New Books
The Magic of Code: How Digital Language Created and Connects Our World--And Shapes Our Future
This book reframes our relationship with technology by exploring code as a central force of the digital age, likened to DNA or cells in biology. Code can create new worlds, facilitate global connection, and make the once-impossible achievable. Samuel Arbesman highlights code’s transformative power—both its creativity and potential for harm—and argues that everyone needs to engage with technology, not just technical experts. By considering code’s broad impact across culture, thought, society, and ethics, the book provides a framework for understanding how software and computing can serve human needs. Mastering the “why” of coding helps us shape technology for a better future.
Understanding AI, IoT, 6G and the Infrastructure Revolution
This book provides a clear, jargon-free overview of the technologies that power the global Internet, from AI and 6G to fiber optics and cloud computing. It demonstrates how these innovations work together to enable online activities like entertainment, smart shopping, and financial transactions, rather than treating each technology in isolation. Written for general readers with basic terminology knowledge, the book is a practical guide that helps anyone understand how these advancements collectively reinforce network capabilities—no specialized expertise required.
Algorithmic Harm: Protecting People in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Oren Bar-Gill and Cass Sunstein examine whether algorithms and AI help or harm people, stressing consumer awareness and behavioral biases as key factors. When consumers are informed and unbiased, algorithms can improve outcomes; when they lack information or are swayed by biases, algorithms may cause significant harm. The book catalogs AI’s roles in markets, highlights risks to consumers, democracy, and self-government, and suggests policies to reduce algorithmic harms and protect individuals in the digital age.
As If Human: Ethics and Artificial Intelligence
Nigel Shadbolt and Roger Hampson propose that AI decisions should be evaluated using the same ethical standards as human actions. Their book argues this approach can prevent AI from producing unjust or unaccountable outcomes in areas such as justice, finance, health, and defense. Despite AI lacking human qualities, applying moral principles to its outputs offers a practical path to harness technology ethically, empowering society rather than causing harm. The authors present a framework for building ethical machine intelligence beyond sensational headlines.
Communicative AI: A Critical Introduction to Large Language Models
Communicative AI critically explores large language models like ChatGPT and LaMDA, using philosophy, linguistics, and communication theory to investigate their profound impact on questions of language, consciousness, authorship, and intelligence. The book challenges readers to reconsider the nature of writing and the meaning of communication in the age of artificial intelligence, blending theoretical analysis with accessible explanations and practical examples. It offers a comprehensive overview of how these technologies shape our understanding of human thought, making it essential for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, language, and society.
The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future
The Optimist by Wall Street Journal reporter Keach Hagey traces the rise of Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder and one of the most influential figures in artificial intelligence. From his childhood in St. Louis to leading Y Combinator and then founding OpenAI, Altman emerges as a bold dealmaker driven by faith in technological progress. Hagey details the dramatic 2023 episode when OpenAI’s board briefly ousted him, only for Altman to swiftly reclaim leadership, underscoring his power in a rapidly evolving industry. Based on 250 interviews, this portrait reveals both Altman’s brilliance and the risks of his relentless pursuit of AI’s future.
Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI
Karen Hao’s Empire of AI offers a gripping inside account of OpenAI’s rise, from its nonprofit origins to its breakneck race for dominance with Microsoft’s backing. Drawing on unprecedented access, Hao traces how ChatGPT’s success reflects vast demands for computation, data, and global labor—all with profound costs for workers, energy, and water. Blending intimate reporting on Sam Altman’s leadership battles with narratives from engineers, data cleaners, and activists, she reveals how a handful of tech giants are reshaping society in real time. Both investigative exposé and cultural critique, the book illuminates AI’s true stakes beyond hype or “sentience.”
Multilingual Artificial Intelligence
Multilingual Artificial Intelligence introduces non-specialists to applying AI technologies for real-world language challenges. Emphasizing multilingual, multicultural pre-trained models, Wang and Smith show how fine-tuning and prompt engineering can enhance tasks like information retrieval, semantic webs, and retrieval-augmented generation. The book also examines the cultural implications of language technologies and presents an AI competence framework to guide personalized learning. Accessible and practical, it is essential for students, researchers, and professionals in linguistics, languages, and related fields who want to understand and integrate multilingual AI into their work, fostering both human productivity and machine intelligence.
