From AI and the power of Big Tech to cybercrime and geopolitics, the latest books by Europe’s leading technology influencers reveal some interesting shifts in the conversation.
Writing a book might seem a rather traditional way to build influence these days. But while a social media post can spark a conversation, a book gives someone the space to develop an argument, challenge established thinking and explore an idea in much greater depth.
That’s why books are one of the many signals of influence we examine for the Tyto Tech 500, our annual ranking of the people shaping Europe’s technology conversation. Now in its tenth year, the research looks at everything from media visibility and social engagement to podcasts, newsletters, YouTube and search traffic.
When we look at the books published by this year’s influencers over the past 12 months, some interesting themes emerge. AI dominates, as you’d expect, but there’s also growing scrutiny of Big Tech, concern about the consequences of technological progress and a desire to understand how all this innovation can be put to practical use.
And these aren’t conversations confined to Europe. Technology debates increasingly cross borders, with influential voices in the US contributing to the same discussions and helping shape the conversation on this side of the Atlantic.
AI accounted for over 40% of technology discussion among Tech 500 influencers in Europe last year, according to our research. That dominance is reflected in the books they’ve been writing, although what’s interesting is how far the conversation has moved beyond the technology itself.
German commentator Miriam Meckel and co-author Léa Steinacker explore AI’s growing presence in society in Everything Everywhere All At Once, while French researcher Laurence Devillers examines how humans and intelligent machines can coexist in Savoir vivre avec l’IA.
Others take opposing views on what this might mean for us. Gilles Babinet questions the risks of becoming too dependent on intelligent systems in Le péril IA, while German author Gregor Schmalzried explores how AI could make us more creative and human in Wir, aber besser.
It’s an interesting contrast. We’ve spent years talking about what AI can do, but these books are increasingly concerned with what we want it to do, and what we might gain or lose along the way.
Perhaps the most striking theme is the growing scrutiny of the people and companies shaping our technological future.
In the Netherlands, Laurens Verhagen examines the ambitions of Silicon Valley’s billionaires in De techbro’s, while Laurens Vreekamp and Gabriela Obispa question Big Tech’s control over AI in Niet onze AI.
German journalist Jannis Brühl takes the debate into political territory in Disruption, exploring the ideology of technology oligarchs and the implications for democracy. In France, Alexandre Piquard and his co-authors examine the new centres of power emerging around the technology industry in Nos nouveaux maîtres.
It’s striking to see similar concerns emerging across several European markets. For years, technology’s biggest personalities have been celebrated for challenging convention and promising to change the world. Now there’s much more interest in examining what they believe, how they exercise their power and whether the future they’re building is necessarily the one everyone else wants.
The familiar Silicon Valley language of disruption and innovation hasn’t disappeared, but it’s increasingly being met with a different set of questions.
Another group of books explores what happens when technology becomes a source of vulnerability, or when technological capability becomes a matter of national security.
BBC correspondent Joe Tidy investigates teenage hackers and the people behind major cyberattacks in Ctrl+Alt+Chaos. Dutch security expert Willemijn Aerdts examines espionage and foreign interference in Doelwit Nederland.
Across the Atlantic, Palantir executive Shyam Sankar and co-author Madeline Hart make the case for rebuilding America’s industrial capabilities in Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III.
These books approach technology from very different angles, but they reflect how closely cybersecurity, geopolitics and national security have become connected. The implications of technological dependence are no longer just questions for the technology industry, and stories that begin in one market can quickly become part of a wider international debate.
Not everyone is focused on existential threats or the future of democracy. Another group of authors is more concerned with how businesses and individuals can actually use AI.
In The Five-Year Century, Automation Anywhere CEO Mihir Shukla explores how AI is accelerating business transformation. German business leader Philipp Depiereux focuses on AI adoption in Mut zur KI, while Dutch commentator Erwin Blom offers a practical guide to AI-assisted software development in Handboek Vibecoding.
It’s a useful counterpoint to the more philosophical debates. While some authors are questioning what AI means for humanity, others are getting on with figuring out how to use it. As the technology becomes more familiar, practical experience and evidence of what it can deliver may prove more interesting than another prediction about how AI will change everything.
What’s interesting about these books is just how different the perspectives are, even when the authors are writing about the same technology.
AI might dominate the discussion, but there’s much more going on than predictions about how it will change the world. Some authors are excited about its potential, others are worried about the power of the companies developing it, while others are focused on putting it to work. It’s a mixture of optimism, curiosity and genuine unease.
This also connects to one of the central findings of this year’s Tyto Tech 500. As AI makes it easier to produce content at scale, our research points to three qualities that are becoming increasingly important in building influence: taste, personality and community.
Writing a book is a good example of these qualities in action. Authors choose which ideas deserve attention, develop their own arguments and give readers something they won’t necessarily find elsewhere.
Of course, you don’t need to write a book to become influential. But these authors remind us that influence isn’t just about being visible. It’s about having something interesting to say and giving people a reason to keep listening.
Rebecca Donnelly is Managing Director of Client Services at Tyto. She has extensive PR and communications experience, combining global strategic expertise with a strong track record in delivering high-impact consumer and corporate campaigns.