Each year, we select an award-winning common book and invite the whole campus to read together, and this year’s pick is AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan — a collection of sci-fi stories blended with technological analysis, demonstrating how humanity can navigate the complex challenges of AI to build a future rich with new possibilities.

Through ten stories set in our future, the authors explore a changing world where characters confront the unintended consequences and sudden opportunities of new tech. By unmasking the friction between automated efficiency and human agency, the book reminds us that while the risks are real, the final choices belong to us.

Read with Us!

• Get a free copy during the annual Book Pick-Up event
• Borrow the print book from the Library
• Read the e-book

Reviews

"By blending imaginative storytelling and technical expertise, Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan bring to life a vision for AI that addresses both our curiosity and our fears. Read this captivating book to better understand how and when certain technologies are likely to mature, and what that could mean for all of us." — Satya Nadella, Chair and CEO, Microsoft

"I recommend AI 2041 for an invaluable and entertaining vision of the future." — Ray Dalio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Principles, Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer, Bridgewater Associates

"Making predictions about the future of AI is not for the faint of heart. This inspired collaboration between a pioneering technologist and a visionary writer of science fiction offers bold and urgent insights into how these technologies may impact our lives." — Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist, Facebook, NYU Professor and 2018 recipient of the Turing Award

Why Join READ@PolyU?

This isn’t just about reading — it’s about building connections, sparking ideas, and making your university experience unforgettable. READ@PolyU creates a dynamic community where you can dive into meaningful ideas, exchange perspectives, and grow together.

Read@PolyU 2026/27 Promotional Video by The PolyU Library

Common Book Selection Criteria

The selection process with a campus-wide call for nomination in January, and concluded with the final selection by the READ@PolyU Programme Committee in May.

The selection criteria help ensure that the common book will support the programme goal of cultivating a reading culture at PolyU, as well as the University's goals to provide a campus experience that is international and enriching.

• The book will be in English, preferably less than 300 pages
• It should be engaging for the PolyU community
• It should be accessible, not difficult to read
• It should appeal to students’ imagination, and should include some elements of exploration of and reflection on multi-cultural issues
• It should preferably have been adapted for film
• It should preferably have an electronic version
• It should preferably have won international and critical acclaim
• Ideally, the author would be available to visit PolyU

Common Books in Previous Years

• 2011/12 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• 2012/13 Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
• 2013/14 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 
• 2014/15 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne 
• 2015/16 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• 2016/17 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon 
• 2017/18 The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 
• 2018/19 Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis 
• 2019/20 Persepolis: The Story of Childhood by Marjane Satrapi 
• 2020/21 Exhalation by Ted Chiang 
• 2021/22 The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
• 2022/23 First Person Singular: Stories by Haruki Murakami 
• 2023/24 Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
• 2024/25 Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
• 2025/26 One Day by David Nicholls 
• 2026/27 AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future