This is Your Ultimate AI Reading List for Master’s Success and Beyond
The future of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer some distant reality. AI is here, and it’s already shaping how we live, study, and do business. For master’s students preparing to lead in business, now is the time to do your reading with these best books on AI. Sharpen your AI literacy and digital fluency and get ahead of industry trends.
Future-proofing your career starts with understanding how AI is transforming industries, decision-making, and leadership itself. Moreover, AI is already changing higher education and will continue to do so in the future. To help you prepare for the classroom and the job market after graduation, we’ve selected 10 of the best books on artificial intelligence and the implications of AI. Each offers insights that can enrich your master’s program today and empower you as a business leader tomorrow.
The 10 Best Books on AI For Master’s Students
Let’s dive right in. Here are the best books on AI you should be reading now to get ahead of the curve:
1. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach
by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig
Specifically targeted at students, this book, offers everything you need to start learning about AI. Published in 2021 by Pearson, it examines modern AI from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The 4th edition contains relevant updates on the newest technologies and AI advancements.
2. Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI
by Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson
Rather than portraying AI as something that will replace human workers, this book deep dives into exploring how humans and AI can collaborate to improve business processes. Paul Daugherty and James Wilson, technology leaders at Accenture, offer real-world insights. For business students, it highlights in tangible ways how leaders can redesign workflows and make data-driven decisions.
Including AI research conducted with 1500 different organizations, this book looks at real-world case studies. Originally published in 2024, it highlights business leadership and management in the world of AI.
3. AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
by Dr. Kai-Fu Lee
For master’s students aiming for international careers, understanding business in a global context is key. Originally published in 2019, Dr. Kai-Fu Lee’s book remains highly relevant. It goes beyond the Western scope to compare AI development in China and the United States, specifically Silicon Valley. It looks into the various waves of AI and addresses the very real and confronting global concerns that we face in the time of AI, such as unemployment and changing business processes.
Dr. Kai-Fu Lee is an AI expert with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. He was previously the President of Google China and has worked with Apple and Microsoft.
4. Prediction Machines, Updated and Expanded: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence
by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb
This book explains in simple yet vivid detail how AI is reshaping predictions, productivity, and business strategies. Written by three economists, the book draws on a wealth of knowledge. Published in 2018 and then extensively updated in 2022, it has been deemed one of “The five best books to understand AI” by The Economist. Regardless of whether you want to become an executive, policymaker, or entrepreneur, this book is for you.
by David L. Shrier
Welcome to the Metaverse, published in 2025, explores virtual reality, in the form of spatial computing, VR, and AR. While virtual reality and the metaverse may still seem like abstract concepts, by 2030, their market is predicted to be worth around $1 trillion.
Shrier explores how VR will influence businesses and life in general. In fact, VR is already widely in use in education to enhance distance learning, for virtual field trips, and to increase student engagement with learning materials. For many students and professionals, understanding virtual reality will move them ahead of their peers. David L. Shrier also wrote Welcome to AI: A Human Guide to Artificial Intelligence in 2024.
6. Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
by Max Tegmark
Written by MIT professor Max Tegmark, this book explores the broader context of AI’s societal impact. It discusses notions such as ethics, innovation, and what the future of AI means for humans in every sense. For master’s students, it approaches the topic through a critical thinking lens, asking important questions about how AI systems will influence industries and humanity at large.
7. Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World
by Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani
Written by Harvard professors, this book explores AI-centric organizations. This is a must-read for anyone studying business. The book examines real-world businesses ranging from Airbnb to Microsoft to Amazon. Learn to rethink business and operating models across a variety of sectors.
8. The AI-Savvy Leader: Nine Ways to Take Back Control and Make AI Work
by David De Cremer
Are you planning to become a business leader in the future? With this book, you can learn to leverage AI for you and your team. In a time when responsible leadership is increasingly important, leaders must learn how to manage and integrate AI effectively. Whether you’re looking to become a leader in an organization or an entrepreneur of your own business, David De Cremer explains the actions and skills leaders need to implement to ensure AI empowers their team. Prepare yourself with the right skills and knowledge to overcome the skills gap and make it ahead in your career.
9. Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age
by Vauhini Vara
Curious to read a more philosophical book about AI? Vauhini Vara is an award-winning editor, tech journalist, and the author of a previous book that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. In this book, Vara explores the intersection between technology, AI, and human identity. While not specifically business-focused, it explores how AI intersects with human identity, society, and our worldview. This human-centered approach explores both the benefits and drawbacks of how we relate to AI in a complex and nuanced way.
10. AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future
by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan
This genre-bending book, published in 2024, combines science fiction and non-fiction. It includes 10 short stories of how AI may shape the future in 2041. Dr. Kai-Fu Lee (AI expert) and Chen Quifan (sci-fi writer and author of The Waste Tide) offer a compelling look at how AI will evolve in the future and what that could mean for humans and society. Combining storytelling and technical analysis, this book is both engaging and informative. Labelled a Best Book of the Year by The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and the Financial Times.
Why AI Literacy Matters for Tomorrow’s Business Leaders
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept. It is already reshaping industries, influencing decision-making, and redefining leadership. For master’s students preparing to enter the job market in business, entrepreneurship, or innovation, developing AI literacy is essential.
The ten books highlighted in this practical guide offer a practical roadmap, combining real-world insights, complex theory, economics, ethical considerations, innovation, and leadership in the digital era. Reading books on AI will expand your AI knowledge and help you stay ahead of industry trends. This ensures that you are up to date on advancements in tech in class and developing the right skillset for the job market post-graduation.
Stay ahead of industry trends with insights from master’s students around the world.
