AI Ghosts and Goblins
The stories we tell about what AI is.
A new book by Chirag Shah
We don't just build AI. We raise it.
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of our most important decisions. Raising AI offers a human-centered framework for understanding how we shape it, and how it shapes us.
For anyone trying to think clearly about intelligence, responsibility, and our shared future.
Available from wherever books are sold.
About the book
The story isn't about AI alone. It's about us.
What if the most useful way to think about AI is also the most human one?
Everyone has an opinion about artificial intelligence. Some see a savior; others fear a destroyer. But the real story is the relationship we are creating with the systems we build.
Drawing on nearly three decades of building, studying, and auditing AI at organizations including Spotify, Amazon, and Microsoft Research, Chirag Shah offers a framework for navigating that relationship with more clarity.
Through personal stories, science fiction, and real-world cases of bias, misinformation, and promise, Raising AI makes a simple argument: developing AI is a lot like raising a child. Both require values, patience, and the humility to admit we do not have all the answers.
Neither utopian nor alarmist, this is an honest guide to the most transformative technology of our time.
Inside the book
Seven chapters. One big question.
How do we guide something powerful enough to change us?
Dreaming of AI
Our oldest hopes for intelligent machines.
Waves and Winters of AI
What progress teaches us about patience.
AI and the Quest for Answers
When finding information is not enough.
The Promise and Peril of AI
The stakes of getting the relationship wrong.
How to Do This Better?
Values, guardrails, and better questions.
AI: Could, Should, Would We?
A future shaped by deliberate choices.
Early praise
A book that opens the conversation.
Readers and leaders in technology, research, and public life on Raising AI.
“A genuine exploration of artificial intelligence beyond the headlines ... insightful and truly enjoyable to read.”
Howard Y. LakougnaSenior Program Officer, Gates Foundation, USA
“You can raise kids — can you raise an AI? ... we not only can, we must.”
Tracy Holloway KingSenior Principal Scientist, Adobe Inc., USA
“Building AI responsibly is less like engineering and more like parenting — not about control, but about instilling the right values.”
Sam OhDistinguished Professor, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
“AI is not just something we are creating, it is something that is shaping us in return. Intelligence alone is not enough.”
Aarti ChoudharyGlobal Responsible AI Lead, AMD, USA
A taste of the book
The question is whether we will guide it well.
One passage from the closing chapter.
Like our children, we want AI to be smart and capable, yet value-driven and responsible. We want it to grow into something that can stand on its own — but not at the expense of everything we hold dear.Adapted from Raising AI, Chapter 7
Events & appearances
Recent and upcoming talks
Conversations about AI, responsibility, and the choices that shape our shared future.
August 26, 2026
The Delegation Paradox: Who Is Accountable When Your Agent Acts For You?
Bloomberg
August 24, 2026
Signals & Society: Are We Still in Control?
Society + Technology at UW, Seattle, Washington
June 19, 2026
Being Human in the Age of AI
Invited talk at University House, Issaquah, WA, USA
March 25, 2026
Rethinking Human-AI Collaboration in Information Seeking
ACM CHIIR 2026 Conference, Seattle, Washington
February 12, 2026
The Age of AI Agents: Redefining Interaction, Intelligence, and Industry
Keynote address at TechArena 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden
January 28, 2026
Being Human in the Age of AI
Foley Institute, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
Writings & media
Related articles, talks & press
Ideas from the wider conversation around AI, information, and society.
Press
UW professor says AI takeover unlikely, but concerns remain
On the gap between AI hype and reality, and why human judgment and accountability remain essential.
Radio
As experts sound the alarm on AI, where does Seattle fit in?
Exploring Seattle's role in AI development, the risks of uncritical acceleration, and the need for a more human-centered approach.
Q&A
Q&A: UW researchers respond to recent concerns over AI risk
Why AI systems can be impressive yet brittle, and how responsibility must be built into the way we design and deploy them.
Interview
Morning Wave in Busan
A discussion on AI, agency, and the societal stakes of autonomy in a global context.
Interview
Agent Nation — In a nutshell
A quick interview on the book's framework for thinking clearly about autonomous AI and the responsibilities that come with it.
Article
The promise and peril of artificial intelligence
Writing on how AI changes the way we make sense of the world and one another.
Research
From prompt engineering to prompt science
Why meaningful human participation remains essential as intelligent systems become more capable.
Talk
Being human in the age of AI
A broader conversation about agency, judgment, and the responsibilities that come with powerful tools.
Interview
What should we expect from AI?
Accessible perspectives on the opportunities and limits of artificial intelligence.
Platform
Information Matters
Making information science accessible through writing, conversation, and public scholarship.
More to come
Ideas in the wild
New essays, interviews, and appearances will be collected here as the conversation continues.
The author
Chirag Shah
Professor of Information and Computer Science at the University of Washington.
Get in touch
Let's connect.
For speaking engagements, media inquiries, bulk book orders, academic collaborations, or just to share how AI is affecting your world.
Reach out for Raising AI.
Chirag would love to hear from readers, educators, journalists, and organizations thinking carefully about our relationship with artificial intelligence.