How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms
Algorithms now shape everyday life—from facial recognition at airports to systems deciding loans and bail—but their roots stretch centuries. Building on their Columbia course, Chris Wiggins and Matthew L. Jones trace data’s history from the U.S. census and Victorian eugenics to Google search, showing how data is made, curated, and weaponized to define truth and distribute power. They reveal how mathematical and computational techniques reorganize people, institutions, militaries, and economies, amid an unstable contest among states, corporations, and the public. Understanding this trajectory, they argue, lets us steer data’s future—intentionally—toward collective goals rather than inherited defaults.
AIoT: Artificial Intelligence of Things
AIoT: Artificial Intelligence of Things explores how integrating AI with IoT enables devices to analyze data, make decisions, and communicate, enhancing efficiency and creating new possibilities. Covering fundamentals to advanced applications, it examines AIoT components—sensors, connectivity, data processing, and machine learning—alongside topics like edge computing, security, smart cities, wearables, AR/VR, blockchain, and 5G. The book discusses architectures (cloud, edge, hybrid), big data analytics, and AI techniques such as NLP, computer vision, and deep learning. It concludes with emerging trends, societal impacts, and ethical considerations, offering a comprehensive guide to the future of intelligent, connected systems.
Machine Learning in Production: From Models to Products
Machine Learning in Production is a practical textbook on building real-world software products with machine learning—not just training models. Bridging gaps left by traditional ML and MLOps books, it covers the full product lifecycle from requirements and design to testing, operations, and maintenance. Based on the author’s Carnegie Mellon course, it emphasizes usable, reliable, scalable, and safe systems in real-world conditions. Merging software engineering principles with ML fundamentals, it introduces tools, research, and case studies to help students and professionals deliver production-ready AI products. Includes supplemental slides, videos, and readings.
DeepAesthetics: Computational Experience in a Time of Machine Learning
DeepAesthetics by Anna Munster explores how machine learning reshapes computation—and experience—by blending statistics, computer science, and vast datasets to create AI. Drawing on process philosophy, Munster examines deep learning’s neural networks as both quantitative and qualitative forces, producing imperceptible, nonlinear, and continuously shifting functions. Through cases in image production, statistical racialization, AI chatbots, and critical AI art, she shows how machine learning is entwined with racialized, neurotypical, and cognitivist ways of knowing. Emphasizing AI’s strangeness, ruptures, and surprises, Munster argues that artful engagement with these systems can open up alternative sensibilities and indeterminate, creatively rich futures.
Raising AI: An Essential Guide to Parenting Our Future
Raising AI by De Kai, a pioneer behind translation technologies like Google and Bing Translate, reframes artificial intelligence as our “artificial children.” These AIs—embedded in platforms from YouTube to Instagram—imitate our behavior, shaping global culture alongside billions of humans. Now in their “tween” years, they demand thoughtful guidance. Drawing on decades at the intersection of AI and society, De Kai explores how “the automation of thought” affects our minds, the risks of unconscious influence, and our responsibility as AI’s parents. Mixing science, culture, and ethics, he argues humanity can guide AI toward a more compassionate and humane shared future.
Dots and Lines: Hidden Networks in Social Media, AI, and Nature
Dots and Lines by Anthony Bonato explores how hidden networks shape our world—from social media and politics to climate and technology. Using simple concepts like dots and lines, Bonato uncovers how network theory helps explain complex systems such as neural connections, Bitcoin transactions, and even reality TV strategies. With playful, real-world examples and a chapter-by-chapter dive into different network applications, the book offers an accessible, engaging introduction to how networks influence modern life. Perfect for curious readers, it reveals the surprising power of networks to make sense of the seemingly chaotic world around us.
The New Order: How AI Rewrites the Narrative of Science
The New Order: How AI Rewrites the Narrative of Science by Chris Edwards argues that science has developed in the “wrong” chronological order—overlooking thermodynamics as a central foundation. This misalignment, Edwards suggests, has hindered a unified understanding across disciplines. With the rise of AI, we can now reorganize scientific knowledge based on core principles like entropy and probability. Tracing science from its roots to quantum physics, the book proposes a bold new framework for interpreting the universe—one that AI is uniquely equipped to explore. By rethinking science’s structure, we open new pathways to insight and discovery.
