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A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence: How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control
A Wharton professor and tech entrepreneur examines how algorithms and artificial intelligence are starting to run every aspect of our lives, and how we can shape the way they impact us
Through the technology embedded in almost every major tech platform and every web-enabled device, algorithms and the artificial intelligence that underlies them make a staggering number of everyday decisions for us, from what products we buy, to where we decide to eat, to how we consume our news, to whom we date, and how we find a job. We've even delegated life-and-death decisions to algorithms--decisions once made by doctors, pilots, and judges. In his new book, Kartik Hosanagar surveys the brave new world of algorithmic decision-making and reveals the potentially dangerous biases they can give rise to as they increasingly run our lives. He makes the compelling case that we need to arm ourselves with a better, deeper, more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon of algorithmic thinking. And he gives us a route in, pointing out that algorithms often think a lot like their creators--that is, like you and me.
Hosanagar draws on his experiences designing algorithms professionally--as well as on history, computer science, and psychology--to explore how algorithms work and why they occasionally go rogue, what drives our trust in them, and the many ramifications of algorithmic decision-making. He examines episodes like Microsoft's chatbot Tay, which was designed to converse on social media like a teenage girl, but instead turned sexist and racist; the fatal accidents of self-driving cars; and even our own common, and often frustrating, experiences on services like Netflix and Amazon. A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence is an entertaining and provocative look at one of the most important developments of our time and a practical user's guide to this first wave of practical artificial intelligence.
Through the technology embedded in almost every major tech platform and every web-enabled device, algorithms and the artificial intelligence that underlies them make a staggering number of everyday decisions for us, from what products we buy, to where we decide to eat, to how we consume our news, to whom we date, and how we find a job. We've even delegated life-and-death decisions to algorithms--decisions once made by doctors, pilots, and judges. In his new book, Kartik Hosanagar surveys the brave new world of algorithmic decision-making and reveals the potentially dangerous biases they can give rise to as they increasingly run our lives. He makes the compelling case that we need to arm ourselves with a better, deeper, more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon of algorithmic thinking. And he gives us a route in, pointing out that algorithms often think a lot like their creators--that is, like you and me.
Hosanagar draws on his experiences designing algorithms professionally--as well as on history, computer science, and psychology--to explore how algorithms work and why they occasionally go rogue, what drives our trust in them, and the many ramifications of algorithmic decision-making. He examines episodes like Microsoft's chatbot Tay, which was designed to converse on social media like a teenage girl, but instead turned sexist and racist; the fatal accidents of self-driving cars; and even our own common, and often frustrating, experiences on services like Netflix and Amazon. A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence is an entertaining and provocative look at one of the most important developments of our time and a practical user's guide to this first wave of practical artificial intelligence.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
82 people are currently reading
2179 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 21, 2019
I am not ashamed to admit that in the age of technology, I am a dinosaur. Sure I have a computer and a smart phone but that does not mean I understand how to use them completely. I have no doubt that my use of them only touches a small percent of their actual ability.
I can also honestly say that before the end of 2018 I had already deleted my Facebook account. Goodreads is my only social media outlet. I had noticed for some time the Facebook algorithms marketing to me but I see it here also. I happened to Google Jelly Belly one afternoon, not to buy jelly beans but I had a question regarding the company, and for three weeks I had Jelly Belly ads on my Goodreads homepage.
I see so much reliance on AI that it startles me. Maps have become obsolete. Phone books. I fear the loss of books and newspapers. There is a huge portion of society intently glued to their screens. It is not often that my phone rings because people choose an impersonal text message as their means of communicating. Everything we say and do is influenced by our screens. We live in a lonely world and it gets lonelier every day. We know more about the Kardashians than our next door neighbor.
AI is shaping our lives in leaps and bounds. As we move forward, with new technology all the time, do we have a real understanding of how all of this affects our lives and changes society? The answer to that is no but we continue to let it control us anyway.
We respond and react to the things that we are exposed to but it should concern us if those things are honest or manipulated.
Hosanagar examines how all of these blurry algorithms influence our daily decisions. Hosanger has written a book that even a dinosaur like me can understand. It's a book that should have everyone's attention. Hosanagar instructs on the basics of understanding algorithms. They instruct. Easy, right? He also explains new AI that will be coming soon. As a dinosaur, a book like this, is very helpful, but it can be read by anyone that needs a little push in understanding where we are headed with AI.
An easy to read book filled with stories and history and a glimpse into our AI future.
Thank you to the author Kartik Hosanagar, Viking and Goodreads. I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and this is my honest review.
I can also honestly say that before the end of 2018 I had already deleted my Facebook account. Goodreads is my only social media outlet. I had noticed for some time the Facebook algorithms marketing to me but I see it here also. I happened to Google Jelly Belly one afternoon, not to buy jelly beans but I had a question regarding the company, and for three weeks I had Jelly Belly ads on my Goodreads homepage.
I see so much reliance on AI that it startles me. Maps have become obsolete. Phone books. I fear the loss of books and newspapers. There is a huge portion of society intently glued to their screens. It is not often that my phone rings because people choose an impersonal text message as their means of communicating. Everything we say and do is influenced by our screens. We live in a lonely world and it gets lonelier every day. We know more about the Kardashians than our next door neighbor.
AI is shaping our lives in leaps and bounds. As we move forward, with new technology all the time, do we have a real understanding of how all of this affects our lives and changes society? The answer to that is no but we continue to let it control us anyway.
We respond and react to the things that we are exposed to but it should concern us if those things are honest or manipulated.
Hosanagar examines how all of these blurry algorithms influence our daily decisions. Hosanger has written a book that even a dinosaur like me can understand. It's a book that should have everyone's attention. Hosanagar instructs on the basics of understanding algorithms. They instruct. Easy, right? He also explains new AI that will be coming soon. As a dinosaur, a book like this, is very helpful, but it can be read by anyone that needs a little push in understanding where we are headed with AI.
