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The Hitchhiker's Guide to AI: A Handbook for All
For the past decade, Arthur Goldstuck has had a front-row seat to witness the remarkable rise of AI across all sectors of business and society. As generative AI becomes a household phrase and sparks hopes and fears of machines augmenting or replacing human beings, this guide offers an invaluable overview of the past, present and future of AI.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI is aimed at both beginners and those who consider themselves experienced or skilled at using AI. It draws on many years of direct access to global and regional leaders in using AI, from Africa to the Middle East to North America to Europe and Asia, and it provides unique perspectives on generative AI, as well as practical advice for using it.
It is useful for consumers, academics, professionals and anyone in business who wants to get up to speed quickly and practically. It also entertains and inspires anyone who is curious about AI or already engaged in its possibilities.
Need to understand or refine prompting? You’re in the right place. Need to prepare for the coming impact of AI on health, travel, education and business? This is the book for you.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI is aimed at both beginners and those who consider themselves experienced or skilled at using AI. It draws on many years of direct access to global and regional leaders in using AI, from Africa to the Middle East to North America to Europe and Asia, and it provides unique perspectives on generative AI, as well as practical advice for using it.
It is useful for consumers, academics, professionals and anyone in business who wants to get up to speed quickly and practically. It also entertains and inspires anyone who is curious about AI or already engaged in its possibilities.
Need to understand or refine prompting? You’re in the right place. Need to prepare for the coming impact of AI on health, travel, education and business? This is the book for you.
- GenresNonfictionTechnology
215 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2023
19 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Goldstuck
24 books3 followersArthur Goldstuck is a South African journalist, media analyst and commentator on Information and Communications Technology, Internet and mobile communications and technologies. He grew up in Trompsburg, Free State, South Africa and resides in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Goldstuck led early research into the size of the Internet user population and the extent of Web commerce in South Africa, which established trend lines for Internet growth in the country.
Today Goldstuck heads the World Wide Worx research organization, and has led research into ICT issues like the impact of IT on small business, the role of mobile technologies in business and government and the technology challenges of the financial services sector.
From the beginning of 2009, both the International Telecommunications Union and Internetworldstats have used World Wide Worx statistics when providing Internet data for South Africa.
Goldstuck established the first benchmarks for web strategy and web site evaluation in South Africa, and leads a team of usability experts that advises on web site usability and strategy. He represented South Africa as a judge for the Interactive category of the Cannes International Advertising Festival in France in June 2002, and as a judge in the online category of the 2003 London International Advertising Festival.
Goldstuck is the author of, among other works, South Africa’s best-selling IT book,The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet, as well as The Art of Business on the Internet. He has written five books on South African urban legends, and has contributed as a writer to numerous South African and international publications, including The Times of London and Billboard. He was winner of the online category in the Telkom ICT Journalist of the Year awards for 2003, and was runner-up in the lifestyle category for 2002 and the business magazine category in 2004.
He contributes to a number of South African publications on technology and business strategy issues, including the Radar column for African Communications magazine. He is editor of The Big Change, an electronic newsletter on business strategy in the high-tech economy, and of Gadget, the online consumer technology magazine. In 2007 Mail & Guardian invited Arthur Goldstuck to host his own blog on their Thought Leader service.
He also lectures at universities and other institutions on trends in technology and business strategy, and delivers presentations on his analysis of the technology environment at conferences and corporate events. He provided the closing keynote address for the Microsoft TechEd conference in Durban in August 2009, looking to the communications revolution of the next ten years.
Goldstuck led early research into the size of the Internet user population and the extent of Web commerce in South Africa, which established trend lines for Internet growth in the country.
Today Goldstuck heads the World Wide Worx research organization, and has led research into ICT issues like the impact of IT on small business, the role of mobile technologies in business and government and the technology challenges of the financial services sector.
From the beginning of 2009, both the International Telecommunications Union and Internetworldstats have used World Wide Worx statistics when providing Internet data for South Africa.
Goldstuck established the first benchmarks for web strategy and web site evaluation in South Africa, and leads a team of usability experts that advises on web site usability and strategy. He represented South Africa as a judge for the Interactive category of the Cannes International Advertising Festival in France in June 2002, and as a judge in the online category of the 2003 London International Advertising Festival.
Goldstuck is the author of, among other works, South Africa’s best-selling IT book,The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet, as well as The Art of Business on the Internet. He has written five books on South African urban legends, and has contributed as a writer to numerous South African and international publications, including The Times of London and Billboard. He was winner of the online category in the Telkom ICT Journalist of the Year awards for 2003, and was runner-up in the lifestyle category for 2002 and the business magazine category in 2004.
He contributes to a number of South African publications on technology and business strategy issues, including the Radar column for African Communications magazine. He is editor of The Big Change, an electronic newsletter on business strategy in the high-tech economy, and of Gadget, the online consumer technology magazine. In 2007 Mail & Guardian invited Arthur Goldstuck to host his own blog on their Thought Leader service.
