AI Dominates 2026 FT Business Book Shortlist as Three Titles Focus on Tech Risks
The Financial Times and Standard Chartered have announced the six-book shortlist for their 2026 Business Book of the Year Award, with artificial intelligence dominating the selection. Three of the six finalists address AI as a general tool, a military weapon, and a forecasting mechanism. The award, now in its 22nd edition, offers a £30,000 prize to the winner and £10,000 to each shortlisted author. The ceremony will take place in London on December 2, coinciding with the Bracken Prize for Young Authors. Notably, five of the last six winners have focused on technology, reflecting a sustained trend in business publishing.
Key points
- The 2026 shortlist includes '1873: The First Great Depression and the Making of the Modern World' by Liaquat Ahamed, a 2009 winner, which draws parallels between historical economic crises and current geopolitical tensions.
- Aimee Donnellan’s 'Off the Scales' examines the development of GLP-1s and Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Ozempic, highlighting the anti-obesity revolution.
- Sebastian Mallaby, a 2016 winner, is shortlisted for 'The Infinity Machine,' which explores DeepMind and its co-founder Demis Hassabis through interviews regarding the quest for superintelligence.
- Katrina Manson’s 'Project Maven' details a secret Pentagon initiative to integrate AI into warfare with Silicon Valley assistance, while Alex Perry’s 'Blood Will Flow' investigates the dangers of oil and gas exploration via an Islamist attack in Mozambique.
- Carissa Véliz’s 'Prophecy' analyzes the historical and modern implications of forecasting in industries ranging from insurance to technology.
- FT editor Roula Khalaf praised the 'impressive breadth and depth' of the field, noting that authors provide compelling insights into business leadership and navigating uncertainty.
Background
The FT Business Book of the Year Award has seen a significant shift toward technology-focused titles in recent years. The 2025 winner, Stephen Witt’s 'The Thinking Machine,' explored the rise of chipmaker Nvidia and its CEO Jensen Huang. The 2024 winner was Parmy Olson’s 'Supremacy,' which examined the rivalry between AI pioneers. This trend continues in 2026, with AI-related topics comprising half of the current shortlist. The award has been in existence for 22 years, and this year marks a new partnership with Standard Chartered, replacing previous sponsors. The shortlist reflects broader industry trends where business leaders and publishers are increasingly prioritizing technology and its disruptive potential.
Why it matters
The dominance of AI-related titles in the shortlist underscores the growing influence of artificial intelligence on business strategy, military applications, and economic forecasting. The inclusion of books on weight-loss drugs and fossil fuel impacts highlights the intersection of technology, health, and environmental policy in contemporary business discourse. The award serves as a barometer for the topics that are shaping corporate leadership and public policy, with the recent trend toward technology-focused winners indicating a sustained focus on digital transformation and its societal implications. The financial incentives for authors also signal the commercial importance of these narratives in the publishing industry.
What to watch
The winner of the 2026 FT and Standard Chartered Business Book of the Year Award will be announced at a ceremony in London on December 2. The winner will receive a £30,000 prize, while each of the six shortlisted authors will receive £10,000. The event will also feature the Bracken Prize for Young Authors. The selection process will conclude with the final decision from the six finalists, which include titles on AI, weight-loss drugs, and historical economic crises. The outcome will likely reflect the continued emphasis on technology and its broader impacts on business and society.
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