An easy to read book filled with stories and history and a glimpse into our AI future.
Thank you to the author Kartik Hosanagar, Viking and Goodreads. I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and this is my honest review.
December 27, 2019
“Listen! And understand. That Terminator is out there! It can't be bargained with, can't be reasoned with! It doesn't feel pity or remorse or fear, and it absolutely will not stop. EVER! Until you are dead!” – Michael Biehn a.k.a Sgt Kyle Reese in Terminator
The chilling lines set out above have now attained iconic status. Taken from the Hollywood blockbuster, “Terminator” starring an incredibly evil Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie lays down the setting for a time when mankind is taken over by, made subservient to before being completely dominated by the forces of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”). At time of this writing, while we are not yet the helpless lab rats of and for Skynet, we are close to reaching an inflection point in our employ of and interaction with AI. From the notion of driverless cars to robotic surgeries, the cross winds of AI are buffeting the world of Science and Technology.
The burgeoning rise of AI has invariably spawned a debate that has an unambiguous vertical divide. On side of the deliberation stand eternal optimists of the likes of Ray Kurzweil, who are ready to burn their very barns betting on the potential of AI. Kurzweil in fact is so fervent a believer in the tenets of AI that he vehemently believes in a concept termed ‘Singularity’. In a bestseller having the same title as the concept, Kurzweil proposes that by the year 2045, “Singularity will help us multiply our effective intelligence a billion fold by merging with the intelligence we have created.” Opposing Kurzweil and his band of egregious brothers are the likes of James Barrat. In his own bestseller, “Our Final Invention”, Barrat advocates extreme caution when it comes to the employ of AI. Barrat takes pains to adumbrate the fact that ASI instead of being the embodiment of an agglomeration of sentient notions, will be a scheming, sinister, surgical monster of intelligence having both the potential and inclination to wipe humanity off the face of Planet Earth. The force of self-perpetuation inbuilt in a machine with ASI, will be in a position to “repurpose the world’s molecules using nanotechnology” thereby leading to “ecophagy” – eating the environment. “
So is AI the proverbial bane or the quintessential boom?
In his measured work, “A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence – How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control”, Kartik Hosanagar, - the John C. Hower Professor of Technology and Digital Business and a Professor Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania – attempts to answer this very question. From an entangled mesh of conflicts, confusions and conundrums, Mr. Hosanagar, tries to ascertain whether AI posits an existential crisis or if the concerns regarding machine learning represent an outlandish exaggeration. This Mr. Hosanagar proposes to do by broadly answering the following questions:
• What causes algorithms to behave in unpredictable, biased, and potentially harmful ways?
• If algorithms can be irrational and unpredictable, how do we decide when to use them? And
• How do we as individuals who use algorithms in our personal or professional lives and as a society, shape the narrative of how algorithms impact us?
Beginning with the astonishing example of two contradictory and divergent outcomes originating from two identical endeavours by the same Company, Mr. Hosanagar sets the platform for an informed discussion. In 2014, Microsoft launched XioIce, a chatbot in China. The result was a phenomenal success with users raving endlessly over their fabulous interactions with XioIce. Bolstered by this result, Microsoft launched Tay, an artificial intelligence chatter bot via Twitter on March 23, 2016; it caused subsequent controversy when the bot began to post inflammatory and offensive tweets through its Twitter account, forcing Microsoft to shut down the service only 16 hours after its launch. As Mr. Hosanagar elucidates, “As machines become more intelligent and dynamic, they also become more unpredictable.”
As Mr. Hosanagar takes the trouble to educate to his readers, Google’s self-driving car is based on algorithms that in turn are based on rules not programmed by humans directly but instead “trained on a database of videos of humans driving” that allow it to arrive at “its own driving policy using machine learning.” A self-driving car that learns like a teenager in a driver’s education class may not inspire confidence, but, as Hosanagar observes, the algorithm has driven millions of miles in training, something almost no human has ever done.
So how can algorithms and their users co-exist with confidence instead of getting entangled in a queasy relationship characterized by mistrust and apprehension? Mr. Hosanagar banks on a solution proposed by the founding fathers of American Democracy and even the creators of Magna Carta. In his own words, “based on what we know about AI and its potential impacts on society, I believe there should be four main pillars of an algorithmic bill of rights, including a set of responsibilities for users of decision-making algorithms:
1) First, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have a right to a description of the data used to train them and details as to how that data was collected;
2) Second, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have a right to an explanation regarding the procedures used by the algorithms, expressed in terms simple enough for the average person to easily access and interpret. These first two pillars are both related to the general principle of transparency;
3) Third, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have some level of control over the way those algorithms work–that is, there should always be a feedback loop between the user and the algorithm; and
4) Fourth, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have the responsibility to be aware of the unanticipated consequences of automated decision making.”
Mr. Hosanagar also derives inspiration from the words of caution sounded by pioneers of scientific temper who warned the world about the perils of their own invention. Just days before his death, Albert Einstein whose brainchild hastened the consummation of the Manhattan Project, drafted the “Russell-Einstein Manifesto–an eloquent call to scientists to act for the good of humanity. Supported by other such notable scientists and intellectuals as Max Born, Frédéric Joliot-Curie, Linus Pauling, and Bertrand Russell, the manifesto states:
"There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? We appeal as human beings to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way opens to a new Paradise; if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death."
While Mr. Hosanagar candidly acknowledges that abandoning AI would be akin to driving ourselves back to the Stone Age, there is no dispute that great care and caution ought to be exercised before embracing AI wholesale. And towards this endeavor, “A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence” is a thought provoking and hands-on user’s guide to this first seemingly esoteric sphere of dynamic and fluid technology.
