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Read These 5 Non-Fiction Books to Dive Deep Into AI

Here are five books to add to your reading list if you want to learn more about the nitty gritty of AI.

a book in front of binary code
Image by Trill/Jessica Segarra

It seems like every company nowadays is trying to find some way to incorporate AI into their business. Students use it to cheat on assignments, healthcare providers use it in medical diagnoses, and marketing professionals use it to target audiences. 

For many people, their understanding of artificial intelligence is limited to the basics of ChatGPT. These books will help you understand the reach and limits of AI, how machine learning works, and what the future may hold for artificial intelligence. 

You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It’s Making the World a Weirder Place by Janelle Shane

A green book title with a small doodle of a personified box
You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane (Credit: Amazon)

One of the best pickup lines ever, according to an artificial intelligence trained by author Janelle Shane, is “You look like a thing and I love you.” Shane creates different AIs that learn how to paint, write, and flirt in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the technology. 

In this humorous book, Shane explores how AI thinks. Is AI really as smart as people think? How does it go about making decisions? What does AI-generated Harry Potter fanfiction look like? 

In You Look Like a Thing and I Love You, Shane answers all of the basic, and the not-so-basic, questions you might have about AI technology. The book shows how this technology learns and adapts, and how they reflect humanity. It is a great introduction to the expanding world of artificial intelligence.

Buy on Amazon

The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values by Brian Christian  

Blue brain waves
The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian (Credit: Amazon)

The book The Alignment Problem explains everything that goes wrong when AI systems are built. Best-selling author Brian Christian explains how data trains our AI and “machine-learning” systems in the present day. They are trained to listen, learn, and make decisions on our behalf. 

However, when the systems we build will not do what we want or expect, ethical and existential risks emerge. According to Christian, researchers call this the alignment problem.

Machine-learning systems sift through resumes, but it was discovered that they have inherent gender biases. There are algorithms that decide bail and parole, and they appear to assess Black and White defendants differently. As AI continues to take over, it is no longer assured that human eyes see applications, tests, or forms. 

Christian introduces the alignment problem’s first responders and dives into their plan to solve it before AI takes over decision-making entirely. 

The Alignment Problem displays humanity’s biases and unstated assumptions through the choices of artificial intelligence. It describes how human values clash when confronted with the harsh reality of data.

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Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines by Joy Buolamwini

A Black woman holding a mask in front of her face
Unmasking AI by Dr. Joy Buolamwini (Credit: Amazon)

Artificial intelligence may seem fairly new to many, but it has been present and studied for quite some time. Dr. Joy Buolamwini has been studying AI and computer science for over ten years. As a graduate student at MIT, her research exposed widespread racial and gender bias in AI services from tech giants. 

Unmasking AI tells the story of how Buolamwini uncovered what she calls “the coded gaze.” It refers to the data-encoded discrimination that occurs in tech products. She describes how racism, sexism, and ableism can overlap and render certain groups “excoded.” This leaves them vulnerable in a world rapidly equipping AI tools.

Buolamwini encourages everyone to join the fight for algorithmic justice. The book raises awareness of the imperfections of AI applications and advocates for developing more equitable and inclusive artificial intelligence systems.

Buy on Amazon

The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World by Pedro Domingos

Orange book cover
The Master Algorithm by Pedro Domingos (Credit: Amazon)

Humans seem intent on building a computer intelligence as flexible and resourceful as ourselves. In The Master Algorithm, Pedro Domingos explores the race to invent the ultimate learning algorithm that is taking place in the world’s top research labs and universities. These scientists and researchers are striving to create an AI capable of discovering any knowledge from data and doing anything we want before we even ask.

The book has ten chapters, each targeted toward exploring a specific topic. Domingos explains the revolution of machine learning, how human brains work, and how scientists study artificial intelligence. 

The central hypothesis of the book is the following: “All knowledge – past, present, and future – can be deduced from data by a single, universal learning algorithm.” This statement drives the plot and is tied into every chapter. 

The Master Algorithm is a great book for anyone looking to understand what data across the internet is used for or how improvements of AI will influence the future. 

Buy on Amazon

The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI by Jonathan Birch

Octopi and spiders and bugs and crabs
The Edge of Sentience by Jonathon Birch (Credit: Amazon)

For those who aren’t as interested in the world of hard technology and intense science, The Edge of Sentience poses a more philosophical take on the concept of artificial intelligence.  

In The Edge of Sentience, Jonathan Birch questions how far sentience reaches. Can octopuses feel pain and pleasure? How do we tell whether a person unresponsive after severe brain injury might be suffering? When does a fetus in the womb start to have conscious experiences? Does a miniature model of the human brain grown from stem cells have feelings? Does AI?

Birch philosophizes on the consciousness of AI. Does one need a body to be conscious? Does a mechanical brain harbor feelings and thoughts? 

It is a complex issue filled with ethical dilemmas. The Edge of Sentience is a great read for those looking to dive into a book that will make you rethink the world around you.

Buy on Amazon

Understanding AI in a Changing World

With AI becoming ever-present in day-to-day life, a lot of people have questions about this new technology. It can be a complex topic, but there are a lot of professionals out there who want to help explain it. 

The use of AI can be a controversial topic for some. Some people can’t imagine life without it, while others just wish it would go away. If your school or work is adapting AI technology and you are curious about how it works or the impact it can have, these are great books for you.

Written By

I am an undergraduate journalism student at Ohio University. I am passionate about writing, research, and communication.

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