3 Books That Will Help You Better Understand the Power and Potential of AI

“By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.” – Eliezer Yudkowsky

Unless you’re disconnected from the worldly affairs of humanity, it is highly likely that your social media channels, newsfeeds, workplace discussions and even casual conversations amongst friends and family have been inundated with talk about AI and Generative AI. Not surprisingly, most of us have been trying to discern hype from reality… to separate hyperbole from a true assessment of AI’s power and potential.

On one hand, many of us are at least somewhat aware that machine learning and AI have been embedded in many of the products and services we use today (e.g. complex data analysis, personalized recommendations, facial recognition, self-driving cars, etc.). But, very few of us expected AI to take the world by storm as it did in 2023. Now, everywhere you turn, AI or Generative AI (“Gen AI”) is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Every company is figuring out how to reposition itself as an “AI business”, every knowledge worker is frantically figuring out how to emphasize their involvement with AI on their LinkedIn profiles, and every institute of higher learning is marketing AI courses, certifications and degree programs.

If you’re reading this blog post, you probably already recognize the importance and criticality of continuous learning in today’s world and have been consuming information on AI & Gen AI on a fairly regular basis – whether it’s been pushed to you or you've sought it out. There are seemingly endless resources to choose from – books, videos, podcasts and articles in glorious abundance. For me, like many of you, too many options can lead to a kind of paralysis – the “paradox of choice” if you will (and in my case, an excessive number of open browser tabs).

One of the best ways to mitigate that condition, in my opinion, is to rely on recommendations from others. To that end, there are three books on AI that I have read over the past year that stand out to me in terms of scope, perspective, expertise of the authors, quality of writing (e.g. economy of words) and enjoyability.?

These three books are not technical in nature despite the topics they cover. In addition to explaining some fundamental aspects of AI and Gen AI, their pages span history, innovation, business, socio-economic and geo-political impacts, and the world of possibilities that lies ahead. I highly recommend each of these books as great reads that will help you establish or strengthen your understanding of the power and potential of AI.?

T-Minus AI - by Michael Kanaan

Michael Kanaan, currently working in the U.S. Department of Defense as the Deputy Chief Information and Cyber Assurance Officer, is a respected voice that has been intimately involved in helping the U.S. government understand the origins, trajectory and implications of AI, especially as it pertains to democratic ideals, national security and the dynamic nature of our precarious global balance. In his book, Kanaan does a great job laying out some foundational aspects of modern computing, big data and AI in a way that is accessible to all readers, regardless of their level of technical expertise or experience. One of the things that he writes about that was particularly eye-opening to me was his explanation of China’s 2017 New Generation AI Development Plan wherein the People’s Republic of China set forth and began funding an incredibly ambitious plan to become the global leader in AI innovation by 2030. Kanaan’s articulation made it very clear that the global race for AI is on and has been underway for some time.

The Age of AI: And Our Human Future - by Henry A. Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, Daniel Huttenlocher

That these three minds came together to author this book is compelling in and of itself. The late Henry Kissinger, known to be a pragmatic and cunning political strategist, was a Nobel laureate who was equally lauded and reviled for his role as U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor during the Nixon and Ford administrations. Eric Schmidt is the former Chairman and CEO of Google, who is often cited as the leader who helped the company scale tremendously from 2001 to 2011. Daniel Huttenlocher is the inaugural and current dean of MIT’s Schwarzman College of Computing, and has spent time in industry as well as in academia. Kissinger, Schmidt and Huttenlocher have put together a book that provides perspective from the vantage point of leading thinkers of our time, and raises important questions that humanity will need to answer. Some of their provocations really challenge the reader to think deeply. For instance, early on in their book they declare that AI has the power to change how humans perceive reality: “The advent of AI obliges us to confront whether there is a form of logic that humans have not achieved or cannot achieve, exploring aspects of reality we have never known and may never directly know." Let that sink for a moment. This is the type of thinking that went into this book, and one of the reasons I found it to be so valuable.

Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook and the World - by Cade Metz

In this highly enthralling book, seasoned technology reporter Cade Metz lays out how the emergence of powerful AI in 2023 was actually ~70+ years in the making. Metz traces the theoretical and academic origins of neural networks and deep learning - fundamental technologies underpinning AI - by following key players that engaged in the relentless pursuit of new approaches to problem solving… approaches that were often resisted or outright derided by leading researchers at the time. In fact, Cade highlights the fact that the evolving technology went through two “AI winters” where progress was stalled and acceptance (of AI achievements) was limited. The influential thinkers and innovators that Metz introduces us to throughout the course of the book are today found at the helm of AI advancement in large technology companies or startups, or heading research labs at leading institutions and organizations around the world. Metz does a great job as a storyteller, and in the telling of the intertwined stories of these “mavericks” that brought about AI as we are getting to know it today, educates readers about the incredible nature and potential of the technology that is rapidly changing the world.

I’ve read each of these books only once, but I will admit to re-reading paragraphs and passages multiple times to make sure I fully understood what was being conveyed. Some of the concepts are significant enough to warrant that type of deep study and review.

There are now other books piled up on my nightstand that I am looking forward to reading. As and when I get through them, I’ll pass along any recommendations. I would also very much welcome your recommendations, and I hope you’ll leave some in the comments below or message me directly if that’s your preference.