The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West
Palantir co-founder Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska warn that Silicon Valley has shifted from bold invention to complacency, with tech companies prioritizing trivial apps over tackling urgent global challenges. They argue this cultural stagnation leaves America vulnerable amid rising geopolitical threats, especially in the AI arms race. The authors urge a revival of Silicon Valley’s original mission—collaboration with government and ambitious problem-solving. Their insider account is both a critique of current tech culture and a passionate call for renewed leadership, intellectual rigor, and a technology sector dedicated to safeguarding our freedoms.
Understanding the Digital Revolution: A Beginner's Guide to the Internet and the Web
This book offers a clear and concise explanation of how the Internet and World Wide Web work, breaking down the complex technologies and organizational structures behind the digital world. It covers everything from network basics and communication protocols to media transmission and web technologies like HTML and HTTP. Aimed at making technical concepts accessible, it empowers readers to better understand the systems shaping modern life. Written by Christoph Meinel and Maxim Asjoma, experts in digital technology and its societal impact, this guide serves as a key to navigating and confidently engaging with today’s digital landscape.
Understanding and Addressing Misinformation about Science
In today’s digital age, misinformation about science spreads rapidly, making it difficult for individuals to discern accurate information. This issue poses risks at personal, community, and societal levels. Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science analyzes how misinformation arises—both intentionally and unintentionally—and its wide-ranging impacts. It emphasizes the importance of improving access to reliable scientific information to counteract misinformation. It offers evidence-based guidance on interventions and policies, considering the broader historical and social context. Ultimately, it provides a comprehensive framework for tackling misinformation and fostering trust in science across diverse populations.
Make: Wearable Electronics: Design, Prototype, and Wear Your Own Interactive Garments
Make: Wearable Electronics is a comprehensive, updated guide to merging technology and fashion through wearable tech. Led by expert Kate Hartman, this book covers everything from selecting materials and building circuits to using e-textile toolkits like LilyPad and Flora. Learn to create interactive costumes, integrate sensors, and express yourself with LEDs, fiber optics, and more. Featuring step-by-step instructions, inspiring global projects, and over 300 color images, it’s perfect for artists, designers, and makers eager to explore wearable electronics and bring creative ideas to life.
Building Quantum Computers: A Practical Introduction
“Building Quantum Computers” explores four leading quantum computing platforms: nuclear magnetic resonance, quantum optics, trapped ions, and superconducting systems. The textbook covers fundamental physics concepts, practical implementation, and analyzes each platform’s strengths and weaknesses. With over 80 exercises, applied problems, and further reading suggestions, it offers a comprehensive learning experience for senior undergraduate and graduate students in physics, engineering, and computer science. The book provides crucial insights into the rapidly advancing field of quantum computing, which has attracted significant investment and talent in the global race to build the first quantum computer.
Search As Learning
Search As Learning (by USF professor Kelsey Urgo, et al.) explores how search engines, traditionally designed for simple look-ups, are increasingly used for complex learning tasks. The book reviews research on how search can support deeper learning, examining learning objectives, strategies, and context from educational theory. It discusses methods for measuring learning during searches, including retention and knowledge transfer. The monograph also analyzes factors influencing learning, predictive search behaviors, and tools that aid learning through search. Additionally, it covers self-regulated learning—how users monitor and control their own learning—and suggests future research directions to enhance search systems for educational purposes.
Computing Legacies: Digital Cultures of Simulation
Computing Legacies by Peter Krapp examines the role of simulation in shaping digital culture and computing history. Krapp highlights simulation as a cultural technique that fosters symbolic thinking, preserves cultural memory through modeling and emulation, and offers a critical lens on the computer age. The book explores how simulation bridges quantitative data and qualitative experience—impacting fields from scientific research to entertainment and education—and argues that simulation is essential for understanding, preserving, and critiquing our digital heritage and the technical conditions of modern life.
Stand Out with Your Scientific Poster: A Step by Step Approach
This book provides you with a step-by-step guide to making a scientific poster that has real impact. Are you a researcher who struggles when it comes to creating scientific posters? Or do you simply want to get better at it? This book provides you with a step-by-step guide to making a poster that has real impact to ensure you stand out from the crowd at your next poster fair. A practical guide that gives you answers to questions like: what to put on a poster (and mainly: what not to)? How do you come up with a title that immediately grabs people's attention? What are the best images to use? How many words can you include on your poster? And much, much more... Everything you need to get started step-by-step and quickly achieve the best result.
Tangles: A Structural Approach to Artificial Intelligence in the Empirical Sciences
“Tangles: A Structural Approach to Artificial Intelligence in the Empirical Sciences” introduces a novel mathematical framework for identifying patterns in complex data. Tangles group related qualities, revealing clusters and types across diverse fields like politics, health, and biology. This structural approach to AI offers new ways to understand, classify, and predict complex phenomena. The book explores applications ranging from data science and machine learning to economics, genetics, and text analysis. By making the recently axiomatized theory of tangles accessible to a broad scientific audience, the book demonstrates its potential to revolutionize data analysis across multiple disciplines.
Information Access in the Era of Generative AI
This book explores Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and its impact on information access, known as Generative Information Retrieval (GenIR). It covers eight key dimensions: foundations, interactions, adaptability, improvement, evaluation, sociotechnical implications, recommendations, and future prospects of GenIR. Aimed at graduate students and researchers in information retrieval and AI applications, the book provides a comprehensive overview of GenAI’s role in revolutionizing information access across various industries and personal contexts. While some sections require prior knowledge in IR or AI, most are accessible to a broader audience, making it suitable for diverse academic settings.
Handbook on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
The Handbook on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence critically examines the moral implications of AI, offering a comprehensive overview of key issues. It advocates for a diverse approach to AI ethics, incorporating underrepresented perspectives such as continental philosophy, indigenous cosmologies, and feminist ethics. The book covers foundational topics and explores challenges related to responsibility, justice, and authority in an AI-driven world. Balancing legal and moral philosophies, it surveys AI’s current impact while considering future ethical concerns. This resource is valuable for students, scholars, legal practitioners, policy analysts, and regulators seeking a fundamental understanding of AI ethics.
Exploring Religious Dimensions in AI and Humanity
“Exploring Religious Dimensions in A.I. and Humanity” examines how AI advancements impact spiritual journeys and ethical frameworks. Very Reverend Dr. Aristarchos Gkrekas provides religious insights, while Nicholas Kokkinos analyzes ethical implications of emerging technologies. The authors explore AI’s potential as a repository of religious knowledge and its impact on questions of consciousness, ethics, and spirituality. This collaborative work bridges technology and spirituality, drawing on centuries-old texts to illuminate the spiritual dimensions and ethical challenges of our digital age. It offers a thought-provoking exploration for those interested in the intersection of AI and religion.
Programming Language Cultures: Automating Automation
Brian Lennon’s book explores programming languages through a philological lens, emphasizing their cultural and historical contexts rather than just technical aspects. He examines specific languages like SNOBOL and JavaScript, as well as code comments, metasyntactic variables, early programming history, and DevOps. Lennon’s approach offers humanities researchers a rigorous method to study computing using their expertise. By combining programming knowledge with humanistic analysis, the book bridges the gap between technical fields and disciplines like literary studies, STS, and media studies, providing a unique perspective on the social and historical dimensions of computing.
Cryptography
“Cryptography” by Panos Louridas offers a comprehensive introduction to the art and science of keeping secrets. The book traces cryptography’s evolution from ancient roots to modern digital applications, explaining how it protects our communications. Louridas covers classical cryptography, symmetric and asymmetric methods, cryptographic protocols, and explores future developments like quantum cryptography. He emphasizes the growing importance of understanding cryptography in our digital age, where privacy concerns are paramount. The author connects cryptography to everyday life, making complex concepts accessible to non-specialists and highlighting its crucial role in computer security.
Too Much Fun: The Five Lives of the Commodore 64 Computer
“Too Much Fun” by Jesper Juul explores the Commodore 64’s remarkable legacy as the best-selling desktop computer. Despite its immense popularity and impact on gaming, the C64 is often overlooked in computer histories. Juul argues that its versatility led to its success, evolving from a serious computer to a gaming powerhouse, then a platform for technical innovation, and finally a beloved retro device. The book delves into the C64’s design, history, and cultural significance, featuring interviews with Commodore engineers and analyses of iconic games and software. It offers a comprehensive look at how the C64’s fun-centric approach shaped computing history.
DNA Logic Design: Computing with DNA
DNA computing uses DNA strands to solve computational problems, storing information in bases A, T, C, and G instead of binary 1s and 0s. This approach offers advantages like dense data storage, parallel computation, and energy efficiency. The book “DNA Logic Design: Computing with DNA” explores this field, covering basics, fundamental operations, and translating various logical designs into DNA computing. It discusses arithmetic and combinational circuits, sequential circuits, memory devices, programmable logic devices, and nano processors. The book also includes heat and speed calculation techniques, providing a comprehensive overview of this innovative intersection between biology and computer science.
Human Freedom in the Age of AI
“Human Freedom in the Age of AI” explores AI’s impact on freedom in work, daily life, and politics. The author presents a framework to govern AI’s ethical and political effects, highlighting three key risks: increased workforce control, reduced human decision-making capacity, and concentrated power in governments and tech companies. The book argues that promoting human freedom alongside AI is possible by designing systems that enhance worker autonomy, strengthen human control and responsibility, and foster inclusive democratic participation. This philosophical work targets scholars and students interested in technology ethics, political philosophy, and AI.
The Atomic Human: What Makes Us Unique in the Age of AI
“The Atomic Human” by Neil Lawrence explores the unique qualities of human intelligence in the face of advancing artificial intelligence. The book contrasts human and machine intelligence, examining AI’s origins, capabilities, and limitations. Lawrence seeks to identify irreplaceable human traits that will remain valuable as AI takes over more decision-making roles. He argues for the importance of understanding AI systems, not just for experts but for everyone, to navigate this new era effectively. The author’s personal journey of discovery forms the narrative backbone of this timely exploration into the essence of human intelligence.
Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labor Powering A. I.
“Feeding the Machine” exposes the hidden human labor behind artificial intelligence. The book challenges Silicon Valley’s portrayal of AI as a frictionless technology, revealing a global workforce of millions working in often poor conditions. Based on extensive research, it gives voice to the exploited workers, from writers and artists to data annotators and warehouse staff. The author connects this exploitation to historical patterns of gender, racial, and colonial oppression. Ultimately, the book argues that AI is an extraction machine feeding off humanity’s collective efforts and calls for action to create a more equitable digital future.
AI and I: An Intellectual History of Artificial Intelligence
Eugene Charniak’s “AI & I” offers a firsthand account of artificial intelligence’s evolution since its inception in 1956. As an early practitioner, Charniak traces AI’s journey through breakthroughs and setbacks, covering key areas like reasoning, knowledge representation, chess, computer vision, and speech recognition. He argues that classical AI approaches have largely failed, while modern deep learning shows promise for future developments. Charniak challenges common fears about AI’s impact on jobs and creativity, instead advocating for embracing the technology’s potential benefits to society. This concise history provides an accessible overview for scientifically-minded readers, demystifying AI’s complex trajectory.
Beautiful Math: The Surprisingly Simple Ideas Behind the Digital Revolution in How We Live, Work, and Communicate
“Beautiful Math” by Chris Bernhardt explores the mathematical foundations of the digital age. The book covers four main themes: information, communication, computation, and learning. Bernhardt uses simple mathematical models to reveal deep connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, explaining key ideas like information theory, digital-analog conversion, algorithms, and neural networks. The author aims to present these complex topics with minimal mathematics, making them accessible to a wide audience. Historical anecdotes provide context for technological developments. The book offers readers, regardless of their mathematical background, an engaging journey through the mathematical principles underlying our digital world.
Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future
“Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future” by Jeremy Kahn explores AI’s transformative impact on society within the next decade. Kahn predicts AI will revolutionize industries, education, healthcare, and creativity, increasing efficiency and productivity. However, he warns of potential negative consequences, including deepening income inequality, undermining democracy, and altering human cognition. Drawing from extensive research and interviews with industry leaders, Kahn offers insights into the AI boom and its far-reaching implications, urging readers to prepare for a future where AI is omnipresent and to take action to mitigate its potential risks.
Cyberboss: The Rise of Algorithmic Management and the New Struggle for Control at Work
How technologies of organization are redrawing the lines of class struggle. Across the world, algorithms are changing the nature of work. Nowhere is this clearer than in the logistics and distribution sectors, where workers are instructed, tracked and monitored by increasingly dystopian management technologies. In Cyberboss, Craig Gent takes us into workplaces where algorithms rule to excavate the politics behind the newest form of managerial power. Combining worker testimony and original research on companies such as Amazon, Uber, and Deliveroo, the cutting edge of algorithmic management technology, this book reveals the sometimes unexpected effects these new techniques have on work, workers and managers. Gent advances an alternative politics of resistance in the face of digital control.
Algorithms of Anxiety: Fear in the Digital Age
“Algorithms of Anxiety: Fear in the Digital Age” explores the paradox of machine learning algorithms in our society. While promising control and precision in shaping the future, these technologies have instead fueled widespread anxiety. Anthony Elliott examines how algorithms are transforming global institutions and personal lives, from ChatGPT to autonomous drones. He analyzes the impact on various sectors, including social media, employment, and warfare. Elliott questions the assumption that adopting new technologies is necessary for fulfillment, suggesting that people may be both captivated and unsettled by outsourcing personal decisions to smart machines.
Drag and Drop Code with Thunkable
“Drag and Drop Code with Thunkable” by David Wolber introduces a user-friendly platform for creating iOS and Android apps without coding experience. Suitable for ages 12 and up, the book guides readers through building various apps using Thunkable’s block-based coding interface. Projects include soundboards, trivia games, translation tools, and location-aware apps. The step-by-step instructions cover fundamental coding concepts applicable to all programming languages. Readers learn to customize apps, work with spreadsheets, implement speech recognition, and connect to external APIs. The book emphasizes learning through creation, making it ideal for beginners and family coding clubs.
In Through the Side Door: Fifty Years of Women in Interaction Design
"In through the Side Door" chronicles the pivotal role of women in shaping interaction and user experience design for digital interfaces. Erin Malone highlights pioneers from diverse backgrounds who contributed to the field's development, from early desktop computing to the World Wide Web and beyond. The book showcases women's contributions at influential companies like Xerox PARC, Apple, and Microsoft, and explores their impact on voice UX, mobile design, and civic design. Malone also addresses the challenges and biases women have faced in the tech industry, set against the backdrop of feminist waves and computing history. The narrative culminates with contemporary leaders driving social impact and accountability in human-centered design.
Devil in the Stack: A Code Odyssey
"Devil in the Stack" by Andrew Smith explores the hidden world of computer code through his personal journey to become a coder. The book delves into the history of computing, from Ada Lovelace to Alan Turing, and examines the lives of modern coders. Smith investigates how code shapes our world and raises critical questions about its impact on society. He ponders the challenges of controlling a technology few understand and whether computing fundamentally clashes with human nature. This thought-provoking work combines humor, insight, and alarm to illuminate the crucial role of code in our increasingly digital future.
AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can't, and How to Tell the Difference
"AI Snake Oil" by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor demystifies artificial intelligence, exposing its limitations and potential harms. The authors differentiate between genuine AI advancements and exaggerated claims, highlighting concerns in various sectors like education, medicine, and criminal justice. They argue that while AI has potential, its capabilities are often overstated, leading to misuse and unwarranted trust. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding AI's boundaries, warns against unaccountable tech companies controlling AI development, and aims to empower readers to make informed decisions about AI usage in their personal and professional lives.
The de Gruyter Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, Identity and Technology Studies
The De Gruyter Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, Identity and Technology Studies explores the intersection of social sciences and AI, examining how AI is transforming various aspects of society. It covers topics such as employment, education, warfare, policy, and ethics. The handbook investigates AI's impact on social, economic, cultural, and psychological processes, discussing recent advancements in supercomputing, deep learning, and neural networks. It also delves into AI's role in shaping identity, analyzing how concepts like race, ethnicity, and gender are reflected in human-machine interactions. This comprehensive work provides insights into the evolving relationship between AI technology and human identity in the modern world.
How Computers Create Social Structures: Accidental Collectives
This book introduces the idea of accidental collectives: the grouping of people that occurs as a by-product of the automated work of computers. Software has a growing influence in our lives automating and optimising mundane, time-consuming and repetitive tasks. In doing this, groups of people are automatically created as the result of classification and data analysis. Once grouped by the invisible agency of software, people interact and establish new relationships, generating new collectives and communities. With the support of case studies and real-life examples, this work explores the accidental nature of the generation of new social groups and questions the role of software in social interactions.