The chilling lines set out above have now attained iconic status. Taken from the Hollywood blockbuster, “Terminator” starring an incredibly evil Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie lays down the setting for a time when mankind is taken over by, made subservient to before being completely dominated by the forces of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”). At time of this writing, while we are not yet the helpless lab rats of and for Skynet, we are close to reaching an inflection point in our employ of and interaction with AI. From the notion of driverless cars to robotic surgeries, the cross winds of AI are buffeting the world of Science and Technology.
The burgeoning rise of AI has invariably spawned a debate that has an unambiguous vertical divide. On side of the deliberation stand eternal optimists of the likes of Ray Kurzweil, who are ready to burn their very barns betting on the potential of AI. Kurzweil in fact is so fervent a believer in the tenets of AI that he vehemently believes in a concept termed ‘Singularity’. In a bestseller having the same title as the concept, Kurzweil proposes that by the year 2045, “Singularity will help us multiply our effective intelligence a billion fold by merging with the intelligence we have created.” Opposing Kurzweil and his band of egregious brothers are the likes of James Barrat. In his own bestseller, “Our Final Invention”, Barrat advocates extreme caution when it comes to the employ of AI. Barrat takes pains to adumbrate the fact that ASI instead of being the embodiment of an agglomeration of sentient notions, will be a scheming, sinister, surgical monster of intelligence having both the potential and inclination to wipe humanity off the face of Planet Earth. The force of self-perpetuation inbuilt in a machine with ASI, will be in a position to “repurpose the world’s molecules using nanotechnology” thereby leading to “ecophagy” – eating the environment. “
So is AI the proverbial bane or the quintessential boom?
In his measured work, “A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence – How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control”, Kartik Hosanagar, - the John C. Hower Professor of Technology and Digital Business and a Professor Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania – attempts to answer this very question. From an entangled mesh of conflicts, confusions and conundrums, Mr. Hosanagar, tries to ascertain whether AI posits an existential crisis or if the concerns regarding machine learning represent an outlandish exaggeration. This Mr. Hosanagar proposes to do by broadly answering the following questions:
• What causes algorithms to behave in unpredictable, biased, and potentially harmful ways?
• If algorithms can be irrational and unpredictable, how do we decide when to use them? And
• How do we as individuals who use algorithms in our personal or professional lives and as a society, shape the narrative of how algorithms impact us?
Beginning with the astonishing example of two contradictory and divergent outcomes originating from two identical endeavours by the same Company, Mr. Hosanagar sets the platform for an informed discussion. In 2014, Microsoft launched XioIce, a chatbot in China. The result was a phenomenal success with users raving endlessly over their fabulous interactions with XioIce. Bolstered by this result, Microsoft launched Tay, an artificial intelligence chatter bot via Twitter on March 23, 2016; it caused subsequent controversy when the bot began to post inflammatory and offensive tweets through its Twitter account, forcing Microsoft to shut down the service only 16 hours after its launch. As Mr. Hosanagar elucidates, “As machines become more intelligent and dynamic, they also become more unpredictable.”
As Mr. Hosanagar takes the trouble to educate to his readers, Google’s self-driving car is based on algorithms that in turn are based on rules not programmed by humans directly but instead “trained on a database of videos of humans driving” that allow it to arrive at “its own driving policy using machine learning.” A self-driving car that learns like a teenager in a driver’s education class may not inspire confidence, but, as Hosanagar observes, the algorithm has driven millions of miles in training, something almost no human has ever done.
So how can algorithms and their users co-exist with confidence instead of getting entangled in a queasy relationship characterized by mistrust and apprehension? Mr. Hosanagar banks on a solution proposed by the founding fathers of American Democracy and even the creators of Magna Carta. In his own words, “based on what we know about AI and its potential impacts on society, I believe there should be four main pillars of an algorithmic bill of rights, including a set of responsibilities for users of decision-making algorithms:
1) First, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have a right to a description of the data used to train them and details as to how that data was collected;
2) Second, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have a right to an explanation regarding the procedures used by the algorithms, expressed in terms simple enough for the average person to easily access and interpret. These first two pillars are both related to the general principle of transparency;
3) Third, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have some level of control over the way those algorithms work–that is, there should always be a feedback loop between the user and the algorithm; and
4) Fourth, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have the responsibility to be aware of the unanticipated consequences of automated decision making.”
Mr. Hosanagar also derives inspiration from the words of caution sounded by pioneers of scientific temper who warned the world about the perils of their own invention. Just days before his death, Albert Einstein whose brainchild hastened the consummation of the Manhattan Project, drafted the “Russell-Einstein Manifesto–an eloquent call to scientists to act for the good of humanity. Supported by other such notable scientists and intellectuals as Max Born, Frédéric Joliot-Curie, Linus Pauling, and Bertrand Russell, the manifesto states:
"There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? We appeal as human beings to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way opens to a new Paradise; if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death."
While Mr. Hosanagar candidly acknowledges that abandoning AI would be akin to driving ourselves back to the Stone Age, there is no dispute that great care and caution ought to be exercised before embracing AI wholesale. And towards this endeavor, “A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence” is a thought provoking and hands-on user’s guide to this first seemingly esoteric sphere of dynamic and fluid technology.
May 7, 2019
I am just a kid who didn't know anything about algorithms before reading this book, but it has really educated me and let me understand algorithms in a fun way, with many examples of them in-use in our real world, from AlphaGo to Facebook. As a recipient of the results of algorithms every day, this book has been really eye-opening and shows me how the world uses them. One thing to add, it may be too simple for experienced people in the field, and could maybe educate THEM better with more technical/advanced vocabulary.
