How AI Thinks: How we built it, how it can help us, and how we can control it

by Nigel Toon

Those who understand how AI thinks are about to win big.We are used to thinking of computers as being a step up from calculators - very good at storing information, and maybe even at playing a logical game like chess. But up to now they haven't been able to think in ways that are intuitive, or respond to questions as a human might. All that has changed, dramatically, in the past few years.Our search engines are becoming answer engines. Artificial intelligence is already revolutionising sectors from education to healthcare to the creative arts. But how does an AI understand sentiment or context? How does it play and win games that have an almost infinite number of moves? And how can we work with AI to produce insights and innovations that are beyond human capacity, from writing code in an instant to unfolding the elaborate 3D puzzles of proteins?We stand at the brink of a historic change that will disrupt society and at the same time create enormous opportunities for those who understand how AI thinks. Nigel Toon shows how we train AI to train itself, so that it can paint images that have never existed before or converse in any language. In doing so he reveals the strange and fascinating ways that humans think, too, as we learn how to live in a world shared by machine intelligences of our own creation.

320 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2024

Reviews

[Dan'S_mind]

Tried 2 chapters here, on 10-11


and so far, it seems, it's more about predictions, & 'wanna-be' trade-offs between Human Intelligence & Machine Intelligence, while he serves you 'on the side' future prospects

Not what I was hoping for, when I bought it, but still it seems worthy of a thoroughly read

[Azie Sajaeei · Rating 4 out of 5]

How AI Thinks by Nigel Toon

Did you know that when you chew gum, at some point you notice a reduction in sweetness from the very first chew? Actually, the taste remains the same, but your brain stops paying attention to it because there’s no new information to process. Fascinating how our brain works, isn’t it?
Instead of focusing solely on AI, I love how this author takes us on a journey to appreciate and be grateful for the human brain. He engages us with captivating experiments, and one of my favorites is Erwin Schrödinger’s: How does a living organism avoid decay? — by eating, drinking, breathing, and assimilating.
Do we truly understand AI’s incredible potential? This question remains unanswered. We’ve seen AI take on remarkable roles in education, healthcare, and even the corporate world, continuously learning new things. However, are we able to compete? In my honest opinion, there are limits to everything. Sure, AI is driving development in many areas, but keep in mind that it was the human brain that created AI. I still believe that with our faith, intelligence, and complex neural networks, humankind will ensure AI remains safe to use in the future.
Finally, ‘Intelligence is the ability to gather and use information in order to adapt and survive.’ To truly understand AI, we must first recognize the differences between AI and the human brain. And don’t forget to always nurture your brain — it works like a sponge, and you’ll be amazed by what it can do.
Thank you for reading, and special thanks to Ms. Putri.