Artificial Intelligence in Byte-sized Chunks

by Peter J. Bentley

Artificial intelligence is headline news with the launch of the latest ChatGPT and Google Bard. But when did we start making computers mimic the human mind? And what is the reality of the capabilities of AI now, and in the future?AI has always stirred emotions, and caused great excitement as well as great concern. Since the launch of large language models such as ChatGPT , the scope and capabilities of AI look set to transform our technology , in both good and bad ways. AI can help teach us how to write better or help us generate amazing artworks. But in the wrong hands, AI can create fake images and fake information that can be used to damage our societies. A new addition to the popular Bite-sized Chunks series, this expert-led book will explore how AI has developed from humble beginnings in the 1950s to today’s extraordinary AIs that have more neurons than the human brain. Focusing on specific AIs and their creators over the years, it explains the science and engineering behind each AI , discusses ethical issues and covers all the most fascinating information about one of the most important and contentious developments in human technology (including the latest on generative AI/ChatGPT), as well as what we can expect to see in the future of this field – all in short, accessible bite-sized chunks.

Genres: Artificial Intelligence

224 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2024

About the author

Dr Peter Bentley is an Honorary Reader and Senior College Teacher at the Department of Computer Science, University College London and is known for his research covering all aspects of Evolutionary Computation and Digital Biology. He is the author of the popular science books Digital Biology, The Undercover Scientist and Digitized, and editor of the books Evolutionary Design by Computers, Creative Evolutionary Systems and On Growth, Form and Computers.

Reviews

[Alex Sandro de Araujo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading Artificial Intelligence in Byte-sized Chunks by Peter Bentley — and it was worth it!
The book takes you through the major milestones of AI from the 1950s to today — great for anyone who enjoys understanding the more technical side of the field. (I did spot a small inaccuracy about a well-known architecture, but it didn't get in the way of the flow of ideas.)
The "brief" promise is real: many topics are covered in a pretty condensed way, which leaves you wanting to dig deeper into each subject. Less a flaw, more a jumping-off point.
What struck me most: AI has always been a rollercoaster of high expectations and disappointments. The excitement we're seeing today around ChatGPT, LLMs, and everything else? It's not the first time. It's happened before — and it'll probably happen again.
A quick read, packed with ideas, and one that adds a lot of historical context to the conversation about AI. Highly recommend!