: we are still early in the AI journey. Optimism is warranted\u2014but only if it comes with vigilance.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6212\" data-end=\"6408\">While <em data-start=\"6218\" data-end=\"6231\">SuperAgency<\/em> offers a compelling case for iterative deployment and techno-humanism, it glosses over well-being, ethics of care, and the power imbalances baked into current AI architectures.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6410\" data-end=\"6574\">Still, I recommend this book\u2014especially for those in the <em data-start=\"6467\" data-end=\"6476\">bloomer<\/em> camp who want to champion human agency in a post-AI world. Read it not as gospel, but as a spark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Could Possibly Go Right?! \u201cEven among AI developers, some believe that future instances of superintelligent AIs could represent an extinction level threat to humanity\u2026 As hard as it may be to accurately predict the future, it&#8217;s even harder to stop it\u2026 That\u2019s because as much as collaboration defines us, competition does too\u2026 and that&#8230;<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/uncategorized\/book-review-superagency-hoffman-and-beato\/\">Read more <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1410,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1,72],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-1407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership","category-uncategorized","category-wellness","tag-book-review"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1407"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1409,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1407\/revisions\/1409"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}