March 15, 2020
A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence: How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control
I finished reading “A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence” by Kartik Hosanagar some months back but recently went back to it after talking to a friend about it. Coming, as I do, from the ‘unwired generation’ the book led me to my moment of personal epiphany. Artificial Intelligence is not something that is going to happen in an Asimovisc future. It’s here already and in my life. It hovers around my grocery orders, my Amazon account, my social media goings-on, and it’s there nudging when I choose what music I want to hear or which movies to watch. My second big realization - Algorithms are no longer just a set of rules for how to do something. They have really moved on. They can now learn – by themselves - what to do, and that without being specifically trained on what exactly they have to learn. Does that spook me? Of course. But no more than the numerous articles that are always telling me about the dangers lurking online. The difference is I now better understand what I need to worry about. At least I think I do.
Epiphanies apart, for me the book opened up the virtual world a lot wider. Whether I was reading about XiaoIce the sweetly affectionate chatbot or the viciously racist sexist bot Tay, the eerie genius of AlphaGo or the ‘to trust or not to trust’ dilemma around driverless cars, it was all exciting and informative. The shenanigans of young Tai as he negotiates life armed with a slew of digital tools, that could be any youngster in my family! And it was a revelation that a two centuries old chess playing robot, a hoax actually, could have triggered the beginning of AI. The Bill of Rights proposed in the book points to ways of dealing with risks and challenges posed by AI without limiting its promise. An idea with rationale but I’m ill-equipped to form an opinion about how effective such a bill might be.
All in all, I found the book absorbing and a great read. I enjoyed the underlying subtle humour that runs through it and found the quotes at the start of each theme spot on. Footnotes appear randomly as the author’s personal conversation with you the reader, to share an anecdote, an observation or sometimes an interesting piece of information as an aside. The footnotes are insightful and charming.
The phenomenal potential of AI is beginning to unfold, but I am far from nurturing any ambitions to ‘tame the code’! But I have to say that after reading the book I think I am getting to know the code a little better.
I finished reading “A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence” by Kartik Hosanagar some months back but recently went back to it after talking to a friend about it. Coming, as I do, from the ‘unwired generation’ the book led me to my moment of personal epiphany. Artificial Intelligence is not something that is going to happen in an Asimovisc future. It’s here already and in my life. It hovers around my grocery orders, my Amazon account, my social media goings-on, and it’s there nudging when I choose what music I want to hear or which movies to watch. My second big realization - Algorithms are no longer just a set of rules for how to do something. They have really moved on. They can now learn – by themselves - what to do, and that without being specifically trained on what exactly they have to learn. Does that spook me? Of course. But no more than the numerous articles that are always telling me about the dangers lurking online. The difference is I now better understand what I need to worry about. At least I think I do.
Epiphanies apart, for me the book opened up the virtual world a lot wider. Whether I was reading about XiaoIce the sweetly affectionate chatbot or the viciously racist sexist bot Tay, the eerie genius of AlphaGo or the ‘to trust or not to trust’ dilemma around driverless cars, it was all exciting and informative. The shenanigans of young Tai as he negotiates life armed with a slew of digital tools, that could be any youngster in my family! And it was a revelation that a two centuries old chess playing robot, a hoax actually, could have triggered the beginning of AI. The Bill of Rights proposed in the book points to ways of dealing with risks and challenges posed by AI without limiting its promise. An idea with rationale but I’m ill-equipped to form an opinion about how effective such a bill might be.
All in all, I found the book absorbing and a great read. I enjoyed the underlying subtle humour that runs through it and found the quotes at the start of each theme spot on. Footnotes appear randomly as the author’s personal conversation with you the reader, to share an anecdote, an observation or sometimes an interesting piece of information as an aside. The footnotes are insightful and charming.
The phenomenal potential of AI is beginning to unfold, but I am far from nurturing any ambitions to ‘tame the code’! But I have to say that after reading the book I think I am getting to know the code a little better.
Read
April 17, 2021This book helped me understand something that’s always intrigued me about the world of books. As a child and teen the books that were popular were either winners of prestigious awards or books that were promoted and endorsed by renowned people.
But did tech and algorithms change that and how? If you scroll through bookstagram or this site, you will see similar books crop up. Are niche products losing overall market share under algorithmic recommendations?
The book addresses this and more questions in an approachable way, how they are designed, who designs them and how the end results are not always what you anticipate. It’s really great for anyone feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by the increasingly opaque nature of knowledge and how things work in tech.
But did tech and algorithms change that and how? If you scroll through bookstagram or this site, you will see similar books crop up. Are niche products losing overall market share under algorithmic recommendations?
The book addresses this and more questions in an approachable way, how they are designed, who designs them and how the end results are not always what you anticipate. It’s really great for anyone feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by the increasingly opaque nature of knowledge and how things work in tech.
June 27, 2019
The reason of setting a lower reading goal (40 books as against 50) for the year was so that I could push myself into picking up authors and genres I have not tried before. Artificial Intelligence has intrigued me for some time now and I had a lot of misconceptions around it. So when faculty at our Uni decided to design an interdisciplinary course around it I had no choice but to read up so I could be of real help.
Kartik's book is an uncomplicated attempt to teach a lay person about machine intelligence. He discusses case studies from every day lives and how things we use in our day to day lives employ AI. We also makes a case for whether AI is making our lives easier or actually directing our lives into making decisions we would otherwise not. From harmless decisions like which netflix series to watch and which books to read to high stake decisions like selecting our life partners and deciding our political ideologies. Do we in reality have any control on deep learning bots or are they running our lives?
Kartik's book is an uncomplicated attempt to teach a lay person about machine intelligence. He discusses case studies from every day lives and how things we use in our day to day lives employ AI. We also makes a case for whether AI is making our lives easier or actually directing our lives into making decisions we would otherwise not. From harmless decisions like which netflix series to watch and which books to read to high stake decisions like selecting our life partners and deciding our political ideologies. Do we in reality have any control on deep learning bots or are they running our lives?
