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Augmented Mind: AI, Superhumans and the Next Economic Revolution
We are about to become superhuman. Serial AI entrepreneur Alex Bates explains how the combination of AI with human intelligence -- called Intelligence Augmentation -- has revolutionary potential.
After a decade on the front lines of the AI, facilitating the collaboration of humans an AI, he saw first hand how humans and AI were highly complementary and augment each other; and also how little this was recognized or researched. When his last AI venture was acquired, Bates created a global mastermind network of applied AI technologists and researchers to get more perspectives on these issues, with membership from Caltech, MIT, Harvard, Oxford, UCSD, USC, and other leading institutions and companies.
It became clear that while there has been a global arms race in AI and machine learning, it has been almost exclusively focused on replicating human intelligence. Augmenting human intelligence represents a tiny fraction of the total research and development.
This book explores how augmenting humans, combining human intuition and artificial intelligence, will herald an unprecedented era of productivity and financial success. The coming wave of human centered AI will help us solve the biggest problems facing humanity while also protecting us from rogue or weaponized AI systems.
The Augmented Age represents a massive opportunity not only for AI investors and technologists, but for all humans as it unlocks our unique gifts of intuition and human-centric intelligence for this next era. For all human beings, it offers the chance to harness our intuition and human-centered skills, areas that are not the focus of the current educational system.
Bates includes a framework for creating hybrid solutions combining AI, machine learning, and human intuition that can predict the future, improve our social lives, eliminate scarcity, and provide a clear roadmap to abundance and prosperity in the financial, health, and relationship industries that represents trillions in economic opportunity over the next decade.
You can learn more at www.AlexBates.ai
After a decade on the front lines of the AI, facilitating the collaboration of humans an AI, he saw first hand how humans and AI were highly complementary and augment each other; and also how little this was recognized or researched. When his last AI venture was acquired, Bates created a global mastermind network of applied AI technologists and researchers to get more perspectives on these issues, with membership from Caltech, MIT, Harvard, Oxford, UCSD, USC, and other leading institutions and companies.
It became clear that while there has been a global arms race in AI and machine learning, it has been almost exclusively focused on replicating human intelligence. Augmenting human intelligence represents a tiny fraction of the total research and development.
This book explores how augmenting humans, combining human intuition and artificial intelligence, will herald an unprecedented era of productivity and financial success. The coming wave of human centered AI will help us solve the biggest problems facing humanity while also protecting us from rogue or weaponized AI systems.
The Augmented Age represents a massive opportunity not only for AI investors and technologists, but for all humans as it unlocks our unique gifts of intuition and human-centric intelligence for this next era. For all human beings, it offers the chance to harness our intuition and human-centered skills, areas that are not the focus of the current educational system.
Bates includes a framework for creating hybrid solutions combining AI, machine learning, and human intuition that can predict the future, improve our social lives, eliminate scarcity, and provide a clear roadmap to abundance and prosperity in the financial, health, and relationship industries that represents trillions in economic opportunity over the next decade.
You can learn more at www.AlexBates.ai
180 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
2 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 9, 2019
Those reasonably in-tune with the recent advancements in this field will be aware of the ubiquitous scaremongering about AI and those talking of the downfall of humanity at the hands of power hungry robots, but to give myself a sense of perspective I like to read about topics from a variety of viewpoints. Augmented Mind focuses on the positives we as a species could achieve through the merging of humans and technology.
At only 180 pages, this is a concise but dense read packed with fascinating information by an expert on Artificial Intelligence; it's clear that he knows this area and the possibilities it could bring like the back of his hand. Despite that it is written in a more accessible fashion that one might imagine. I learned an awful lot about the benefits hybrid human-robots could bring forth.
This is an interconnected web of thought-provoking topics. It talks of the history and future of AI. I still have reservations based on my past reading about Augmentation, but there is plenty of information in favour of it, however, I feel such advancements should be handled very carefully indeed. Many thanks to Neocortex Press for an ARC.
At only 180 pages, this is a concise but dense read packed with fascinating information by an expert on Artificial Intelligence; it's clear that he knows this area and the possibilities it could bring like the back of his hand. Despite that it is written in a more accessible fashion that one might imagine. I learned an awful lot about the benefits hybrid human-robots could bring forth.
