2040: A Silicon Valley Satire by Pedro Domingos

2040: A Silicon Valley Satire Reviews

• 
  Chris Williams

  The premise and idea of this book were enough to pique my interest. With a background in software development and AI, I found the description intriguing. However, the technology mentioned in the book felt very surface-level and almost corny. I was also interested in the heavily political nature of the book, but it didn’t quite land as expected.
  
  While politics were a central theme from the beginning, the execution fell short. Despite the focus on an AI president, the political elements were exaggerated to the point of being unconvincing, even for a satire. The characters felt extremely shallow, and their conversations and decisions seemed weightless, which was contradictory to the gravity of a presidential election that could end America as a whole. The satire spelled things out so explicitly that it left little to the reader’s imagination. There was very little suspense or any hook that compelled me to keep reading.
  
  The ending was particularly disappointing. It was abrupt and wrapped everything up in a neat bow in about five pages, leaving nothing to ponder. For a political satire, I expected to be left reflecting on the implications of our own political decisions rather than feeling unsatisfied with an overly tidy conclusion.
  
  While the concept had potential, the execution did not live up to it. The book lacked the depth and subtlety needed to make a lasting impact. It presents a light, unserious, and overly exaggerated narrative. Even understanding that it is satire, the story felt underbaked and ultimately was not that enticing of a read. It might entertain those looking for a light, exaggerated take on future politics, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
  
  That said, if you’re in the mood for a quick, light-hearted read with some humorous takes on future politics, you might still find some enjoyment here.
  
  I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Adam

  3/5
  
  Written with a very lean prose, this humorous satire supposes an AI running for President against a 1/1024th Lakota man whose platform is literally destroying America by “kicking out all the colonists.”
  
  Lots of parallels to draw, and your enjoyment will depend on your style of humor. While entertaining, and a very quick read, I felt it was too dependent on dialogue while leaving some more interesting ideas by the wayside.
  
  A fun diversion if you somehow don’t have enough politics in your life.
• 
  Steven

  I was very excited about starting this one. Not only do I appreciate political satire, but reading a narrative about an AI presidential candidate during election season—when AI is a prominent topic in the tech industry—seemed like an incredible opportunity. However, upon completion, I found myself with mixed feelings.
  
  The premise is excellent: a tech startup develops an AI, integrates it into a robotic body, and campaigns for it as a presidential candidate. However, I encountered some issues with the execution. The author effectively extrapolates a satirical near-future, both politically and technologically. The writing is engaging, featuring several humorous moments. The characters involved in the startup are relatable, even if not always likable, and the PresiBot is entertaining. Conversely, the opposition candidate and his supporters felt excessively exaggerated and appeared over-the-top and absurd. I believe the author pushed the satire too far, leading much of the book to feel farcical and causing it to miss its intended impact.
  
  That said, I did find enjoyment in the book, although it wasn't what I anticipated. Throughout the novel, I was reminded more of a parody you might encounter on Family Guy or South Park, both of which are shows I do enjoy from time to time.
• 
  Nohely

  Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
  
  I had a hard time rating this. I’d say maybe 3.5 rounded up because it definitely delivers on its promise of being an easy read for the TikTok crowd. The premise is crazy—a Silicon Valley satire where an AI bot runs for president in 2040. It's fast-paced and hilarious, maybe a little scary. It also gives a look into how AI “thinks” and the potential outcome.
  
  That said, it might be a little too fast-paced at times. There's not much backstory, and some of the scenarios are so out there that you just have to roll with it. But honestly, it’s worth a read if you're into quirky, quick reads with an intriguing concept.
• 
  Grace grace_loves_books13

  Fast-paced, short, entertaining.
  
  This portion of the blurb summarizes the book well, and intrigued me enough to pick this book up:
  
  “The Republican candidate is an AI named PresiBot, created by a tech startup, KumbAI, who are in deeply over their heads. The Democratic candidate is a fake Native American chief seeking to abolish the United States. What could go wrong?”
  
  Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me. It is satirical and meant to be funny, but I found it a little too over the top and outrageous. There wasn’t one character I could remotely connect to or root for. 2.5 stars.
  
  Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
• 
  Meg

  It's 2040. The US Presidential elections. An AI robot - PresiBot - run by Ethan & Arvind VS a Fake Native American. What could possibly go wrong?
  
  2040: A Silicon Valley Satire is a very short, fast-paced read; a lot is going on in each chapter making you want to read more. It is mostly dialog which scratches my brain quite nicely. There is a lot of tech/AI talk (obviously), however it isn't hard to follow. The ending did fall kinda short for me, considering how messy/active/fast-paced it was throughout. "Too clean" maybe? All in all, I enjoyed it.
  
  For people who enjoy SciFi/futuristic books, as well as politics with satire, this is the book for you.
  
  This book was given to me by NetGalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
• 
  John Kropewnicki

  4 stars: everyone can read this amd find entertainment.
  
  
  This book is a successful satire of both the current state of AI and our current state of electorial conversations.    The presidental election reminded me of the candidates from Idiocracy.    I think the final third of the book was the most entertaining and interesting.
  
  
  I was given a review copy by netgallery.
• 
  Jenn

  This was a quick and easy read that I gravitated to as I currently live in the Silicon Valley and have a background working in politics. The story revolves around the 2040 presidential election and focuses on PresiBot, the first AI candidate to run for the nation’s highest office. Much of the action deals with trying to win the election while also dealing with numerous bugs that plague PresiBot’s humanesque robot form, while both skewering the state of politics in the United States and delivering a cautionary tale about AI and huge tech conglomerations.
  
  I know this was billed as satire, but I did feel that the Chief character was so over the top that he became offensive. I don’t think that was a necessity to get the point across that these two candidates make a disgusting charade of running for president (and to cleverly poke fun at the disfunction of American politics).
  
  Overall, a fun, quirky read especially if you are interested in politics or tech.
• 
  Cindy

  Just the tonic to help take my mind off the orange threat to democracy! This novella satirizes the race for president in 2040 between a 1/1024th Lakotan who wants to end America by reverting all lands to the indigenous peoples (but is also bat-sh*t crazy) and #PresiBot, an A.I. candidate entered as a joke by a Silicon Valley start-up, KumbAI. The “native” candidate’s slogan is Make America Go Away and in 2040 he is running as a Democrat. To quote his campaign manager, “I’d rather have an Indigenous Federation run by us than a United States run by the GOP.” I did quite a bit of chortling, snickering, sighing, and eye-rolling while reading this, often in recognizing how similar the over-the-top antics, environment, and ideas were to today’s fractious climate. I also enjoyed the puns and wordplay, such as naming a dating app PheroMoan! Because it is sometimes silly, I had to be in the right mood for it or I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. Therefore, 5 stars for when you want to read a clever and often over-the-top story about partisan politics, money, and class (as in caste).
  My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the advance reader copy of 2040: A Silicon Valley Satire for review purposes.
• 
  Abi

  2040 follows a bizarre dystopian future in which two candidates face off to become the President of the United States. For the republicans, a dodgy AI controlled robot - which is only a glorified test dummy, designed to “unite” America. For the democrats, a white man pretending to be Native American with the overall aim of disbanding the United States and destroying the constitution on which it was founded. This dystopian world is essentially run by large tech companies, with segregation by race back in place with designated housing “zones” and guards patrolling the streets.
  
  An odd amalgamation of the works of George Orwell and satirical comedy, this book is a short and enjoyable, if at times infuriating, read.
  
  My only desire is that the book had slightly more exposition, I read it in just under 2 hours and would have liked to have seen maybe a bit more depth to the backgrounds of this dystopian society.
• 
  Kaitlyn

  The setup: A white man making his drop of Native American ancestry his identity and a robot run for president
  The punchline: sounds like something that could actually happen in America doesn't it?
  
  If you find the movie "Idiocracy" hitting a little too close to home, think Brave New World's premise of control through pleasure is scarily accurate, or find yourself rolling your eyes at current American politics--- then this novella is right up your alley. Our cast of characters aren't root-for worthy or even multilayered (especially the women) and it is all over the top at moments--but it does make you think, what's the best way forward? How do you right every wrong? SHOULD we let AI direct us to a better future? I found myself wanting to learn more, so I'll probably tap into some of Domingos' essays for a deeper dive into the world of AI.
  
  Thank you Netgalley for access to the ARC!
• 
  Dave Milbrandt

  In an election year with an attempted assassination of one party's nominee and a last-minute replacement of the other party's top pick, you wouldn't think things could get any weirded. Unless, of course, you put an AI against a man pretending to be Native American. The plot is as straightforward (and zany) as that. The thing with this story is that it is exactly what it purports to be. The author takes the story to relatively logical conclusion and it is an interesting journey along the way. The storytelling seems a bit uneven in places, but overall it is a breezy and entertaining read.
• 
  Carrie

  I LOVED this book!! I’m not typically one to grab a satire (esp a political one) but the premise of this book was too good to miss! 🇺🇸🤖
  
  2040: A Silicon Valley Satire is a satire about the presidential election in 2040. Who’s running? The Republican candidate as an Al named PresiBot, and the Democratic candidate is a fake Native American chief named Raging Bull.
  
