The Coming Wave Review: Mustafa Suleyman on AI, Power and the Containment Problem

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Warnings about artificial intelligence are common. Warnings from the people who build it carry a different weight. The Coming Wave was written by Mustafa Suleyman, who co-founded DeepMind and later Inflection AI, together with writer Michael Bhaskar. Its argument is uncomfortable: the technologies Suleyman helped create may be impossible to contain, and we have to try anyway.

Published by Crown in September 2023, the book became one of the most widely read AI titles of the decade, with more than 5,400 ratings on Amazon. We looked at its argument, its reception and where it sits among the AI books already on our shelves.

The argument in brief

Suleyman’s “coming wave” is a cluster of general-purpose technologies arriving at once, led by artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. He argues that history offers few examples of a powerful technology being successfully contained once it spreads: useful inventions get cheaper, easier to copy and harder to control.

The book names this the containment problem. Suleyman also describes a “pessimism-aversion trap”: the tendency, especially among technologists, to look away from bad outcomes because they are uncomfortable to discuss. The goal, he says, is to keep the benefits of the wave while preventing the most catastrophic uses, a narrow path between uncontrolled spread and heavy-handed surveillance.

What the book covers

The first part reviews the history of technology waves, from the engine to the internet, to show how quickly innovations proliferate. The middle chapters describe the new technologies, why they are different (cheaper, more general, increasingly autonomous), and the pressures that push them forward: geopolitical competition, profit, research culture and ego.

The book then considers the threats to the nation state, from misinformation to cyberattacks to the concentration of power. It ends with ten steps toward containment, ranging from technical safety research and audits to choke points on hardware, international agreements and a culture of responsibility within companies. These closing chapters are the most practical part of the book.

What readers say

The Coming Wave averages 4.3 out of 5 from more than 5,400 ratings. Amazon’s AI summary of customer reviews reports:

• Content: readers find it informative, with detailed and compelling analysis of AI capabilities.
• Writing and ideas: the writing is praised for addressing crucial questions, and many describe it as thought-provoking.
• Narrative: mixed. Some find it compelling, while others say it leans heavily toward speculative catastrophes and moral alarmism.
• Readability: readers disagree, with some calling it an easy read and others finding it hard to follow. Repetition is also flagged as a theme.

That matches our reading. The core idea is strong, but it is restated more often than it needs to be, and a tighter edit would have made the book more persuasive.

How it compares

Among classic AI risk books, Nick Bostrom’s Superintelligence focuses on the long-term possibility of AI surpassing humans, and Stuart Russell’s Human Compatible proposes a technical approach to keeping AI under control. Suleyman’s book is nearer-term and more political: it is less about a hypothetical superintelligence than about the technologies of the next decade and who governs them.

For a critical outside view of the same industry, Karen Hao’s Empire of AI, covered in our Empire of AI review, examines how AI companies accumulate power. For a skeptical take on AI capabilities, AI Snake Oil makes a useful counterweight.

Reading it in 2026

Since the book came out, Suleyman has become CEO of Microsoft AI, one of the companies at the center of the race he describes. That does not invalidate the argument, but it gives some readers pause, and it is worth knowing as you read. The book’s examples of specific AI models are also starting to date, while its framework for thinking about containment and regulation remains relevant.

Who should buy it

Buy The Coming Wave if you want a readable, big-picture argument about AI risk and governance from an industry insider, or if you are a student of technology policy, strategy or ethics looking for a framework to discuss in class. Skip it if you want rigorous evidence for each scenario, technical explanation, or an optimistic book. For other titles at every level, see our guide to the best AI books to read.

Alternatives worth considering

Frequently asked questions

What is the main argument of The Coming Wave?

That a wave of powerful, cheap and widely available technologies, led by AI and synthetic biology, will be extremely hard to contain, and that society must nonetheless try, through a mix of safety research, regulation, international cooperation and public pressure.

Who is Mustafa Suleyman?

He co-founded DeepMind, the AI lab acquired by Google, and later co-founded Inflection AI. In 2024 he became CEO of Microsoft AI.

Is The Coming Wave technical?

No. It is written for a general audience and explains the technologies at a high level, focusing on their consequences rather than how they work.

Is The Coming Wave pessimistic?

It is cautious rather than doom-laden: Suleyman is enthusiastic about AI’s potential but argues that its risks require containment. Amazon’s review summary notes that some readers find it leans toward speculative catastrophes.

How we review: we research every product using the manufacturer’s specifications, independent expert sources and patterns across verified customer reviews, then score it against the alternatives in its price class. Prices and availability change often, so always check the current listing on Amazon.