March 18, 2019
Enjoyable and insightful read puts Artificial Intelligence in perspective for everyone!
A very easy read that will help everyone get caught up on the state of the art of Artificial Intelligence, how we got here and the path that lies ahead. Through out the book there were anecdotes and examples from history and living memory that were really fun to learn about. The last part of the book was very thought provoking in terms of describing the crossroads we are at with AI as a society and the opportunities that lie ahead!
A very easy read that will help everyone get caught up on the state of the art of Artificial Intelligence, how we got here and the path that lies ahead. Through out the book there were anecdotes and examples from history and living memory that were really fun to learn about. The last part of the book was very thought provoking in terms of describing the crossroads we are at with AI as a society and the opportunities that lie ahead!
December 20, 2019
I am going to pretend shop online at Nordstroms, J Crew, etc and put the exact opposite profile on match. I really enjoyed the book and seeing how corporations are using algorithm manipulation with AI.
April 26, 2020
Some good points and examples
A quick read on topics and issues that are important in this new world of AI and machines. The examples are good, but felt rushed and under developed. Overall it’s an ok book for those with less exposure to AI and its implications.
A quick read on topics and issues that are important in this new world of AI and machines. The examples are good, but felt rushed and under developed. Overall it’s an ok book for those with less exposure to AI and its implications.
November 10, 2019
This is a remarkable book by an author at the top of his game.
If you want a primer on AI and Big Data and the opportunities and threats this is the book for you.
Lots of insights and recommendations.
Recommended
If you want a primer on AI and Big Data and the opportunities and threats this is the book for you.
Lots of insights and recommendations.
Recommended
January 23, 2024
Not just another this is AI, but a thoughtful and intriguing book about the more complex of issues of current and future lives with Ai - everywhere and all the time.
March 7, 2019
You don't have to be computer-savvy to be able to understand this book. Intriguing and ultimately raised more questions than it answered. Will definitely make you want to delete your Facebook. Has some unpronounceable names and terms but otherwise an easy read.
June 27, 2022
Great info and made me laugh out loud a couple times. I think everyone should give it a read to know what our future holds
June 24, 2019
I really wanted to like this book given what I had heard about the author and his depth of experience across information systems and management. I thought this would be the ideal read for a business person seeking to learn about machine intelligence & it’s applications, but it’s not that. At many times in the book, I questioned who the audience is — it can’t be newcomers to tech given the details covered in examples, and it’s not for people in tech since it’s not (a) structured / action-oriented enough for business people, (b) technical enough for ML/DS professionals. Overall, the greatest value comes from an AI Fairness / Safety “Bill of Right” that the author proposes — I believe that’s worth diving more into.
March 28, 2019
I received an advance copy through the Goodreads giveaway program. A lot a good information on the invasion of algorithms into our everyday lives. While reading this book, McDonald's announced it was going to use AI to improve the drive through experience for its customers. Please. AI seems to have two strategies, how to sell more product and how to eliminate jobs. Both things that deliver more profits to corporations and exploit consumers and workers. The book's subtitle, how algorithms are shaping our lives and how we can stay in control, fell short on the keeping control part. If Hosanagar told us, I missed it.
April 21, 2023
#GoodreadsGiveaway
Algorithms will be increasingly important for decision makers in fields such as education, medicine, sales, insurance, finance... Read this thought provoking book.
Algorithms will be increasingly important for decision makers in fields such as education, medicine, sales, insurance, finance... Read this thought provoking book.
May 6, 2019
I didn’t find any new technologies I wasn’t aware of, but it certainly clarifies the threats of these technologies if not managed properly. These technical advancements are changing the world as we know it, but I’m afraid that our society doesn’t have the maturity to deal with these advancements. I pray and hope that I’m wrong.
Here’s one concern outlined in the book: “As modern algorithms have incorporated more AI and machine learning; their capabilities and their footprint have expanded. They now touch our lives every day, from how we choose products to purchase (Amazon’s “People who bought this also bought”) and movies to watch (Netflix’s recommendations) to whom we date or marry (Match.com or Tinder matches). They are also advancing beyond their original decision support role of offering suggestions to become autonomous systems that make decisions on our behalf. For example, they can invest our savings and even drive cars. They have also become a fundamental part of the workplace, advising insurance agents on how to set premiums, helping recruiters shortlist job applicants, and providing doctors with AI-based diagnostic guidance. Algorithms are irrevocably upending old ways of decision making, transforming how we live and work.”
Here's another troubling concern: “Today, some of the most accurate machine learning models that computer scientists can build are also the most opaque. As machines become more intelligent and dynamic they also become more unpredictable. This suggests a fundamental conundrum in algorithm design. You can either create intelligent algorithms in highly curated environments—for example, programming explicit rules they might follow, expert systems style—to ensure they are highly predictable in behavior, while accepting that they will run up against problems they weren’t prepared for and therefore can’t solve; or, you can expose them to messy real-world data to create resilient but also unpredictable algorithms. I call this a predictability-resilience paradox. The unpredictability of a game-playing.”
The two concerns I quote above are just a glimpse, so I want to encourage all of us to follow this tecyhology. On a more positive note, these machine learning algorisms are advancing our ability to diagnose and predict diseases and might, one day, create a society that is immortal. I certainly wouldn’t be around to see all of this, but it is hard to believe that we have advanced as much as we have.
Here’s one concern outlined in the book: “As modern algorithms have incorporated more AI and machine learning; their capabilities and their footprint have expanded. They now touch our lives every day, from how we choose products to purchase (Amazon’s “People who bought this also bought”) and movies to watch (Netflix’s recommendations) to whom we date or marry (Match.com or Tinder matches). They are also advancing beyond their original decision support role of offering suggestions to become autonomous systems that make decisions on our behalf. For example, they can invest our savings and even drive cars. They have also become a fundamental part of the workplace, advising insurance agents on how to set premiums, helping recruiters shortlist job applicants, and providing doctors with AI-based diagnostic guidance. Algorithms are irrevocably upending old ways of decision making, transforming how we live and work.”
Here's another troubling concern: “Today, some of the most accurate machine learning models that computer scientists can build are also the most opaque. As machines become more intelligent and dynamic they also become more unpredictable. This suggests a fundamental conundrum in algorithm design. You can either create intelligent algorithms in highly curated environments—for example, programming explicit rules they might follow, expert systems style—to ensure they are highly predictable in behavior, while accepting that they will run up against problems they weren’t prepared for and therefore can’t solve; or, you can expose them to messy real-world data to create resilient but also unpredictable algorithms. I call this a predictability-resilience paradox. The unpredictability of a game-playing.”
The two concerns I quote above are just a glimpse, so I want to encourage all of us to follow this tecyhology. On a more positive note, these machine learning algorisms are advancing our ability to diagnose and predict diseases and might, one day, create a society that is immortal. I certainly wouldn’t be around to see all of this, but it is hard to believe that we have advanced as much as we have.
June 3, 2025
someone at work let slip that they think a LLM can do part of my job. so expect to see a lot of ai-centric books here as i learn as much as i can to prove them wrong.
this was an impulse grab at the library on saturday, and while it was good, i can already tell the problem i'm going to run into is that the older books are going to be horribly outdated (this was only from 2019 and therefore was missing anything about the ai slop infesting social media, and also referred to elon in positive terms and as "the" founder of tesla), and any newer books are going to be hard to find as searching for "books about ai" nowadays is going to yield books about how to use ai, which... i don't want to.
so if anyone more experienced in reading about them has any suggestions, let me know! I've got a sizeable list but my tbr is always growing anyways, so whatever.
ANYWAYS - this was a good start to the journey, because i think i have a slight basis for understanding algorithms more than i do llms, but not by much. and it's an important distinction to me. i don't much trust the algorithm, especially on social media where it doesn't seem to understand that "people you may know" should have friends in common with me, or that i don't want or need to see an ad every three posts. shopping recommendations of "people who bought X also looked at or bought Y" - that is TECHNICALLY ai. sure. google maps offering different routes, same thing (tho i'll never understand why it offers me a toll road that takes longer - i do not want to spend more money for a worse commute!).
i wish there were options. "only suggest a new route if it's going to save more than X minutes" or "only suggest additional items on things you've never bought before" or the like. but instead we're all tied to Big Data using Our Data and trusting us to trust them that they're being diligent with it.
and i sure as hell don't.
this was an impulse grab at the library on saturday, and while it was good, i can already tell the problem i'm going to run into is that the older books are going to be horribly outdated (this was only from 2019 and therefore was missing anything about the ai slop infesting social media, and also referred to elon in positive terms and as "the" founder of tesla), and any newer books are going to be hard to find as searching for "books about ai" nowadays is going to yield books about how to use ai, which... i don't want to.
so if anyone more experienced in reading about them has any suggestions, let me know! I've got a sizeable list but my tbr is always growing anyways, so whatever.
ANYWAYS - this was a good start to the journey, because i think i have a slight basis for understanding algorithms more than i do llms, but not by much. and it's an important distinction to me. i don't much trust the algorithm, especially on social media where it doesn't seem to understand that "people you may know" should have friends in common with me, or that i don't want or need to see an ad every three posts. shopping recommendations of "people who bought X also looked at or bought Y" - that is TECHNICALLY ai. sure. google maps offering different routes, same thing (tho i'll never understand why it offers me a toll road that takes longer - i do not want to spend more money for a worse commute!).
i wish there were options. "only suggest a new route if it's going to save more than X minutes" or "only suggest additional items on things you've never bought before" or the like. but instead we're all tied to Big Data using Our Data and trusting us to trust them that they're being diligent with it.
and i sure as hell don't.
June 14, 2024
My big question is, does this book include enough humanity to present a helpful perspective?
Right away I'll admit, I didn't finish this book. Although I was interested in the topic, and the author was clearly knowledgeable, I definitely chose not to go further than a couple of chapters.
HOW COME?
This is just my personal opinion, Goodreaders. But it case it turns out to be helpful for any of you...
This book was leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I found it discouraging and depressing.
Now I'm no coward. I don't ncessarily avoid depressing books. In fact, I just finished and reviewed a novel by John Grisham, "The Reckoning," and it was surprisingly depressing -- unlike any other novel by Grisham that I've ever read.
However, I am selective in feeding my mind, memory, and heart with info from books. With this title, I didn't find or feel enough humanity, compassion, caring. Even when I'm seeking knowledge, I avoid learning from a source that doesn't seem right to me, emotionally.
By contrast, for months I've been reading "Hello World" by Hannah Fry. Related subject matter. Only, I find her writing superb. And HELPFUL.
Granted I only write updates about that book rarely. That's because I own this paperback. When do I read it? When I'm running an errand where I may have to wait in line or sit in a lobby, in which case, that's when I read it. Otherwise, this book -- with its pretty teal-and-chartreuse cover -- lives in my office. Mostly not yet read. Hey, I'll finish it, all in good time. I trust Hannah Fry.
By contrast, and again it's just me, I didn't trust Kartik Hosanagar as my tour guide into artificial intelligence and algorithms. By way of warning, I'm rating this book at just TWO STARS.
Right away I'll admit, I didn't finish this book. Although I was interested in the topic, and the author was clearly knowledgeable, I definitely chose not to go further than a couple of chapters.
