Books to Get You Thinking
Digital technology innovations, along with the proliferation of large computers and networking, have transformed industry and the workforce over the last quarter century. Perhaps the most striking transformations have been the speed of information processing and the global scope of communications. The emergence of cloud computing has enabled the processing of vast amounts of data at lightning speed and the capacity to distribute information to millions of smartphones and mobile devices. This has helped create disruptive innovations such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. Big Data Analytics, with the capacity to analyze massive amounts of non-structured data including text, images, maps, and video, has found applications in many different industries—notably medicine and e-commerce. While automation and artificial intelligence have changed the way companies operate, helped solve complex problems, increased productivity and efficiency, and in many instances helped bring down costs, they have also changed the entire employment landscape. Along with the growth in disruptive technology, it is equally important to devise policies to ensure training and education that would prepare workers to transition from lost jobs to newly emerging work opportunities. This would help avoid unemployment and the negative societal impact of emerging technological progress. The Mercer County Library System has several books on the subject that are sure to make compelling reads!
Thinking Machines: The Quest for Artificial Intelligence—and Where It’s Taking Us Next by Luke Dormehl
Luke Dormehl, technology journalist and filmmaker, has penned this fascinating book that provides a historical view of the entire spectrum of development in the field of artificial intelligence. The author traces its earliest beginnings to three men who laid down the technical and philosophical foundation on which future developments were based—Von Neumann, Alan Turing and Claude Shannon. At New York’s World Fair 1964, IBM showcased some of its groundbreaking technologies that included a handwriting recognition computer and a computer that translated dexterously between Russian and English. The optimism and fervor of the initial years gradually faded when AI was unable to meet unrealistic public expectations. There followed a long lull in the seventies when developments in AI slowed down and funding for projects were slashed. In the eighties, efforts were largely channeled into intricate video games embedded with AI features. However, over the past twenty-five years, there have been dramatic improvements in the field. Today AI has made deep inroads in many fields as evidenced by a proliferation of objects and applications including smartphones and other personal devices, as well as platforms and solutions developed for business, financial markets, science and medicine. The author explores what the exponential growth in AI technology holds for our future. While there is much that is positive, there is growing concern that the single function AI process could be replaced by a more general AI with human-like cognitive abilities that could usher in irrevocable outcomes for the future of humanity.
Machine Platform Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future by Andrew McAffee and Erik Brynjolfsson
Andrew McAffee and Erik Brynjolfsson from MIT, authors of the highly acclaimed work The Second Machine Age, follow up with another engrossing book about the transformative forces in the current digital age. The authors attribute this tidal change to three distinct innovations. First, machines have become smarter and have the capacity now to learn from the data they are processing. They can implement tasks which previously required human intelligence to perform. Second, powerful technology platforms like Facebook have provided unprecedented connectivity to more than 1.5 billion people from all corners of the world. The third element of disruptive change is the emergence of crowd, bringing with it the ability to tap into the vast community, to constructively engage them in new ideas and collaborations as well as to capitalize on diversity in thought processes. The authors make a compelling case on how the interaction of these three innovations presents an opportunity for all business organizations to retool their processes to become more efficient and productive. At the same time this could also prove devastating to many business organizations who fail to understand and react to the fundamental shift that is underway. An example that illustrates the current outlook is the earlier part of twentieth century when the advent of electric power reshaped the manufacturing landscape. The narrative of the book is interwoven with compelling case studies that illustrate the fundamental principles and dynamics underlying disruptive digital innovations today.
Deep Thinking: Where Machine Intelligence Ends and Human Creativity Begins by Garry Kasparov
Former world chess champion Gary Kasparov traces the history of Artificial Intelligence through the lens of chess, a game known to engage human cerebral thinking and the power to strategize. Kasparov details his experience as a chess champion and playing and losing the legendary, cliffhanger six-game match against IBM’s supercomputer, Deep Blue in 1997. The match marked a defining moment and technological breakthrough in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Readers will find a fascinating game by game account of Kasparov’s experience playing against a powerful, untiring computer and the feelings of disappointment and frustration that he experienced after his defeat. However, Kasparov continued playing and winning tournaments till he retired in 2005 and in the book expresses his optimism, hope and insightful thoughts on technology, on the human-machine relationship, and on the importance of continued progress of intelligent machines in the years to come. Looking back in history, Kasparov points out how the introduction of machines in many instances was met with doubt, fear and resistance, but eventually became widely accepted while displaying the human ability to adapt to technology changes. “Once technology enables us to do certain things, we never give them up. We never go back. It’s against human progress and human nature.” The key is to focus on the power and potential of machines to augment the human capacity to perform—the two should be viewed essentially as complementary rather than as conflicting forces.
Luke Dormehl, technology journalist and filmmaker, has penned this fascinating book that provides a historical view of the entire spectrum of development in the field of artificial intelligence. The author traces its earliest beginnings to three men who laid down the technical and philosophical foundation on which future developments were based—Von Neumann, Alan Turing and Claude Shannon. At New York’s World Fair 1964, IBM showcased some of its groundbreaking technologies that included a handwriting recognition computer and a computer that translated dexterously between Russian and English. The optimism and fervor of the initial years gradually faded when AI was unable to meet unrealistic public expectations. There followed a long lull in the seventies when developments in AI slowed down and funding for projects were slashed. In the eighties, efforts were largely channeled into intricate video games embedded with AI features. However, over the past twenty-five years, there have been dramatic improvements in the field. Today AI has made deep inroads in many fields as evidenced by a proliferation of objects and applications including smartphones and other personal devices, as well as platforms and solutions developed for business, financial markets, science and medicine. The author explores what the exponential growth in AI technology holds for our future. While there is much that is positive, there is growing concern that the single function AI process could be replaced by a more general AI with human-like cognitive abilities that could usher in irrevocable outcomes for the future of humanity.
Andrew McAffee and Erik Brynjolfsson from MIT, authors of the highly acclaimed work The Second Machine Age, follow up with another engrossing book about the transformative forces in the current digital age. The authors attribute this tidal change to three distinct innovations. First, machines have become smarter and have the capacity now to learn from the data they are processing. They can implement tasks which previously required human intelligence to perform. Second, powerful technology platforms like Facebook have provided unprecedented connectivity to more than 1.5 billion people from all corners of the world. The third element of disruptive change is the emergence of crowd, bringing with it the ability to tap into the vast community, to constructively engage them in new ideas and collaborations as well as to capitalize on diversity in thought processes. The authors make a compelling case on how the interaction of these three innovations presents an opportunity for all business organizations to retool their processes to become more efficient and productive. At the same time this could also prove devastating to many business organizations who fail to understand and react to the fundamental shift that is underway. An example that illustrates the current outlook is the earlier part of twentieth century when the advent of electric power reshaped the manufacturing landscape. The narrative of the book is interwoven with compelling case studies that illustrate the fundamental principles and dynamics underlying disruptive digital innovations today.
Former world chess champion Gary Kasparov traces the history of Artificial Intelligence through the lens of chess, a game known to engage human cerebral thinking and the power to strategize. Kasparov details his experience as a chess champion and playing and losing the legendary, cliffhanger six-game match against IBM’s supercomputer, Deep Blue in 1997. The match marked a defining moment and technological breakthrough in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Readers will find a fascinating game by game account of Kasparov’s experience playing against a powerful, untiring computer and the feelings of disappointment and frustration that he experienced after his defeat. However, Kasparov continued playing and winning tournaments till he retired in 2005 and in the book expresses his optimism, hope and insightful thoughts on technology, on the human-machine relationship, and on the importance of continued progress of intelligent machines in the years to come. