If 2025 was the year AI quietly slipped into every part of our daily lives—from social media feeds to online shopping—then 2026 is shaping up to be the year we stop and think.

Do we really want ads popping up inside AI chatbots? Can AI-powered styling apps actually understand personal taste? Are the brand images we see online real, or just “AI slop”? Are social media companies using our personal photos to train their AI image generators? Why are tech companies so focused on smart glasses that can quietly record everything we do? Should social media be banned for younger users, and should companies be held responsible for addictive algorithms?

These questions come up all the time in Vogue Business’s conversations with leaders in fashion, tech, and branding. So it felt natural to ask them what they’re reading to shape their views—and what inspires them for what comes next.

The Vogue Business tech summer reading list covers books on the ethics behind AI and new technologies, how tech fits into culture and politics, how to build a brand that matters in the age of AI, and books that offer practical advice and inspiration for thinking like an entrepreneur, living well, and making a difference.

It’s recommended reading as things slow down this summer—and hopefully gives you a timely boost of energy for the fall.

Julie Bornstein, founder and CEO of Daydream

Infallible: The Artificial Intelligence Ideology Reshaping Consumer Behavior by Chris Hood

Infallible is written by Chris Hood, who also created the Customer Transformation framework. He focuses on how businesses actually change around the consumer.

The book explores the idea that, in the rush for faster decisions and perfect precision, companies are tempted to put efficiency ahead of real human empathy. But customers aren’t algorithms—they have emotions, hopes, and stories that raw data can’t fully capture.

The main theme is the paradox of AI: how to balance massive technical innovation with genuine humanity so you don’t lose customer trust. What I love is how clearly he breaks it down. Each chapter pairs a specific AI skill with a corresponding human skill in areas like customer experience and loyalty, using real-world examples.

In fashion and retail, taste and intent are incredibly subtle. If you blindly trust an AI’s defaults without the human curation and expertise we use to personalize an experience, you lose the magic that builds real customer trust.

It’s a grounding read for any leader in tech or consumer goods right now. It looks past the AI hype and makes you think about intention. And it’s a reminder that the goal should always be solving real human problems and creating a genuinely better experience for the person on the other side of the screen.

Alexandra Zatarain, co-founder and VP of brand and marketing at Eight Sleep

Sneaker Wars by Barbara Smit

Sneaker Wars tells the story of the two Dassler brothers, whose family business eventually became Adidas and Puma. It’s a story about sports, rivalry, and brand-building, but also about family, ambition, timing, and the many decisions that turn a small idea into something much bigger.

What I loved most is how it shows that companies that seem inevitable in hindsight rarely felt that way at the time. Today, Adidas and Puma look like iconic global brands with a clear master plan. But the book reveals how much of that story was shaped over time—through risks, tensions, personal relationships, leadership changes, competitive pressure, and people seizing opportunities as they came.

It reminded me that great companies aren’t built in a clean, straight line. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in brands, founders, or building a company. It’s fascinating that even the most iconic brands start out much smaller and messier, and that what later becomes a legacy is often just a series of tough choices made in the moment.Farrah Storr, Head of Substack International
The Infinity Machine, by Sebastian Mallaby

I just finished reading The Infinity Machine by Sebastian Mallaby. It tells the story of Demis Hassabis, the man behind DeepMind. Even though he might not be as famous as someone like Sam Altman or Dario Amodei, Hassabis is without a doubt one of the greatest minds of our time, with an incredible background. If you want the real story behind the development of AI, this is the book to read.

Amy Wu Martin, Partner at Menlo Ventures
The Infinity Machine, by Sebastian Mallaby

Given how important AI is in our world, this book traces its history, the key people involved, and explores the origins and motivations of one of the most visionary founders of our time.

What stuck with me most is how early the foundations of artificial intelligence were actually laid: through research in the early 2000s, accelerated by venture capital in the 2010s, and only finding commercial success in the 2020s. It gave me a whole new understanding of what it really means to be “early.”

And despite Demis’s focus on solving general artificial intelligence, he was equally concerned about the safety and ethical safeguards needed for the technology. That feels very forward-looking, given everything that’s happened with AI since then and even today.

Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Whoop
Aligned, by Dr. Kristen Holmes

Aligned puts clear language and scientific backing behind something I’ve seen firsthand for a long time: the best performers aren’t the ones who just push the hardest, but the ones who know how to push hard and also recover well.

Dr. Kristen Holmes breaks down the science of sleep, recovery, stress, circadian rhythms, and daily habits, and turns it into practical steps anyone can follow. The result is a better way to think about health and performance — not as something you chase, but as something you build every day. It’s about knowing when to push and when to rest. If you get that balance right, you perform better over the long run.

What resonated with me most is the idea of alignment. That means making your daily habits work with your biology, not against it. The best part is that it doesn’t require anything extreme. Consistent sleep, getting outside in the morning, and building simple recovery habits can make a huge difference.

