New Book Challenges the Flawed Promises of Artificial Intelligence
Amsterdam, Sunday, 6 September 2026.
Columnist Ilyaz Nasrullah’s upcoming book, launching September 24, dismantles the hype surrounding artificial intelligence, revealing that the technology is neither truly intelligent nor as all-powerful as claimed.
Dismantling the Illusion of Machine Intelligence
In his upcoming debut book, ‘Dit is AI. De valse belofte van kunstmatige intelligentie’ (This is AI: The False Promise of Artificial Intelligence), Trouw columnist and podcast creator Ilyaz Nasrullah offers a sharp critique of the current technological zeitgeist [1]. Nasrullah argues that contrary to the aggressive marketing narratives pushed by global technology corporations, artificial intelligence systems possess no real understanding or genuine intelligence [1]. Instead of the revolutionary, all-powerful systems promised to the public, the book exposes a reality constructed on weak scientific foundations, flawed software engineering, and inflated market expectations [1].
The Hidden Social and Economic Costs
Beyond technical limitations, Nasrullah highlights the broader systemic consequences of uncritical AI adoption [1]. The rapid, often blind integration of these systems is fueled by heavy financial speculation and embraced by naive policymakers, resulting in direct harm to everyday citizens [1]. This corporate rush also carries severe ethical and environmental external costs, including the exploitation of underpaid data workers and significant ecological damage driven by the computational demands of large-scale models [1][GPT]. By reframing AI as a product of marketing hype rather than genuine technological maturity, the book aims to provide Dutch innovation professionals and policy makers with a necessary reality check [1].
An Expert Gathering at KATOENHUIS
The official book launch is scheduled to take place on the evening of Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 19:30 to 21:00 [1]. Hosted at KATOENHUIS | Imagining New Realities, the Dutch-language event will serve as a forum for critical discussion on the future of technology [1][2]. Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase the book directly at the venue, with on-site sales facilitated by the prominent bookstore Boekhandel Donner [2].
A Panel of Leading Tech Dissidents
To deepen the debate, the launch event will feature insights from a panel of prominent Dutch academics and digital rights advocates [1]. The speaker lineup includes Cynthia Liem, an AI researcher at TU Delft and classical pianist; Nadia Benaissa, a policy advisor on AI at the digital rights organization Bits of Freedom; and Felienne Hermans, a Professor of Computer Science Education at VU Amsterdam [1]. The evening’s discussions will be moderated by BNR Nieuwsradio tech journalist Connor Clerx, promising a rigorous cross-examination of the promises and perils of modern AI [1].