Oprah Winfrey's latest book club selection, Bruce Holsinger's "Culpability," is generating buzz for its exploration of timely and complex themes surrounding artificial intelligence and ethics. Winfrey announced the pick on Tuesday, coinciding with the book's release date, and praised the novel's prescience and its ability to highlight the dilemmas we face regarding AI.
"Culpability" is a family drama centered around the Cassidy-Shaw family, whose week-long retreat takes a tragic turn when their driverless minivan is involved in a catastrophic collision. Each family member harbors secrets that contribute to the accident, forcing them to confront difficult moral questions about responsibility, guilt, and the future of AI in our daily lives. The accident kills an elderly couple, setting off an intricate plot that explores questions of responsibility and culpability.
Winfrey expressed her enthusiasm for the novel, stating, "It's where we are right now in our appreciation and dilemmas surrounding Artificial Intelligence, centered around an American family we can relate to". She was captivated until the very last sentence, calling it a "shocking" and "gripping" read. Winfrey also shared that Gayle King was so engrossed in the book that she read it in the car on the way to the Tony Awards, further emphasizing its captivating nature. She described the novel as the "book of the summer" and the "perfect" read for the season.
Holsinger, a professor of English at the University of Virginia, is the author of four previous novels and several works of nonfiction. He specializes in medieval literature and modern critical thought. Holsinger expressed his deep gratitude and honor at being chosen by Oprah's Book Club, noting that he has admired Winfrey's book club since its founding in 1996. He said that Winfrey's phone call was like a "thunderbolt" and that he is profoundly grateful that she found "Culpability" worthy of her time, praise, and recognition. He finished graduate school the same year Oprah launched her book club.
The novel is set in the near future and follows a world leader in AI technology and her family as they try to recover from a fatal car accident during a week-long vacation. Seventeen-year-old Charlie was driving the family's self-driving minivan when it collided with an oncoming car. All five family members survived, but each has a secret that implicates them in the accident. They must each reckon with their individual responsibility for the tragedy and our collective responsibility for potentially deadly technology.
Winfrey's interview with Holsinger took place at a Starbucks in Seattle. This continues Winfrey's book club partnership with Starbucks. They discussed the book's twists and turns and the big questions it raises about personal accountability and AI. A video of their conversation is available on Winfrey's YouTube channel and other podcast platforms.
"Culpability" delves into the complex ethical considerations surrounding AI, a topic of increasing relevance in today's world. As AI systems become more integrated into our lives, questions about responsibility, accountability, and the potential for harm become increasingly important. The novel explores these issues through the intimate lens of a family grappling with a devastating tragedy, prompting readers to consider their own roles in a future shaped by artificial intelligence.