This is an interconnected web of thought-provoking topics. It talks of the history and future of AI. I still have reservations based on my past reading about Augmentation, but there is plenty of information in favour of it, however, I feel such advancements should be handled very carefully indeed. Many thanks to Neocortex Press for an ARC.
September 6, 2019
The author did not list psychology or marketing in his skills, but he obviously knows how to organize his ideas so that his target audience is satisfied with the information he transmits. He explained all the "hard" word when he first use them. And if you're not completely disconnected with the technological or scientific reality, you won't have any problem to understand everything.
He takes us on a journey "back to the future", moving from old ideas about making a superman to what could be our future as transhuman through the current research and the fears they arouse.
But Bates is an optimist. What he presents to us is the human improving the machine in what it does best and the machine helping the human beings in their highest, most creative tasks, each excelling in their own part and doing nothing bad to the other, on the contrary, helping each other.
One thing the author says seems very true to me: one must stop obsessing with research on transforming AI to become an improved, more powerful human brain, but rather try to give a tool so our brain will work better.
I am an author and I know how long authors spend on researching their subject, using literature, but also Internet. Imagine that instead of typing what you're looking for on the keyboard of your computer or rummaging through books in the library, you only had to think about what you are looking for, what you need to know, and the "chip" in your brain would give you access to universal knowledge on these topics! Would not it be wonderful?
But I can't help worrying about hackers plundering our most personal data and putting our lives upside down. What will happen when they can plunder in our brains our innermost thoughts, in our most beautiful or most troubled dreams?
I hope that by then we'll have learned to better protect ourselves.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an eCopy of this very interesting book.
He takes us on a journey "back to the future", moving from old ideas about making a superman to what could be our future as transhuman through the current research and the fears they arouse.
But Bates is an optimist. What he presents to us is the human improving the machine in what it does best and the machine helping the human beings in their highest, most creative tasks, each excelling in their own part and doing nothing bad to the other, on the contrary, helping each other.
One thing the author says seems very true to me: one must stop obsessing with research on transforming AI to become an improved, more powerful human brain, but rather try to give a tool so our brain will work better.
I am an author and I know how long authors spend on researching their subject, using literature, but also Internet. Imagine that instead of typing what you're looking for on the keyboard of your computer or rummaging through books in the library, you only had to think about what you are looking for, what you need to know, and the "chip" in your brain would give you access to universal knowledge on these topics! Would not it be wonderful?
But I can't help worrying about hackers plundering our most personal data and putting our lives upside down. What will happen when they can plunder in our brains our innermost thoughts, in our most beautiful or most troubled dreams?
I hope that by then we'll have learned to better protect ourselves.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an eCopy of this very interesting book.
April 16, 2019
Okay let me be honest, i was expecting more than this actually. I know that this a heavy book with heavy topic, and it's not easy to write this book. I couldn't imagine the process to get this book done. The amount of information in this book will surely make your brain electrified. And that was supposed to be. Electrified. Enlightened.
But i found this book did not deliver what it should deliver. Okay let me talk from my perspective.
I love technology so this SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM TO ME TO ENJOY, however i found this book quite disappointing. Luckily i am aware of the terms (not all) in this book but i know if i give this book to my friends, they would give up on halfway of the book (or even worse after 15 pages).
Well I don't know for someone from US/UK/ any country that use English, but if you're a from country where English is not your first language, you will have a hard time to read this. The words used, i would say, are hard to understand. You know, those bombastic words that someone use to make them looks clever. This would lead you to close this book.
I love the info, but for writing technical, the author still have a long way to improve.
Yeah i know people would say "This is how a informative book should be!" Girl, boy.... Let me tell you something, non-fiction book also should be interesting in terms of writing. This way, you can attract people to read more non-fiction books.
But i found this book did not deliver what it should deliver. Okay let me talk from my perspective.
I love technology so this SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM TO ME TO ENJOY, however i found this book quite disappointing. Luckily i am aware of the terms (not all) in this book but i know if i give this book to my friends, they would give up on halfway of the book (or even worse after 15 pages).
Well I don't know for someone from US/UK/ any country that use English, but if you're a from country where English is not your first language, you will have a hard time to read this. The words used, i would say, are hard to understand. You know, those bombastic words that someone use to make them looks clever. This would lead you to close this book.
I love the info, but for writing technical, the author still have a long way to improve.
Yeah i know people would say "This is how a informative book should be!" Girl, boy.... Let me tell you something, non-fiction book also should be interesting in terms of writing. This way, you can attract people to read more non-fiction books.
July 7, 2019
I was hoping to learn something new. Fooled again.
If you have a non-technical background this book will help with understanding one of the mega-trends that is reshaping society.
If you have a technical background, this book doesn't have enough depth to make it worthwhile reading.
This book starts off with yet another retelling of the history of AI, and a summary of ideas from other peoples' books. This gets you to chapter 5 which is basically a list of definitions for various forms of augmentation. Chapter 6 then gets into scenarios which helps to understand how augmented intelligence works. If you get your hands on this book, read chapter 6 first, and maybe not bother with the rest of the book.
If you have a non-technical background this book will help with understanding one of the mega-trends that is reshaping society.
If you have a technical background, this book doesn't have enough depth to make it worthwhile reading.
This book starts off with yet another retelling of the history of AI, and a summary of ideas from other peoples' books. This gets you to chapter 5 which is basically a list of definitions for various forms of augmentation. Chapter 6 then gets into scenarios which helps to understand how augmented intelligence works. If you get your hands on this book, read chapter 6 first, and maybe not bother with the rest of the book.
June 14, 2019
Like most of us in the modern world, I imagine, I am both intrigued and wary about the concept of artificial intelligence. So, when I found this book at a book review site that I use, I was curious, as the title seemed to suggest something more than straight-up artificial intelligence would be discussed. I am delighted to say that I was right. The book is written by an author who is a pioneer in artificial intelligence, and in this book, he offers a different and potentially heartening future of AI and IA. The book first details his own history with the concept, starting with finding an intriguing article on neural networks when he was a teenager to the sale of his AI firm and beyond. The first part of the book is a collection of his thoughts on why we need to see a broader role for both humans and machines in the future of AI, a future in which he sees as a hybrid of both that could allow for more than we can even envision today. The author decidedly does not want us to be wary of the future, and he thinks that intelligence augmentation is the path to that better future. He details the history of both artificial and human intelligence in a way that is both compelling and fascinating in what it could mean for the future both artificial and human intelligence. As one who is somewhat skeptical by Nature, I found myself drawn to his vision of the future. A cracking good read for anyone who is intrigued (or leery) about the future of AI... or who simply likes to future think.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
July 12, 2019
The Coming Synthesis: Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence
Humans do some things very well, creativity is a particularly human ability. Artificial Intelligence using computer based technology is much more proficient at handling large data sets. The thesis of this book is that combining the two can produce a breakthrough in problem solving and invention. Machine learning, the current focus of AI research, is important, but it isn’t the whole picture. Add in humans and capabilities are enhanced beyond what each type of intelligence can do alone.
The author does an excellent job reviewing the status of AI research. It’s a chapter worth reading. The chapter on the psychology of how humans learn and solve problems is equally well done. These chapters form the basis of the rest of the book with presents a way forward in combing these two forms of intelligence.
The book is very readable. Technical material is presented with illustrations to make the points easily accessible to the lay reader. I enjoyed the ending chapters where Bates presents ideas for hybrid solutions where human and artificial intelligence are combined. I highly recommend this book. It will give you something to think about.
I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
Humans do some things very well, creativity is a particularly human ability. Artificial Intelligence using computer based technology is much more proficient at handling large data sets. The thesis of this book is that combining the two can produce a breakthrough in problem solving and invention. Machine learning, the current focus of AI research, is important, but it isn’t the whole picture. Add in humans and capabilities are enhanced beyond what each type of intelligence can do alone.
The author does an excellent job reviewing the status of AI research. It’s a chapter worth reading. The chapter on the psychology of how humans learn and solve problems is equally well done. These chapters form the basis of the rest of the book with presents a way forward in combing these two forms of intelligence.
The book is very readable. Technical material is presented with illustrations to make the points easily accessible to the lay reader. I enjoyed the ending chapters where Bates presents ideas for hybrid solutions where human and artificial intelligence are combined. I highly recommend this book. It will give you something to think about.
I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
September 6, 2020
A Knowledgeable Look At The Benefits Of Humans And Artificial Intelligence Working Together
This book is an exploration of the benefits of humans working with Artificial Intelligence instead of being replaced by it. Both sides bring strengths to the table and the author explains where each can make the greatest contributions and where they require the other to help. The author promotes this without becoming an evangelist in that you have to believe him. He puts the facts as he sees them on the table and lets the reader decide what is benefits given.
