Reader Bot

"Reader Bot is both thoughtful and topical, forward-thinking and grounded in present controversies over the use of AI to 'read' text. It's also intensely practical. Be sure to consult this book before you ask a chatbot to summarize an email, condense an article, or review a literature—you'll be glad you did!" —Frank Pasquale, author of The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms That Control Money and Information

"AI can now read for us—but at what cost? Arriving at a time when AI's capabilities to scan, interpret, and summarize human-authored texts grow ever more sophisticated, Baron's book poses urgent questions about what it means to be literate in a digital world." —Matthew Rubery, author of Reader's Block: A History of Reading Differences

"Reader Bot is an excellent blend of judicious research reporting and accessible exposition, on a subject that affects everyone. If you want an up-to-date review of the impact AI is going to have on the way we read and teach children to read, this is the place to start." —David Crystal, author of A Date with Language

"Baron's highly readable book sheds much-needed light on a complex and increasingly urgent issue. If you're wondering about the potential benefits and risks of relying on generative artificial intelligence, don't miss this thoughtful and even-handed exploration of the topic." —Natalie Wexler, author of Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning

"Reader Bot is a much-needed and comprehensive look at how generative AI is already shaping the way we read." —Jane Rosenzweig, Director of the Harvard College Writing Center

"In this brilliant, expansive, and entertaining book, Baron helps us appreciate the power and promise of AI while providing a stirring defense of reading for its own rewards and pleasures. Read this important book before AI does it for you." —Will Schwalbe, author of Books for Living

"What does the future hold for reading in the age of AI? This timely book will make you pause and reflect on what it means to read and write, and why and when the human dimension matters. And, like all of Baron's books, Reader Bot is a sheer joy to read." —Anne Mangen, University of Stavanger

"Baron wants us to understand that while AI can enhance reading in some contexts, inviting it into our reading and writing lives always creates tradeoffs. Every reader must choose—and their choices will be smarter for engaging with Baron's newest book." —Jim Lang, author of Write Like You Teach: Taking Your Classroom Skills to a Bigger Audience

"There is no one better poised than Baron to illumine the Faustian bargain we face today in our use of AI. The implications for democracy are critical to understand, with this book as one of our important guides." —Maryanne Wolf, author of Reader Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World

"As we try to figure out how (or if) we invite artificial intelligence into our reading and writing lives, we need our guides, and Baron is worth our time and our trust." —John Warner, author of More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI

"Reader Bot is a vital guide to AI as it affects human beings' reading lives." —Peter Dabbene, Foreword

"The book's best bits spotlight ways LLMs are already being employed—such as evaluating college admissions essays, Hollywood scripts, and submissions for peer-reviewed journals—and AI's limitations and negative impacts, including its tendency to 'hallucinate,' or fabricate results, and its 'vast' energy requirements. While skeptical of AI, Baron resists catastrophizing, instead highlighting tools that may offer a useful path forward.... [A] unique discussion of AI's impacts." —Publishers Weekly