Hey, this is NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Chloe Weiner, producer of the podcast, filling in for Andrew Limbong this week.

Ken Liu is a well-known author of speculative fiction, so I was curious to see how he'd approach the topic of AI. It's something he explores in his new novel, All That We See, or Seem. And for a sci-fi writer, his take sounds pretty

measured. In today's interview, which happens to be with our own Andrew Limbong, Lou says he was

interested in presenting a world that's neither dystopic nor utopic. He says he doesn't think AI will

make things 100% better or worse, but that it will amplify our own human tendencies in

both directions. Lou explores that in part by creating a character whose job it is to use AI

in order to guide our dreams. It's a very human-centered philosophy of technology. More on that

ahead. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

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The other day I was chatting with my buddy about something.

I forget the details.

It was one of those bar conversations that's like, oh, who was that drummer on that one song?

Or how fast can a cheetah actually run?

It doesn't matter the question. The point is, he pulled out his phone and asked AI. And it felt

normal because it is normal. This technology is everywhere in our casual conversations, our jobs,

our relationships. Can Loo's new sci-fi thriller, all that we see or seem takes

place in a world? Not too far out from ours. It's just one where AI is slightly more ever-present,

a bit more embedded into every nook and cranny of our lives. Lou is a big name in sci-fi and

...