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AI Superpowers book club questions
Here are 12 book club questions for AI Superpowers by Kai-Fu Lee, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
AI Superpowers is Kai-Fu Lee's argument that the geopolitical competition to lead in artificial intelligence is primarily a two-country race between the United States and China, and that the outcome will reshape the global economy in ways most people haven't started to reckon with.
Kai-Fu Lee · 2018 · 5h 0m
Full summary and key takeaways →The 12 questions
- 1.
Lee argues the AI implementation race has replaced the AI research race. Does that framing change how you think about which countries, companies, or people are positioned well?
- 2.
China's data advantage comes partly from weaker privacy norms. Is that a feature of their AI strategy or a liability waiting to materialize?
- 3.
Lee estimates 40 percent job displacement. How does that compare to past technological transitions, and why might this one be different or the same?
- 4.
Which jobs in your own field do you think are most and least exposed to AI displacement? What's the actual difference between the two categories?
- 5.
Lee distinguishes between AI that processes data and humans who provide compassion. Is that a stable distinction, or will AI erode the compassion side over time?
- 6.
What would an adequate policy response to AI-driven displacement actually require? What's the realistic political path to getting there?
- 7.
Lee is explicitly bullish on China's AI trajectory. What would have to be true for his case to be wrong?
- 8.
The book's final chapters argue for revaluing human care. Is that a political argument, a personal one, or both? Do you find it convincing?
- 9.
Silicon Valley culture prizes moonshots over incremental implementation. Is that an AI strength or a weakness compared to the Chinese approach Lee describes?
- 10.
Lee wrote the book partly while being treated for cancer. Does the personal arc change how you read the policy prescriptions?
- 11.
What does AI leadership actually mean for ordinary citizens in the US or China? Is the competition framing useful or misleading at that level?
- 12.
If AI displaces 40 percent of jobs, what happens to the social contract around work, identity, and dignity? Which of those is hardest to replace?
How to run the discussion
- Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
- Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
- Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
- Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.
Themes worth steering toward
If the conversation stalls, these are the threads that usually restart it.
Common questions
What are good book club questions for AI Superpowers?
Here are 12 book club questions for AI Superpowers by Kai-Fu Lee, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. The strongest openers ask what each reader noticed rather than what they concluded, and the discussion usually turns on artificial intelligence, us-china competition, technology policy.
How long should a book club discussion of AI Superpowers last?
Most groups run 60 to 90 minutes of actual discussion. That is roughly six to eight questions, not all of them, so pick the ones that suit your group rather than working down the list in order.
What are the main themes in AI Superpowers?
Artificial intelligence, US-China competition, Technology policy, Future of work, Entrepreneurship. Those are the threads most likely to divide a room, which makes them the useful places to steer a discussion that has gone quiet.
Picking the next one? See books like AI Superpowers or questions for other book club picks.