HOW COME?
This is just my personal opinion, Goodreaders. But it case it turns out to be helpful for any of you...
This book was leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I found it discouraging and depressing.
Now I'm no coward. I don't ncessarily avoid depressing books. In fact, I just finished and reviewed a novel by John Grisham, "The Reckoning," and it was surprisingly depressing -- unlike any other novel by Grisham that I've ever read.
However, I am selective in feeding my mind, memory, and heart with info from books. With this title, I didn't find or feel enough humanity, compassion, caring. Even when I'm seeking knowledge, I avoid learning from a source that doesn't seem right to me, emotionally.
By contrast, for months I've been reading "Hello World" by Hannah Fry. Related subject matter. Only, I find her writing superb. And HELPFUL.
Granted I only write updates about that book rarely. That's because I own this paperback. When do I read it? When I'm running an errand where I may have to wait in line or sit in a lobby, in which case, that's when I read it. Otherwise, this book -- with its pretty teal-and-chartreuse cover -- lives in my office. Mostly not yet read. Hey, I'll finish it, all in good time. I trust Hannah Fry.
By contrast, and again it's just me, I didn't trust Kartik Hosanagar as my tour guide into artificial intelligence and algorithms. By way of warning, I'm rating this book at just TWO STARS.
August 26, 2019
A reasonable introduction to the topic of algorithms with plenty of examples, all leading up to a call for an "algorithmic bill of rights," which would establish certain expectations for algorithm creators. Hosanagar is at times a bit too bullish on the potential benefits of this technology and, in being so, can seem dismissive of specific concerns, but redeems himself a bit in this last section. He inserts personal anecdotes and attempts at humor throughout, often in the form of footnotes, but these asides are largely unconvincing and unnecessarily distracting, and, for me, dragged the book down a bit. There are certain writers who can pull it off, but it is unfortunate that, thanks to them, it seems to be the expectation in this kind of book now.
In sum, there's not much that's new here, but the book works well as an introduction (although I'd recommend Hannah Fry's Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms before this one).
In sum, there's not much that's new here, but the book works well as an introduction (although I'd recommend Hannah Fry's Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms before this one).
April 30, 2020
The author presented interesting research works on algorithms and how they impact the society. He drew examples from real life scenarios which further makes his points concrete.
I particularly found the chapter on "An Algorithmic Bill of Rights" the most informative to me as it highlights some important conversations around regulation of algorithms. I'd encourage everyone to check this chapter out.
4/5 I'm keeping a 🌟 because the author didn't provide a summary of key takeaways at the end of each chapters or section🤷🏾♀️
General comments:
I believe that the key takeaways from this book as boldly displayed on it's front cover is that "if we understand how algorithms are shaping our lives, then we can decide for ourselves what kind of relationship we have with them" but it's unclear to me how possible it is that as an individual, I have the will and power to influence how I interact with these algorithms nor is it clear how realistic it is for individuals to stay in control when they might not even realize how algorithms are impacting their lives. Perhaps, answers to such questions are beyond the scope of this book.
I particularly found the chapter on "An Algorithmic Bill of Rights" the most informative to me as it highlights some important conversations around regulation of algorithms. I'd encourage everyone to check this chapter out.
4/5 I'm keeping a 🌟 because the author didn't provide a summary of key takeaways at the end of each chapters or section🤷🏾♀️
General comments:
I believe that the key takeaways from this book as boldly displayed on it's front cover is that "if we understand how algorithms are shaping our lives, then we can decide for ourselves what kind of relationship we have with them" but it's unclear to me how possible it is that as an individual, I have the will and power to influence how I interact with these algorithms nor is it clear how realistic it is for individuals to stay in control when they might not even realize how algorithms are impacting their lives. Perhaps, answers to such questions are beyond the scope of this book.
May 17, 2020
An OK book explaining some of the real world challenges, limitations and trade-offs of using algorithms. It is coupled with case studies from companies ranging from Match.com and Pandora to tech giants like Facebook and Google.
On a good note, this book is compelling for one that likes computer science and data science. Apart from the bill of rights for algorithms chapter (boring if you are not an eurocrat), the rest of the book is an interesting read. Even if you are familiar with the topic, the book can give new insights.
On a negative note, the book frames some facts in a way that is not backed by its bibliography. For instance it claims that 35% of Amazon product sales come from recommendations. Checking the bibliography, this is according to a power point slide for a recommendation project started by Sun Microsystems (https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/sy... / slide 5) with no further reference to that claim. This is just an extreme case to illustrate, but there are other less extreme instances of this.
So, although it can be considered food for thought, take everything here with a pinch of salt.
On a good note, this book is compelling for one that likes computer science and data science. Apart from the bill of rights for algorithms chapter (boring if you are not an eurocrat), the rest of the book is an interesting read. Even if you are familiar with the topic, the book can give new insights.
On a negative note, the book frames some facts in a way that is not backed by its bibliography. For instance it claims that 35% of Amazon product sales come from recommendations. Checking the bibliography, this is according to a power point slide for a recommendation project started by Sun Microsystems (https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/sy... / slide 5) with no further reference to that claim. This is just an extreme case to illustrate, but there are other less extreme instances of this.
So, although it can be considered food for thought, take everything here with a pinch of salt.
March 28, 2019
Prof. Hosanagar does a great job at explaining the way algorithms impact our lives today by providing good details into the way the algorithms are designed by companies such as Netflix and Spotify. The first half of the book is a very easy read and paves the way for extremely interesting discussion questions such as what degree of transparency should companies provide to their customers on the algorithms at play as well as a proposal for an Algorithmic Bill of rights, which I personally liked a lot. I finished the book with a set of actionable insights into thinking about implications of these algorithms, both as a customer as well as someone who is involved in creating good experiences in the tech industry. I also liked some of the personal experiences described by Prof. Hosanagar in the book, especially his own research in the space, and through examples of companies he has advised/worked with in the past.
