Each week, we spotlight a book that inspires, educates, and deepens our understanding of fashion’s impact on the world. From sustainability to social change, these recommendations will feature voices shaping the future of the industry. You can find all of our previous recommendations here, in the Fashion Roundtable Library. We’d love to hear your thoughts, and if you have a book to recommend then send us a message and let us know.
Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the Race That Will Change the World
Fashion Roundtable’s book recommendation this week is Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the Race That Will Change the World by Parmy Olson
From award-winning journalist Parmy Olson, Supremacy is the astonishing, untold, behind-the-scenes story of the battle between two AI companies, their struggles to use their tech for good, and the dangerous direction that they’re now going in.
Discover the never-before-told story of the ruthless shadow race between Microsoft and Google, as both compete to develop a mass-market AI while juggling existential questions of ethics, human progress and the future of the world as we know it.
When ChatGPT was released, the world changed overnight. Even as we all played with the new toy, a very real danger was quickly coming to light: that untested automations would undermine our way of life insidiously, sucking value out of our economy, replacing high-level creative jobs and enabling a new, terrifying era of disinformation.
It was never meant to be this way. The founders of the two companies behind the most advanced AIs in existence – Open AI (ChatGPT) and DeepMind (Bard) – started their journeys determined to solve humanity’s greatest problems. But they couldn’t develop their technologies without huge amounts of money – money that Microsoft and Google were more than happy to give them, in exchange for the most powerful seats at the table.
Featuring a cast of larger-than-life characters, including Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, Supremacy is a story of manipulation, exploitation, secrecy and of ruthless, relentless human progress – progress that will impact all of us for years to come.
Sustainable Fashion, Migrants, Embroidery: Ateliers of 'Social Integration' by Alessandra Lopez y Royo
For our first book recommendation, we’re delighted to recommend Sustainable Fashion, Migrants, Embroidery: Ateliers of 'Social Integration' by Alessandra Lopez y Royo.
The book takes readers on an eye-opening journey to discover the community-driven 'solidarity ateliers' in both the Global North and South. These artisans are offering an alternative to fast fashion by fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing that integrate with local communities. Through fieldwork in Morocco, Southern Italy, and London, Lopez y Royo uncovers how these spaces empower migrants and refugees, while challenging traditional ideas of empowerment and social integration. This thought-provoking book offers a fresh perspective on how slow fashion can drive both social change and sustainability.
Thanks Alessandra for sharing your work with us!