Artificial Intelligence in Short

by Ryan Richardson Barrett

Artificial Intelligence in Short is a poignant book about the fundamental concepts of AI and machine learning. Written clearly and accompanied by numerous practical examples, this book enables any capable reader to understand concepts such as how computer vision and large language models are created and used while remaining free of mathematical formulas or other highly technical details. The tonality used in this book is unassuming and full of levity. The book maintains an even pace that assists in conceptualizing the complex ideas of machine learning effectively while maintaining a clear but generalized focus in the narrative. Chapters develop through concrete concepts of computer science, mathematics, and machine learning before moving to more nuanced ideas in the realm of cybernetics and legislature. Artificial Intelligence in Short discusses the most up-to-date research in AI and computer science but also elaborates on how machines have come to learn and the historical origins of AI. The concepts of AI are outlined in relation to everyday life –just as AI has become a tool integrated into devices used daily by many people.

Genres: Nonfiction

105 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2024

Reviews

[Scott Bordelon · Rating 2 out of 5]

AI for My Mom

Artificial Intelligence in Short is a bite-sized (byte-sized?) overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). It gives a decent overview of fundamentals along with some educated speculation in a small number of pages. It never gets super heavy on the technical side. To the disappointment of few and the elation of many, you won’t find any equations, snippets of code, or diagrams with boxes and arrows. It’s well researched though, and combined with the author’s own expert knowledge, it covers a range of topics.

It was okay, but I felt like I wasn’t the right audience. Although I’m not directly involved with AI development, I do work in a tech sector adjacent to AI developers, and enough of their stink has rubbed off on me that few of the concepts in this book were new to me. I did learn a lot of new terminology though, and for that, it was well worth the read. You’re not going to come away from this ready to engineer the next great ML accelerator, but it did inspire me to Google a few things which led me to write a little Tic-Tac-Toe training and testing program that successfully ends in a tie whenever I play it now. (Yes, this is how I have fun.) I also found a book on the author’s reading list that I enjoyed browsing through.

I’ve tried to figure out who would be the right audience for this book. It walks a fine line between “people interested in AI but already know everything in this book” and “people who don’t know anything about AI but also don’t give a rat’s ass”.

Maybe:
- My kids or mother
- A corporate attorney looking to join a new AI startup
- Someone who’s not interested in building an AI platform themselves but wants to be conversant enough to suggest areas for a data scientist to automate some task
- A school teacher wanting to broach the topic of AI with their class
- An artist, musician, or writer wanting to better understand what they’re up against

I think that might be it.

For the most part, it’s simple, relatable writing. I wouldn’t especially recommend it to those working in the tech sector, but for normal people, have at it.

At a high level, this is the ground it covers:
Introduction: Definitions and fundamental concepts for AI and ML
Ch. 1: The limits within which AI/ML typically operate and an introduction to a broad range of terminology
Ch. 2: The importance of datasets.
Ch. 3: Using mathematics on datasets to make predictions and decisions
Ch. 4: Examples of various AI models, algorithms, methods and how they're manifested in commonly used websites and systems
Ch. 5: How AI can be used to exploit security weaknesses, particularly for side channel attacks
Ch. 6: Ethics, rights, and legislature centered around the use of AI
Ch. 7: Cyborgs, human augmentation and how the interactions between humans and machines are growing closer and more intertwined
Conclusion: Speculation about the future of AI

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book. I took me a while to get through it as it reads a little like a textbook. I knew almost nothing about AI, so this was a great introduction to the topic. Now, I definitely know more and while I don't think I could carry on a meaningful conversation with a real computer scientist regarding AI, I could certainly have a more intelligent conversation, thanks to this book.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway and still feel cheated. It's not clear who the intended audience is, as it's too basic for anyone with prior knowledge of the field, but too lacking in explanations for people who don't already know what's being described. To make things worse the writing is quite rough around the edges, to the point that most of it feels like it was spat out by ChatGPT.

This nonsensical sentence from the conclusion typifies everything wrong with the book: "Unfortunately, no palpable way exists to understand artificial intelligence fully because even base intelligent processes are abstract to comprehend."
It's awkward, incorrect, and renders the whole thing pointless.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very informative. I learned a lot about AI and I really enjoyed this read.

[Madura Paranavithana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artificial intelligence in short gives loads of industry related knowledge to anyone who is willing to gather more wisdom. Highly recommended read!