Highly recommend the book!
Highly recommend the book!
August 4, 2019
Kartic Hosanagar is a very interesting person in general. I remember he sat in on a nonfiction writing class that was taught by Jay Kirk at UPenn and we workshopped some excerpts from this book. I enjoyed reading the finished product. The relevant quotes at the beginning of every chapter were well chosen and made it easier to remember the content of each chapter. From our personal lives to justice to our consumerism, algorithms are gaining traction in their involvement in decision making. Kartik covers each of these scenarios in greater details, showcasing both the successes and failures and hope for algorithms as they pertain to the lives of people. This book uses very relatable examples and has interesting anecdotes segueing most of the complex material which was in no way dissembled by the author. This is a really good book with relevant subject matter, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
July 31, 2023
A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence" by Kartik Hosanagar was an eye-opening journey! The book brings you into the world of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and Hosanagar's way of explaining those complex concepts just made everything so clear and relatable.
I never realized how deeply algorithms are intertwined with human nature and our societies. It's mind-boggling how they shape our lives in so many ways.
The real-world applications are everywhere—work, healthcare, entertainment... AI has seeped into every aspect of our lives.
But what struck me the most was the ethics and risks. It made me stop and think about the responsibility we have when wielding this incredible power. It's not just about the cool tech; it's about understanding the consequences too.
This book has definitely left me with a fresh perspective and a deeper appreciation for the complexities of AI and how it connects with our lives.
I definitely recommend checking it out!
I never realized how deeply algorithms are intertwined with human nature and our societies. It's mind-boggling how they shape our lives in so many ways.
The real-world applications are everywhere—work, healthcare, entertainment... AI has seeped into every aspect of our lives.
But what struck me the most was the ethics and risks. It made me stop and think about the responsibility we have when wielding this incredible power. It's not just about the cool tech; it's about understanding the consequences too.
This book has definitely left me with a fresh perspective and a deeper appreciation for the complexities of AI and how it connects with our lives.
I definitely recommend checking it out!
March 25, 2019
I would definitely recommend this book for any layperson (i.e., non computer-scientist) who wants to learn more about algorithms, machine learning, AI and how it all works. Hosanagar has written a very accessible book that conveys the material at a high level and stays out of the weeds. I was most interested in understanding the difference between expert systems and deep learning and the importance of large datasets to each approach. We can obviously benefit enormously from the use of AI, but the demand for endless amounts of data to feed/train algorithms raises privacy concerns when the data at issue is personally identifiable. Algorithmic decision-making is increasing every day and in innumerable contexts - so it seems a basic understanding of the potential dangers and biases ( as well as an appreciation of the potential benefits) is fundamentally important.
May 27, 2019
This is a moderately interesting book. It is for novices to the field. If you have done any reading in cognitive psychology or artificial intelligence, there isn’t much new.
What Hosanagar reveals about humans is more interesting than what he says about machines. His discussions about human desire to have some control, and how we are persuaded was more interesting than the discussions of the algorithms in question.
Granted, I rarely use Facebook or Netflix, and I have no active twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tinder or Pandora accounts. I can say the book recommendations on Amazon and Goodreads are consistently terrible. I am probably not the ideal consumer for this book.
At two hundred pages, large type and generous leading, this is quick read. The style is breezy and entertaining.
What Hosanagar reveals about humans is more interesting than what he says about machines. His discussions about human desire to have some control, and how we are persuaded was more interesting than the discussions of the algorithms in question.
Granted, I rarely use Facebook or Netflix, and I have no active twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tinder or Pandora accounts. I can say the book recommendations on Amazon and Goodreads are consistently terrible. I am probably not the ideal consumer for this book.
At two hundred pages, large type and generous leading, this is quick read. The style is breezy and entertaining.
April 20, 2019
Algorithms are everywhere. From what is shown on our social media feeds to self-driving cars. There are many interesting case stories and examples. He also explains how different algorithms work from expert type systems to self-learning code. He also included some interesting information about what makes us believe the results of certain algorithms and not others. But I felt like the book was incomplete. There were stories and studies but the structure seemed to be lacking. And most of what I was hoping to get out of it (how to effectively deal with algorithms) was missing. The main think I got out of the book was to try to understand the goal of the algorithm. Is it for my good? Or for the profit of a company? If not for my good, beware.
July 11, 2020
A good book that would give the non-technical person a good grasp of artificial intelligence and how algorithms have become increasingly embedded in most of the decision making systems that affect humans. The book discussed humans' perception and trust of decisions outsourced to algorithms and how trust is not just a simple function of transparency.
It ends with a discussion of future implications of the increased influence of algorithms and arguments for and against government and industry regulation of the design of algorithms.
The book's content is good in general and can spark interest in the subject by the reader to dive deeper into the subjects of AI and Machine Learning.
It ends with a discussion of future implications of the increased influence of algorithms and arguments for and against government and industry regulation of the design of algorithms.
The book's content is good in general and can spark interest in the subject by the reader to dive deeper into the subjects of AI and Machine Learning.
April 4, 2023
i enjoyed this book as a general guide to AI but it is very rudimentary. it gives some details on the history of AI as an industry but little in the way of explanation for specific engines of AI development. it spoke about major milestones and specific ways algorithm interface withe the real world but it felt more like a general purpose algorithm text rather than one specific to AI. I did enjoy the music experimenting section as this gave a tangibke test a lay person can use to "view" the underlying algoritm of the related apps, then compare and contrast them.
worth readinf, isn't cutting edge but approachable.
worth readinf, isn't cutting edge but approachable.
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