He also lectures at universities and other institutions on trends in technology and business strategy, and delivers presentations on his analysis of the technology environment at conferences and corporate events. He provided the closing keynote address for the Microsoft TechEd conference in Durban in August 2009, looking to the communications revolution of the next ten years.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 4, 2024
Clearly, it is dawning on the business world that AI is not only about robots taking away jobs and taking over the world. More often, it is about running our businesses and our lives more efficiently.
If you are remotely interested in AI, its potential and likely evolution going forward, as well as its impact on whatever sector you work in – from business entrepreneurs to academics, finance, medical, legal, and even industrial automation – this is the book for you.
Arthur Goldstuck is the best tech expert and commentator in South Africa, and his weekly Sunday Times column is a must read. Here he has penned a no-nonsense guide to AI, with practical examples and advice.
The book is structured to include general interest reading as well as content specifically for consumer, business, professional and technical audiences, all neatly arranged so you can easily dip in and out of the book. The writing is simple, making this a fast but invaluable read.
There is a lot of hype, hyperbole, and hand-wringing about AI at the moment. Goldstuck strips all of that away and focuses on best-use cases for the technology (with caveats where needed.) He says: “There’s just so much opportunity, because there’s so much innovation, so much thinking and so many directions in which artificial intelligence can go.”
That comment was made at a 2014 panel discussion at Wits about ‘The Future of the Connected Human’. Speaking about Wits, Dr Benjamin Rosman, Professor of AI and Robotics, says in his introduction:
The reality is that we are in uncharted waters, and we do not know how these technologies will play out over the next few years and decades. What we really need is for broader cross sections of the population to add their voices to how AI is built and deployed, to take advantage of the exciting opportunities to improve our lives, and at the same time to help steer us away from the risks.
If you are remotely interested in AI, its potential and likely evolution going forward, as well as its impact on whatever sector you work in – from business entrepreneurs to academics, finance, medical, legal, and even industrial automation – this is the book for you.
Arthur Goldstuck is the best tech expert and commentator in South Africa, and his weekly Sunday Times column is a must read. Here he has penned a no-nonsense guide to AI, with practical examples and advice.
The book is structured to include general interest reading as well as content specifically for consumer, business, professional and technical audiences, all neatly arranged so you can easily dip in and out of the book. The writing is simple, making this a fast but invaluable read.
There is a lot of hype, hyperbole, and hand-wringing about AI at the moment. Goldstuck strips all of that away and focuses on best-use cases for the technology (with caveats where needed.) He says: “There’s just so much opportunity, because there’s so much innovation, so much thinking and so many directions in which artificial intelligence can go.”
That comment was made at a 2014 panel discussion at Wits about ‘The Future of the Connected Human’. Speaking about Wits, Dr Benjamin Rosman, Professor of AI and Robotics, says in his introduction:
The reality is that we are in uncharted waters, and we do not know how these technologies will play out over the next few years and decades. What we really need is for broader cross sections of the population to add their voices to how AI is built and deployed, to take advantage of the exciting opportunities to improve our lives, and at the same time to help steer us away from the risks.
January 3, 2024
AI will be at the heart of many coming changes... In this future, the opportunity for innovation will be unprecedented. There will be room for those who want to do things in old or traditional ways, but the world will be changed by those who embrace this future.
This book is essentially a practical guide to AI, why it should be used, and how. It is suitable for both beginners and those who have some experience in the field.
The book explores the state of AI right now, its current applications and what the future may hold. What's interesting is that the book is largely positive about the impact AI will have on various
industries, and suggests that rather than AI killing jobs, it will lead to new ones that require different skills. The author's only real negative analysis is concerned with cybersecurity and how AI may be used in things like scams.
The author is a technology analyst and commentator who heads an experienced research company. The book is written in easy-to-understand language, provides the reader with interesting real-life examples and encourages readers to make use of AI. It's certainly inspired me to play with some of the tools a little more.
December 26, 2023
Arthur Goldstuck has come out with a nice book that introduces any reader into the world of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and its scope and use in the near future.
In the age of ChatGPT, Goldstuck not only introduces readers to the famous language model AI but also shares what are the future implications of AI and how humans would integrate AI in different professional fields.
For a good portion of the book, the focus is on AI developments in South Africa, but the general ideas proposed in the book seem a not so distant reality for anyone in the 21st Century.
In the age of ChatGPT, Goldstuck not only introduces readers to the famous language model AI but also shares what are the future implications of AI and how humans would integrate AI in different professional fields.
For a good portion of the book, the focus is on AI developments in South Africa, but the general ideas proposed in the book seem a not so distant reality for anyone in the 21st Century.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews