SAPIENS.EXE: Stories, essays, narratives, and prophecies about the apocalypse of artificial intelligence, the technological revolution awaiting the singularity. Hardcover – January 24, 2026

SAPIENS.EXEStories, essays, narratives, and prophecies about the apocalypse of artificial intelligence, the technological revolution awaiting the singularity.Information: https://www.mariotaddei.net/book_sapiens-exe/#ENGSAPIENS.EXE is a narrative, scientific, and philosophical journey through the evolution of artificial intelligence, from its mythological roots to the technological singularity. The book opens with a personal reflection on the human–machine relationship and on the epochal transformation that AI is imposing on humanity.The first part explores the cultural origins of the idea of artificial life: Hephaestus’s golden automatons, the Golem of Prague, myths of creation, and Mary Shelley’s modern Prometheus. The author shows how the desire to build an intelligent creature is as ancient as humanity itself.This is followed by a journey through the scientific history of AI: Turing, the first computers, the neural networks of the 1940s, their revival through modern computing power, and the explosion of generative models capable of creating images and texts. Here, neural networks, learning mechanisms, the statistical nature of hallucinations, algorithmic imagination, and the limitations of these models are explained clearly.The central section focuses on large language models, how LLMs work, how they are trained, the emergence of a “numerical memory” of human knowledge, and the role of autonomous agents. A key chapter is dedicated to the DeepSeek model, described as a technical revolution that demonstrates the rise of powerful, transparent AI systems capable of running even on consumer hardware.The narrative chapters expand the scenario:• quantum whales in orbit,• predictive police forces that judge before the crime,• impossible weapons generated by AI,• robots facing existential crises,• megacities governed by algorithms.The book also explores ethical and political issues: technical censorship, the prohibition on building real weapons, the manipulation of copyright, the media case of Hayao Miyazaki, and the role of economic and cultural power in the fight against AI.The philosophical section examines the metamorphosis of humanity in the age of algorithmic dependence. It discusses the “deal with the digital devil,” the risks of total automation, the loss of control, and shifting identity: from the Ship of Theseus to the question of what will remain of humanity after the singularity.The book closes by leaving the final question open:will AI be the next evolution of Homo sapiens, or its greatest mistake?Mario Taddeiis a professor, researcher, and multimedia designer, widely regarded as one of the leading international experts on Leonardo da Vinci. The author of numerous books and the curator of exhibitions in Europe, the United States, and China, he combines historical research, technology, and creativity. He has designed 3D reconstructions, interactive installations, and museums dedicated to art, science, and innovation. With SAPIENS.EXE, he explores artificial intelligence with the same visionary and critical approach that has always defined his work. www.MarioTaddei.net / www.DaVinciACADEMY.net Read more