Co-authors P.W. Singer’s and August Cole’s latest book, Burn-In, is billed as a novel of the real robotic revolution. The setting for the book takes place in a Washington, DC of the future when computers and robots have been utilized by companies and the government to replace employees, putting many people in America out of work.
The authors’ familiarity with technology and its capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics makes their narrative more convincing. The plot of Burn-In revolves around FBI Special Agent Lara Keegan and her partnership with a Department of Defense robot on loan to the FBI. As Keegan and her new partner continue to find and fight criminals, their activities lead them to uncover the mastermind of a plot against the government using the technology that he and his co-conspirators want to destroy.
While the crimefighting action in the book makes it a candidate for an action movie, the co-authors of Burn-In credibly write about the social impact of job elimination due to technology and the political ramifications across the U.S. It’s an engaging story about the future that might be closer than we think.
