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30-Second AI & Robotics: 50 key notions, fields, and events in the rise of intelligent machines, each explained in half a minute

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This comprehensive presentation of the core concepts and historical landmarks in robotics and artificial intelligence is a must-read for those who want to understand the important changes happening now in our everyday lives, in the workplace, and in our minds and bodies. What is deep in “deep learning”? Can artificial intelligence really think? What will robots really look like in the near future? Is there a new class divide between those who understand technology and those who fear it? A clear and exhaustive introduction for non-specialists, 30-Second AI & Robotics will help the reader to navigate the world of ubiquitous computers, smart cities, and collaborative robots. At last, an optimistic and friendly book about our human possibilities in the time of automata.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 27, 2019

12 people are currently reading
78 people want to read

About the author

Luis de Miranda

39 books4 followers
Luis de Miranda, (born 1971) is a philosopher and novelist. Born in Portugal, he grew up and has lived most of his life in Paris. He began travelling the world alone at the age of sixteen including Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States where he lived for two years. While living in New York, he wrote his first novel, Joy (Joie).

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5 stars
6 (11%)
4 stars
18 (34%)
3 stars
19 (36%)
2 stars
8 (15%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for bogna.
183 reviews14 followers
July 26, 2020
Best possible gift for anyone in your family interested in the subject but not knowing where to begin :)
Profile Image for Karltheplaya.
135 reviews
August 19, 2021
Like “30 second math” there isn’t any larger problem with the book. The only real problem was that it repeated it self quite often. Some chapters were more or less exactly like some other chapters but with a fresh paint. Another thing is that I already knew about most stuff included in this. I didn’t learn anything new except for some new terms. Although some repetition of things I read earlier was nice, the book was in general a bit of a slag.
While this might work for some people as an “OK” beginner read on the AI subject, I still think there is a lot of better options - example: Life 3.0 - Max Tegmark.
Profile Image for Dr. Tathagat Varma.
412 reviews48 followers
October 24, 2021
A good horizontal view of all, or most of the prominent ideas in AI and Robotics. To cover the breadth, it must take a lot of effort, and to be able to distill into the extremely short summaries needs a lot of creative imagination, and not to mention deep subject knowledge!
Profile Image for Ivan.
67 reviews1 follower
August 18, 2025
2/5 - it was okay

This book does a solid job at introducing some concepts relevant to AI, robotics and the internet. I just don't feel like I've learned anything new and the presentation of information is also not particularly entertaining although well-structured.
Profile Image for Aga.
135 reviews
April 15, 2025
- o czym jest książka-
Mini-encyklopedia – zbiór podstawowych pojęć, postaci, konceptów i wydarzeń dotyczących sztucznej inteligencji oraz robotyki.
Od historii, przez popkulturę, po współczesne koncepcje, książka przybliża czytelnikowi podstawy podstaw w obu tematach.

- co w niej znajdziecie-
Proste i przystępne wyjaśnienia, przedstawione w charakterystycznej dla serii strukturze – każde zagadnienie ujęte na jednej stronie, w trzech akapitach, których lektura powinna zająć odpowiednio 3 i 30 sekund oraz 3 minuty.
Obok nich, na marginesie, znajdują się króciutkie biogramy wiodących ekspertów, cytat do omawianego tematu oraz odwołania do innych powiązanych haseł. Jako przerywniki pomiędzy hasłami znajdziemy szersze biogramy najważniejszych postaci, które po krótce przedstawiają ich życie oraz dokonania.

+ proste i przystępne wyjaśnienia
+ przekrojowa wiedza
+ ciekawie opisane
+ sporo pytań filozoficznych
+/- 30 sekund to trochę krótko na zapoznanie się z niektórymi tekstami
- książka jest z 2019, więc nie ma w niej bardziej aktualnych informacji

-ogólna ocena-
Książka jest świetnym wprowadzeniem dla każdego, kto chciałby rozpocząć swoją przygodę z tematyką. Wcześniej czytałam również inną pozycję z tej serii (o fizyce kwantowej), która była nieco zbyt trudna na skrótową formę. Ta jednak wspaniale się w nią wpisuje i mogę ją szczerze polecić – sama na pewno będę do niej wracać.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews

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