The Second Machine Age
| Author | Erik Brynjolfsson Andrew McAfee |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
Publication date | 2014 |
| Preceded by | Race Against the Machine |
| History of technology |
|---|
The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies is a 2014 book by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee that is a continuation of their book Race Against the Machine. They argue that the Second Machine Age is an era where machines can automate or augment cognitive tasks that previously only humans could do. They contrast this with what they call the "First Machine Age", or Industrial Revolution, when machines did the same for physical tasks. Continuing the theme of their earlier book, they advise people to "race with the machine, not against it", that is to seek to have machines become complements, not substitutes for humans.
Some examples that the book cites include "software that grades students' essays more objectively, consistently and quickly than humans" and "news articles on Forbes.com about corporate earnings previews" — "all generated by algorithms without human involvement."