Dear colleagues, News of the US government trying to bend states’ regulatory autonomy over AI-related harms – both at home and globally – accrue alongside reports of record gains and market concentration across the Silicon Valley dominated AI stack. Critical analysis of the economic, political and social (re-)distribution of power in the context of AI technology innovation and deployment remain essential for unpacking grand claims of AI transforming the world for better or worse. In this critically-minded spirit we announce the publication of our [“The AI Matrix: Profits, Power, Politics”](https://www.agendapub.com/page/detail/the-ai-matrix/?k=9781788218597). The book is available as open access pdf, with a pre-order option for the hard copy that is coming out mid December. The book addresses a number questions which are often left on the wayside in the perceived urge to innovate and adopt AI: How do first mover advantages on the AI First market play out globally? How does the diffusion of AI tech transform different economic sectors and labour relations? Where does the race to AI and to tech regulation leave economies and societies outside the US, China and Europe? What do we make of local forms of resistance to a US- or Chinese-dominated AI world? And what could a more inclusive and equitable tech future look like? Allison Pugh, Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University and author of The Last Human Job, describes reading the book as "like walking with a knowledgeable guide holding a comprehensive map to a new and sometimes bewildering world". We hope you agree with the verdict 😊 We certainly look forward to any feedback, reviews, and continued conversations with this crowd. Best wishes, Daniel (Mügge), Regine (Paul) and Vali