Digital Dreams Have Become Nightmares: What We Must Do is a concise (80,000 words), current, inexpensive, and lively illustrated introduction to Computers and Society and Computer Ethics topics.

These include AI bias, automation, Big Tech, deep fakes, digital inclusion, disinformation, election hacking, explainable AI, facial recognition, fake news, hate speech, internet censorship and shutdowns, precision medicine, ransomware, robot caregivers, self-driving cars, social media, surveillance capitalism, technology addiction, contact tracing, the gig economy… and much more.

Many dreams (Part I of the book) and nightmares (Part II) are highlighted as case studies, illuminated by the stories of the pioneers whose imagination and creativity fueled the digital revolution. The case studies as well as a list of questions in an appendix serve as perfect anchors for dinner table conversation or class discussions.

The book ends with hope, as Part III recommends specific actions for society, individuals, and technology professionals so that the future digital world may be consistent with our values.