The Decision Maker's Handbook to Data Science: AI and Data Science for Non-Technical Executives, Managers, and Founders
This updated edition of "The Decision Maker's Handbook to Data Science" by Stylianos Kampakis explores the latest advancements in AI, particularly large language models, and their impact on various industries. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding data science and AI for decision-makers, highlighting the distinctions between AI and traditional data science. It delves into crucial topics such as ethics in AI, including bias, fairness, and accountability. Kampakis provides guidance on developing effective data strategies, avoiding common pitfalls, and building a data-driven culture within organizations. The book also covers hiring and managing data scientists, project assessment, and includes case studies to illustrate key concepts. It aims to bridge the communication gap between management and data scientists, making it an essential guide for non-technical decision-makers and those seeking an introduction to data science.
Human Hacked: My Life and Lessons As the World's First Augmented Ethical Hacker
"Human Hacked" by Len Noe, the world's first augmented ethical hacker, explores the intersection of biology and technology through his experience with bio-implants. The book delves into cybersecurity threats and defenses in an era where human augmentation is becoming reality. Noe discusses the subculture of augmented humans, the latest advancements in bio-implants, and their implications for restricted technology access. He provides insights on cybersecurity tactics, including phishing and social engineering, while addressing the legal and ethical complexities surrounding augmented humans. This unique resource offers valuable lessons for security professionals and anyone interested in the future of technology and human enhancement.
AI + the New Human Frontier: Reimagining the Future of Time, Trust + Truth
"AI + The New Human Frontier" by Erica Orange explores how generative AI can enhance human creativity rather than replace it. The book argues that human intelligence, including curiosity, critical thinking, and empathy, will become more valuable as AI evolves. Orange emphasizes the importance of embedding trust and human oversight into AI development to amplify human capabilities. The book provides insights on navigating the future confidently, capitalizing on AI's potential, and leveraging human advantages in an AI-driven world. It offers practical advice for professionals and leaders on thriving in an AI-enhanced future, making it a valuable resource for understanding the transformative impact of AI on society.
Artificial Integrity: The Paths to Leading AI Toward a Human-Centered Future
"Artificial Integrity" by Hamilton Mann proposes a paradigm shift in AI development, focusing on integrity-led capabilities rather than just intelligence. Mann introduces the concept of "artificial integrity" to align AI systems with human values and societal norms. The book offers practical insights and strategies for designing, implementing, and integrating AI responsibly into business and society. It emphasizes human agency and the enhancement of human capabilities without replacement. Mann provides actionable advice for managing the transition to a human-centered AI future while maintaining trustworthiness. This essential read is suitable for AI developers, business leaders, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of AI and society.
The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood
"The Line" by James Boyle explores how AI challenges our concept of personhood and the boundary between humans and other entities. Boyle examines the implications of AI's growing capabilities on legal rights, consciousness, and human exceptionalism. He delves into diverse topics, including moral philosophy, science fiction, animal rights, corporate personhood, and the future of AI. The book addresses contentious debates about personhood, drawing parallels between historical denials of human personhood and potential future conflicts involving AI. Boyle offers insightful perspectives on these complex issues, which are becoming increasingly relevant in our rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Gradient Expectations: Structure, Origins, and Synthesis of Predictive Neural Networks
"Gradient Expectations" by Keith L. Downing explores the predictive functions of neural networks and their potential to advance AI. The book investigates the similarities between natural and artificial neural networks, focusing on how prediction mechanisms evolved in mammalian brains. Downing examines computational models that utilize predictive mechanisms with biological plausibility, highlighting the role of gradients in both natural and artificial networks. By synthesizing research from neuroscience, cognitive science, and connectionism, the book offers a comprehensive perspective on predictive neural-network models and proposes integrating computational prediction models with evolutionary algorithms to enhance AI capabilities.
