How AI Thinks

Few books are more timely than How AI Thinks, an accessible guide that walks the reader through the technology’s developmental history right back to the days before the computer... This is a fascinating read. -- Simon Hunt * Evening Standard * I believe that AI is going to have a massive impact on everyone’s lives; it’s such a hugely important topic that we can’t just leave it to technologists and governments to think about. Business people, teachers, students and parents - everyone needs to learn more about it. In How AI Thinks, Nigel Toon provides us with an accessible and sensible read that helps demystify AI and lets us all understand more about this incredibly powerful tool. -- Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and star of <i>Dragon's Den</i> Nigel Toon is not only a visionary leader in the field of artificial intelligence, but also a captivating storyteller who takes us on a journey through his own fascinating history and the evolution of our young industry. He has a gift for explaining complex concepts in simple terms, making this book accessible and engaging for anyone interested in AI. He also offers a prescriptive and optimistic view of the future of AI, showing how it can transform our lives and society for the better. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the past, present and future of artificial intelligence. -- Marc Tremblay PhD, Distinguished Engineer, Microsoft An insightful, informative, inspiring book which takes the reader on a journey of discovery, it ultimately paints a hopeful and reasoned vision of how humanity can move on from a position of fear and trepidation, and embrace AI, deriving profound benefit from all it makes possible. Nigel has a skill in taking highly technical content and making AI not just comprehensible, but also engaging. -- Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Bristol As a business leader, it was great to have all the strands that have created AI pulled together. Nigel Toon synthesizes everything so clearly, simply and in such an inspiring way. How AI Thinks delivers the perspective that leaders and politicians need so that they can regulate AI well. -- Sir Andrew MacKenzie, Chairman of Shell Through elegant storytelling, Nigel makes the understanding of AI and its possibilities accessible to all despite its complexities. He brings to life the important notion that AI is a tool, a uniquely powerful one, but one that has limitations and is under our control if we make time to learn how it works and thinks. An indispensable book for anyone who wants to play an active role in understanding and using the opportunities of AI to make our world and lives better. -- Avid Larizadeh-Duggan OBE, entrepreneur and venture capitalist This is both a brilliant history of the technologies that have built the modern world, as well as a guide to how AI can transform the future of health, education and climate. It paints a profound picture of the opportunities of AI to amplify human intelligence and is clear-sighted about how to govern the risks of the most powerful tool we have ever had. -- Benedict Macon-Cooney, Chief Policy Strategist, Tony Blair Institute A sparky new book on artificial intelligence... How AI Thinks provides a brisk and well-grounded introduction to how AI has evolved since the term was first coined in 1955, how it is used today and how it may (we hope) be controlled. -- John Thornhill * Financial Times *