I liked this book because it’s practical. Dr. Holmes takes complex science and turns it into simple actions that can really improve how you feel and perform. I also appreciate that the book doesn’t promise shortcuts. It focuses on the small, consistent habits that add up over time — and that’s how real performance improvements happen.

Charlie Smith, Chief Brand Officer at Nothing
Empire of AI: Inside the Reckless Race for Total Domination, by Karen Hao

Empire of AI is a deep look into the rise of OpenAI, how it’s leading the AI race, and the broader impact of the technology on society.

Karen had impressive access to Sam Altman’s inner circle, which makes the book especially insightful about the company’s motivations, challenges, and internal dynamics.

I’m a strong supporter of AI, and I believe it’s already changing how we live, work, and create. But this book is a clear reminder that we can’t only see that progress through rose-colored glasses. Karen documents the human and environmental costs behind bringing AI to life. For someone working in tech and using AI every day, it’s a sobering read.

I imagine many people will read this book and become more opposed to AI. For me, the takeaway is different: we should be much more thoughtful about how we use it. I also think this helps explain why AI has such a bad reputation among younger generations. Too much of the public conversation has focused on dominance, the race for AGI, and the idea of replacing people. Not enough has been done to show the real, everyday value AI can bring: helping people become more creative, more productive, and more capable in their work and lives.

I work in tech and probably use AI more than most, so it’s important that I understand both its potential and its risks.Beyond the headlines and product launches, this book does a great job of explaining the human foundations of AI, which are often overlooked.

Tony Wang, founder of Office of Applied Strategy

There Is No Antimemetics Division, by Sam Hughes
There Is No Antimemetics Division is a sci-fi horror book about how ideas spread—or in this case, how they’re contained. It follows a secret global organization that studies, captures, and locks away supernatural anomalies. The story focuses on a division tasked with containing antimemes: ideas that can’t spread because they literally erase themselves from your memory.

Much like the new A24 film Backrooms, this book takes internet folklore that doesn’t belong to any single IP holder and builds on it. Here, it draws from the collective lore of SCP, a massive collaborative writing project and shared universe that grew out of early internet creepypasta culture.

It’s a fun, compelling read that highlights a new, bottom-up way of creating culture. It feels relevant because in a post-AI economy, sharpening human cognition is becoming more important. Imagination is a unique form of human intelligence that more of us should practice in our daily lives.

Adele Zeynep Walton, online safety campaigner and co-founder of The Logging Off Club

Users, by Beeban Kidron
I was lucky enough to attend the launch of Users and hear from a powerhouse of a woman—a rare politician who consistently puts our collective interests ahead of Silicon Valley’s.

Whether she’s pushing to stop chatbots from producing CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material), leading the child safety charity 5Rights, or fighting for creative workers and copyright law in the age of generative AI (which the government has pushed back against), this book reveals what really happens inside government and how we can take back control in the digital age. Beeban speaks plainly, and her no-nonsense approach to taking on Big Tech is exactly what we need right now.

Instagram content: This book is for everyone, especially fans of Careless People and Logging Off!

Lestat McCree, co-founder and CEO at Healf

Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
Meditations is the original wellness journal (though Aurelius would probably hate that description). It’s about discipline, mortality, and the single dividing line that runs through a good life: what you can control, and what you have to let go.

The most advanced wellness technology I’ve come across this year isn’t a wearable or a supplement. It’s a habit of attention that predates all of them. We keep designing the world to capture our minds. Marcus reminds us that reclaiming it is a skill—and always has been.

It’s a powerful reminder that old ideas are the best defense against new noise. There’s never been more noise than there is now, and the wisest guide to this moment—especially as a tech founder—was written before stirrups or gunpowder were invented.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about What Fashion Tech Leaders Are Reading This Summer written in a natural conversational tone with clear answers

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 What does Fashion Tech actually mean
Fashion tech is where clothing and accessories meet technology This includes things like smart fabrics that track your heart rate apps for virtual tryons AI that designs clothes and sustainable manufacturing methods

2 Why would a fashion leader need to read books in the summer
Summer is often a quieter time in the fashion industry Leaders use this time to learn about new trends in AI sustainability and consumer behavior so they can make smarter decisions in the fall

3 What kind of books are we talking about Are they textbooks
Not usually textbooks They are business books biographies of innovators and deep dives into future technologies Think of titles like The Future of Fashion or AI for Retail rather than a dry manual

4 Im new to fashion Where should I start reading
Start with books that explain the basics of how technology is changing shopping Look for titles like Fashionopolis or The New Retail These are easy to understand and very practical

Intermediate Advanced Questions

5 What specific topics are fashion tech leaders focusing on this summer
The hot topics are Generative AI Digital Twins and Circular Fashion

6 Can you give me a concrete example of a book they might be reading
Yes A popular pick is The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman Its not strictly about fashion but it explains how AI and biotech will reshape all industries including how we make and buy clothes Leaders read it to anticipate big changes

7 How do they find time to read while running a company
Most leaders use audiobooks during commutes or workouts and many subscribe to book summary services like Blinkist or get curated reading lists from industry newsletters They rarely read a 300page book covertocover they skim for actionable ideas