Book 55: What E.M. Forster's "The Machine Stops" Teaches Us About the Experts Training AI [100 Great Books]

Forster’s 1909 novella imagined a society that feared first-hand knowledge and collapsed for lack of it. Expert networks have built a business on the opposite conviction.

Expert networks are all the rage right now. They offer an interesting way for accomplished professionals to earn well and work on what they want, when they want. Their work goes into building and improving models published by leading LLM labs. You can use this link to explore.

Today’s featured novel offers a rather grim picture of automation and technology in our lives. Instead of jumping to a conclusion, it might be worth your while to explore the similarities and differences. Remember this is from 1909.

E.M. Forster’s “The Machine Stops

Vashti lives in a small, hexagonal room underground. There are no windows or lamps, but the room has light and fresh air. Robots bring her food, music and a bed. An armchair carries her across the floor. Through a screen, she speaks to thousands of acquaintances and delivers lectures on music. She rarely has any reason to leave.