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Artificial Intelligence
Named One of the Five Best Books on AI by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal
No technological development in recent history has generated as much excitement and terror―both utopian visions and apocalyptic nightmares―as artificial intelligence. Since generative AI and large language models exploded into our everyday lives in 2022 with the release of ChatGPT, AI has been the topic on everyone’s mind. And the award-winning author and leading computer scientist Melanie Mitchell’s acclaimed Artificial A Guide for Thinking Humans has been a touchstone for the debates.
With a new preface situating the book in the context of AI’s rapid progress, Artificial Intelligence offers an essential account of AI’s turbulent history and an accessible explanation of the different kinds of how they work, how they fail, and how they compare to human intelligence and understanding. Along the way, Mitchell introduces the dominant models of modern AI and machine learning, describing cutting-edge AI programs, their human inventors, and the historical lines of thought underpinning recent achievements. Raising big questions about the nature of intelligence itself, she consults with fellow experts and explores the profound disconnect between the hype and the actual achievements in AI, providing a clear sense of what the field has accomplished and how much further it has to go.
Interweaving stories about the science of AI and the people behind it, Artificial Intelligence brims with clear-sighted and captivating accounts of the most interesting and provocative work in the field. This frank, lively book is an indispensable guide to understanding today’s AI and its impact on the future for us all.
No technological development in recent history has generated as much excitement and terror―both utopian visions and apocalyptic nightmares―as artificial intelligence. Since generative AI and large language models exploded into our everyday lives in 2022 with the release of ChatGPT, AI has been the topic on everyone’s mind. And the award-winning author and leading computer scientist Melanie Mitchell’s acclaimed Artificial A Guide for Thinking Humans has been a touchstone for the debates.
With a new preface situating the book in the context of AI’s rapid progress, Artificial Intelligence offers an essential account of AI’s turbulent history and an accessible explanation of the different kinds of how they work, how they fail, and how they compare to human intelligence and understanding. Along the way, Mitchell introduces the dominant models of modern AI and machine learning, describing cutting-edge AI programs, their human inventors, and the historical lines of thought underpinning recent achievements. Raising big questions about the nature of intelligence itself, she consults with fellow experts and explores the profound disconnect between the hype and the actual achievements in AI, providing a clear sense of what the field has accomplished and how much further it has to go.
Interweaving stories about the science of AI and the people behind it, Artificial Intelligence brims with clear-sighted and captivating accounts of the most interesting and provocative work in the field. This frank, lively book is an indispensable guide to understanding today’s AI and its impact on the future for us all.
336 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 26, 2026
4.5 but rounded down given the shear number of AI books out there. The book breaks down some complex topics in a (mostly) accessible way. I certainly learned more about the underlying concepts in AI, rather than the platitudes and stories about key moments or advancements in the field. If you are curious about our coming AI overlords, this one is for you.
May 19, 2026
Answered a lit of my questions. Looking forward to Melani's next book focused on LLMs.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews