Peace Machine

Is world peace possible – or even inevitable? This book explains how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to build a more peaceful and prosperous future for all of humanity.

In 1971, a woman took her own life. Her husband, already traumatized by his experiences in the Second World War, was left to raise their eight-year-old son alone. Growing up under these difficult circumstances, the boy turned to reading to try to understand the world. As a young man, he devoted himself to the study of computer science, applying the nascent discipline of artificial intelligence to understanding the mind, language and society. He grew up to be an internationally recognized academic. In 2014, Professor Timo Honkela was diagnosed with an incurable form of brain cancer. At this turning point in his life, he decided that rather than giving up and waiting for his inescapable demise, he would devote his remaining time to serving the greater good.

The fruit of this effort, The Peace Machine, is a proposal for the application of artificial intelligence, machine learning, language technology and pattern recognition to promoting peace in the world. In the book, Professor Honkela explains how to leverage advances in artificial intelligence to promote mutual understanding between people, provide insights on our emotions and foster justice for all. During the remainder of his life, his dearest wish was to see these concepts disseminated throughout the world. He strongly believed that positive uses for artificial intelligence exist, but whether individuals and societies take advantage of them is a matter of choice.