How to Be a Smarter Reader in the Age of AI

TL;DR: Today we’re releasing a new episode of our podcast AI & I. I go in depth with Alex Wieckowski, the reader, writer, and podcaster better known as Alex & Books. We get into how to use AI to read, ways to rediscover your childhood love for books, and how technology might disrupt reading. Watch on X or YouTube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Alex, who writes a newsletter that captures lessons from books he’s read and tips to become a better reader, Alex & Books, is a creator with over 1 million followers across social platforms. He’s also the author of a book of quotes that will inspire you to read more, Learn to Love Reading.

We spent an hour talking about how Alex uses AI to be a smarter reader, and we tested out a few strategies live on the show, including:

• prompting ChatGPT to recommend books that will help me lead a creator-run business better, 
• understanding the deeper themes in Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha with large language models, and
• using AI to create an actionable strategy for Alex to build a course based on the frameworks in Alex Hormozi’s business strategy book $100M Offers. 

Alex clued me into what he’s learned about developing a good reading habit, and his best advice on how to reignite your passion for books. We also discuss Alex’s predictions on how companies like Neuralink, which make use of a brain-computer interface—a technology that allows users to control external devices through brain activity—will change the future of reading and books. Here’s a link to the transcript of this episode.

This is a must-watch for book lovers, people struggling to finish books, and anyone who wants to take their reading to the next level with AI.

Watch on X or YouTube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

(If you’re interested in knowing more about how AI changes the way we learn and read, I recently got access to ChatGPT’s new Advanced Voice Mode feature and recorded a video on how you can use it to maximize your reading. Watch on X or YouTube.)

Go deeper with Alex

Every paid subscribers can read the top takeaways from this episode, such as:

• Alex’s theory on why people struggle to read books as adults—and his advice on how to find joy in reading
• The habits that Alex has developed after reading 200-plus books, including how he decides to buy a new book 
• All the ways Alex uses AI while reading a book—as a personal study buddy, a librarian, and an expert strategist
• How long Alex predicts books and reading will stay relevant in an age of rapidly advancing technology

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