Tools and Weapons

Friends,

Yesterday, Microsoft’s President Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne just published their new book: Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age. As someone interest in the impact of technology on the world you may be interested in a new book. It’s published in the U.S. by Penguin Press. Tools and Weapons provides readers with a view from inside Microsoft of many of the biggest technology trends and thorniest issues of our time.

From privacy and cyber-warfare to the impact of powerful technologies like artificial intelligence to rural broadband, Brad makes an argument that companies that create technology must accept greater responsibility for the future, and governments will need to regulate technology by moving faster and catching up with the fast pace of innovation. The book is more than a broad call for policy, it includes specific insightful and actionable recommendations for tech companies, governments, and civic society.

A year ago I was incredibly honored to join Brad on a new part of my journey as his Chief Data Analytics Officer with a mission to infuse AI and Data Science to solve some of the worlds great challenges. There are many stories in this book that I am seeing shape real time in this mission and am excited to help add my capabilities and knowledge to ensure the world adopts them in the best ways possible. It has been an amazing year and I am humbled every day by how technology including AI and Data Science is changing the world to be a better place and this book is a great read to see both the possibilities and the challenges ahead. Brad and Carol Ann are front and center at some of the most challenging and exciting times of our generation. So to say the least I encourage you to get a copy and read first hand.

Initial reviews, like this one in Axios, have emphasized that it is an engaging read full of stories – inside stories from Microsoft, stories about other sometimes unlikely heroes, and even engaging stories from history. The book is out the U.S. today at retailers including Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. You can read more at here too: https://news.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/tools-and-weapons/ to learn more.

My best, John

PS As you read it and find references to my work send me a LinkedIn message!!!