How to Make AI Useful: Moving Beyond the Hype ?To Real Progress in Business, Society and Life

By Magnus Lindkvist and Bryan Reimer

We've heard it all before: AI will upend industries, kill jobs and remake everything from healthcare to art. But between the hype and the hand-wringing lies a simpler, more pressing question: Is AI actually useful? And if so, useful for what, and for whom? In How to Make AI Useful, MIT researcher Dr Bryan Reimer and Swedish futurologist Magnus Lindkvist cut through the noise. Blending decades of research, trendspotting and hands-on experience, they chart AI's journey from dazzling gimmick to disruptive force - and now to indispensable tool. This isn't another book about robot overlords or utopian tech dreams. Instead, it's a rough guide to AI's messy middle - the phase where machines meet human complexity. From automating the tedious to amplifying creativity, Reimer and Lindkvist show how to harness AI's potential for real progress, long after today's bubble bursts

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 191739148X
• ISBN13: 9781917391481
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Lid Publishing
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Advanced Copy - Review

Going into this book I wanted to know how do you write a book about a topic that feels like it changes by the minute? How do you tackle a topic as big and unwieldy as AI? Why would you subjugate yourself to make the topic even bigger and more unwieldy by talking about AI in the context of business applications? Very quickly the authors establish the central theme of How to Make AI Useful: Moving Beyond the Hype to Real Progress in Business, Society and Life as a practical guide on how you can harness AI as a human-central or human in the loop tool. The book focuses on seeing AI simply as a set of technologies and systems rather than HAL 9000 or J.A.R.V.I.S. The authors propose that AI if thoughtfully applied can actually generate tangible value even after the hype cycle has ended. The thesis of the book (spoiler alert) is that AI is less about the algorithms and market buzz but more about how businesses and people can apply these tools in meaningful ways and while these applications might not be earth-shattering, that's the point. It's about augmentation rather than replacement. The authors lay out their argument by breaking the book (and the AI lifecycle) into three phases. The "WOW" phase is where we are currently - all the hype and promise.  The second phase is the "Whoa" phase or when reality sets in and you've cut through the hype and is time to get your hands dirty to make it work. The last phase is the "Grow" phase or when AI and business integration hit maturity.  The authors support their argument through lots of historical comparisons which as a history guy, I really enjoyed. One example is comparing AI to electricity and how electricity and business went through the same three phases.  In summary the authors were able to write a book that wasn't outdated before it hit the editor's desk. The lessons and examples are there to stand the test of time. Their predictions are based on historical comps and their suggestions make sense because they are rational and we've seen it happen before. I'd recommend this book for anyone who is trying to make sense of AI and cut through the noise and hype. If you want to learn how AI can become a practical tool that you can use today to help you build a better future for your business, this is a book for you. It rejects both blind optimism and fearful pessimism and instead pushes forward the idea of a complex, human-centered approach to AI and its usage.