The Age of Prediction: Algorithms, AI, and the Shifting Shadows of Risk
"The Age of Prediction" explores the rapid advancement of AI and big data in enhancing predictive capabilities across various fields, from investing to medicine. The book examines how these technologies are reshaping our world, but also highlights the paradoxical effects of improved predictions on risk perception and behavior. It discusses how increased predictability can lead to complacency or unintended consequences, such as less attentive driving due to GPS reliance. The authors question whether risk can be eliminated entirely and investigate how narrower risks might impact markets, insurance, and risk tolerance. The book showcases novel cross-disciplinary tools used for predictions in fields like cancer research and stock dynamics.
Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence: Problem Solving and Automated Reasoning
"Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence: Problem Solving and Automated Reasoning" is a concise, comprehensive textbook on modern AI principles and practices. Written by an AI expert, it covers core techniques including algorithms, data structures, logic, automated reasoning, and problem-solving. The book also explores planning and expert systems. Each chapter features a historical overview, control questions, computer assignments, and independent thought exercises. The text is enriched with visuals and practical examples, making complex concepts accessible. This hands-on guide is designed to optimize learning, offering a balanced mix of theoretical foundations and practical applications, suitable for students and practitioners seeking a solid grounding in AI fundamentals.
Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning
Artificial Intelligence is transforming education and work, challenging traditional notions of creativity and learning. José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson's guide helps educators harness AI as a teaching tool, offering practical strategies for classroom integration. The book explores AI's impact on education, addressing issues like academic integrity and the evolving nature of work. It emphasizes the growing importance of critical thinking, information literacy, and liberal arts education in the AI era. This comprehensive resource equips teachers with the knowledge to navigate AI's challenges and opportunities, preparing students for a rapidly changing world.
Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI
"Co-Intelligence" by Ethan Mollick explores the transformative impact of AI on work, learning, and life. The Wharton professor argues that ChatGPT's arrival in November 2022 marked the beginning of a new era of human-AI collaboration. Mollick advocates for embracing AI as a co-worker, co-teacher, and coach, providing practical examples of its applications in business and education. The book challenges readers to harness AI's potential while maintaining human identity and critical thinking. It offers an optimistic and thought-provoking perspective on the future of human-AI interaction, emphasizing the importance of mastering this new form of co-intelligence.
Mitigating Bias in Machine Learning
"Mitigating Bias in Machine Learning" is a comprehensive guide that addresses the critical issue of bias in AI systems. The book provides practical strategies to reduce discrimination based on factors like ethnicity and gender across various AI applications. It features contributions from experts in the field, covering topics such as ethical implications, social media, healthcare, natural language processing, and large language models. Through real-world case studies, the authors demonstrate how to identify and mitigate biases in machine learning systems, promoting fairness and equity in AI development and deployment across different industries.
Soft Power for the Journey: The Life of a Stem Trailblazer
Dr. Sandra K. Johnson's inspiring journey as an African American woman in STEM is chronicled in this book. From humble beginnings in the segregated South, she became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Rice University in 1988. Despite personal challenges, her innate abilities, discipline, and resilience led her to become an IBM Chief Technology Officer and a global technology leader. Dr. Johnson's story showcases her innovative contributions to high-performance computing, numerous patents, and technical publications. This compelling narrative highlights her triumph over adversity, demonstrating the power of persistence, faith, and soft power in achieving success in a challenging field.
Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI
"Code Dependent" by Murgia explores the global impact of artificial intelligence on everyday lives. Through diverse stories from a British poet, an UberEats courier, an Indian doctor, and a Chinese activist, the book reveals how AI is reshaping society. It examines AI's influence on various aspects of life, including education, work, and human rights. Murgia exposes the potential dangers of automated decision-making, highlighting how it can erode individual agency and free will. The book ultimately calls for resistance against unchecked AI development and emphasizes the importance of reclaiming human autonomy in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Web3 in Financial Services: How Blockchain, Digital Assets and Crypto Are Disrupting Traditional Finance
"Web3 in Financial Services" is a comprehensive guide for finance professionals navigating the disruptive world of Web3. The book explores key concepts like custody, stablecoins, CBDCs, tokenization, DeFi, and digital identity, providing real-world examples from industry leaders. It examines Web3's impact on banks, investors, and regulators, and discusses the challenges and opportunities in mainstream adoption. The book answers crucial questions about Web3's meaning for financial services, its potential for disruption, and how organizations can adapt. It serves as an essential resource for finance and fintech professionals seeking to understand Web3's implications for the industry.
Book summaries composed with AI-assistance.