There is a whole chapter on scenarios in different industries where this teaming up can work very well. The author breaks down each story into what area the AI would thrive on and where the human would have the mastery and how the two together would be more productive than either alone.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read what the real possibilities of working with Artificial Intelligence can be and wants to get past the whole "you will be replaced by a machine and be out of work" mentality that is so prevelent these days.
This book is an exploration of the benefits of humans working with Artificial Intelligence instead of being replaced by it. Both sides bring strengths to the table and the author explains where each can make the greatest contributions and where they require the other to help. The author promotes this without becoming an evangelist in that you have to believe him. He puts the facts as he sees them on the table and lets the reader decide what is benefits given.
There is a whole chapter on scenarios in different industries where this teaming up can work very well. The author breaks down each story into what area the AI would thrive on and where the human would have the mastery and how the two together would be more productive than either alone.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read what the real possibilities of working with Artificial Intelligence can be and wants to get past the whole "you will be replaced by a machine and be out of work" mentality that is so prevelent these days.
December 14, 2020
For a basic understanding this book is great, especially with the first 4-5 chapters giving the reader a background and history of A.I and it's inception and applications. For all the ranting about "centaurs" there wasn't too much other than the last 2 chapters. The ideas about future "centaurs" are interesting but they should be talked about more. This doesn't really deal with what we are to face in the future, though some of the ideas are interesting. Overall it's not as exciting as I wanted it to be, but that's due to my familiarity with the subject already. Anyone slightly seasoned with A.I/machine learning probably can skip this book entirely.
July 26, 2019
** Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review **
Lectura muy interesante e informativa. El lenguaje es claro y conciso. Es claro que el autor conoce de lo que esta hablando, y es exitoso al transmitirlo. Fue muy aclaratorio para mí sobre los temas inteligencia artificial, realidad aumentada, y mas, todos temas muy actuales y pertinentes, mas teniendo en cuenta como avanzan la tecnología y el mundo. Si les interesa la tecnología, es una lectura muy recomendada.
Lectura muy interesante e informativa. El lenguaje es claro y conciso. Es claro que el autor conoce de lo que esta hablando, y es exitoso al transmitirlo. Fue muy aclaratorio para mí sobre los temas inteligencia artificial, realidad aumentada, y mas, todos temas muy actuales y pertinentes, mas teniendo en cuenta como avanzan la tecnología y el mundo. Si les interesa la tecnología, es una lectura muy recomendada.
May 1, 2019
This book was a quick interesting read. It gives you an introduction into AI and different platforms where it is being used.
Overall, it was a good book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in AI and technology (programming and machine learning).
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Neocortex Press in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, it was a good book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in AI and technology (programming and machine learning).
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Neocortex Press in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2019
Augmented Mind is a well written and comprehensive book covering past, present and possible futures in Artificial Intelligence.
Written in an approachable style that still contains enough detail for the specialist this book should be on the reading list of anyone interested in computer science, big data or artificial intelligence.
Written in an approachable style that still contains enough detail for the specialist this book should be on the reading list of anyone interested in computer science, big data or artificial intelligence.
April 29, 2019
Fascinating peek inside the mind of a tech genius whose sheer talent in the world of AI is only matched only by his optimism for a future world where people and AI are harmonious and synchronized. Recommended.
September 13, 2020
Interesting introduction to AI, and specially how to combine the power of AI with the creativity, contextual and emotional intelligence of human beings, creating cyborgs, humans powered by AI but powerful and flexible with human minds combined. Interesting reading, bringing AI basics to the table.
September 22, 2019
A light non fiction that discusses all the varieties of artificial intelligence. It details how they benefit humanity showing the fear mongering in so many works of fiction
May 9, 2019
This is not a light non-fiction read, but it is thorough and bring together info from a lot of sources. The book covers a variety of types of thinking, knowledge, intelligence, and touches on creativity and types of learning. Recommended for a stimulating and interesting read.
I really appreciate the ARC for review!!
I really appreciate the ARC for review!!
May 24, 2019
What is augmented? What is artificial intelligence? The buzz words are made clear. Very in-depth history, application and opportunities described in the book. I would recommend reading if you are looking to get clarification on those terms and to find out what would be their business applications. I am interested in all emerging tech, this this book is of a good value.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews