Machines that are smarter than people? A utopian dream of science-fiction novelists and Hollywood screenwriters perhaps, but one which technological progress is turning into reality.

Two trends are coming together: exponential growth in the processing power of supercomputers, and new software which can copy the way neurons in the human brain work and give machines the ability to learn. Smart systems will soon be commonplace in homes, businesses, factories, administrations, hospitals and the armed forces. How autonomous will they be? How free to make decisions? What place will human beings still have in a world controlled by robots? After the atom bomb, is artificial intelligence the second lethal weapon capable of destroying mankind, its inventor?

The Fall of the Human Empire traces the little-known history of artificial intelligence from the standpoint of a robot called Lucy. She - or it? - recounts her adventures and reveals the mysteries of her long journey with humans, and provides a thought-provoking storyline of what developments in A.I. may mean for both humans and robots.

Charles-Edouard Bouée has been the CEO of Roland Berger since 2014 and is now in his second term. He is a seasoned expert in reorganization, post-merger projects and integration programs, as well as performance improvement, and specializes in disruptive innovation, new technologies and digital transformation.

Prior to joining Roland Berger, Charles-Edouard worked as Vice President for an American strategy consultancy in Paris from 1997 to 2001, having started his career as an investment banker (M&A and corporate finance) at Société Générale in London. Besides a Master of Science from École Centrale de Paris (ECP), he holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master's degree in Law from the University of Paris (Université Paris Sud XI).

Charles-Edouard Bouée has lived and worked in five countries (France, UK, US, Germany, China). He has authored a number of groundbreaking books on modern management and China, such as China's Management Revolution - Spirit, Land, Energy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) and Light Footprint Management: Leadership in Times of Change (Bloomsbury, 2013). His books have been translated into a number of languages, including Chinese and Japanese.