  Hilarity ensues (in a laugh so you won’t cry kind of situation 🥴).
  
  We’ve got tech giants, tech startups, polls and social media, campaigns, Al, the fragility of our nation, you name it! This is a mocking assessment of the current state of America - from tech giants’ empires and the anxiety and publicity around Al. It is set in a dystopian San Francisco in a future that is a little scarily not that far away. 😵‍💫💻👽🤖🦾🦿👩🏼‍💻
  
  The characters have a resemblance to actual ones which the author claims “may or may not be a coincidence”. This was actually my favorite part - that Domingos took pros and cons of real life candidates, switched which party, and shined light on how ridiculous some aspects of each side really are - and how so many adopt or accept things because it’s one “their side.”
  🫏🇺🇸🐘
  
  The premise alone of this book piqued my interest enough to open it up and I found that once I did I was clicking my seatbelt along on this wild ride.🎢
  
  No matter your political affiliation - I think everyone will enjoy this one! 🇺🇸
  
  Thank you to @netgalley, Pedro Domingos, and @bookbabyofficial for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! 💗🤖
  
  Releases August 20, 2024!
• 
  Jenna Gilmore

  **I was provided a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
  
  The concept of this book hooked me immediately. A presidential election set in the future between a robot and a fake Native American? I was absolutely curious to see how the concept would grow.
  
  It wasn’t what I expected, which disappointed me just a bit. This was very focused on the behind the scenes, which was still interesting at least, so I still enjoyed reading the book. However, there were some points that felt like the right-wing’s version of what will happen if “wokeism” takes over. Some projections felt pretty spot on, others just felt dramatized.
  
  My biggest critic for the book? The ending. I wish it had ended before we found out the winner. Usually, I’m not a fan of cliffhangers (which this gave anyway), but between the options I think having the election results not be shared at the end would have been a bit better. The point of the book should have been more of a warning than an actual election.
  
  Anyway, I did enjoy reading this book, and I think the cover is fantastic as well. Overall, a pretty good read.
  
  
  Rating: 3.3/5
  
  Recommend? Sure
• 
  Beckyann

  When Ethan and Arvind started their AI company, and needed a way to demonstrate the capabilities of their product, they decided to make an AI presidential candidate. PresiBot, becomes the nominee for the Republican Party, and sets off the chain of events in this book. I laughed so hard, and genuinely loved the zany mix of characters. So many social themes that concern us today are touched on within the pages of this story, as well as the dread that many feel when discussing the current limitations of AI, and what the future of AI entails. I found this to be an easy read, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment.
• 
  Jessica

  Fantastic premise -- what if an AI robot ran for president? The book is laugh out loud funny at points -- a scathing look at how Silicon Valley actually works and the makes you want to cry status of American politics. It was also fun trying to match characters in the book to real world counterparts. Maybe it's because this year is also an election year, but it cut close to the bone in some respects and felt like a cautionary tale of where we are headed if we don't start paying attention soon.
• 
  Holly

  2040 by Pedro Domingos is to books what Idiocracy is to movies. It is as satirical warning of a possible dystopian future. It is a bit over the top but in a comedic yet sobering way. Although I laughed a lot when I was reading it, I found myself thinking that this book isn't far from where we are, especially with ideas such as the Department of Imaginary Injustices because that would be if X (Twitter) became a branch of government. I really enjoyed this book and will ever stop recommending it.
  Thanks to NetGalley and Book Baby for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.
• 
  Beth

  Hysterical!! What a brilliant statement on the state of the union. Everyone should read this satirical portrait of what could potentially take place in the United States today. I'd love to see Pedro Domingos continue this story with the hopes that all who see this book laugh and think as hard as it made me contemplate.
• 
  Kaavya

  Thank you to Net Galley and Book Baby for the ARC. 2040 was such a fun read. I loved the premise of an AI running for president. The book was really funny and also a bit scary as it is closely related to the current state of society, politics, and AI.
• 
  Tonia

  An over-the-top blend of satire and parody! Almost too close to reality, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry...
• 
  Melinda

  A fun and quirky book about a fake Native American chief and an artificial intelligence robot who are running for president. The book was very funny and enjoyable.