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After billions of dollars and fifty years of effort, researchers are finally cracking the code on artificial intelligence. As society stands on the cusp of unprecedented change, Jerry Kaplan unpacks the latest advances in robotics, machine learning, and sensory perception powering systems that rival or exceed human capabilities. Driverless cars, robotic helpers, and intelligent agents that promote our interests have the potential to usher in a new age of affluence and leisure. But as Kaplan warns in HUMANS NEED NOT APPLY: A Guide to Wealth and Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, the transition may be protracted and brutal unless we address the two great scourges of the modern developed world: volatile labor markets and income inequality. Kaplan takes the reader on a fascinating journey, explaining why and how technological innovation will accelerate in the years ahead, what it means to have computers intimately involved in most aspects of our lives, and what the relentless advance of automation will mean for the way we work and live. As a Silicon Valley insider, he takes us on a behind the scenes tour of what’s cooking in the startups and labs, and explains how it will impact us in unexpected ways. And Kaplan cautions that we have some serious ethical issues to address before we let machines act as our agents and stewards.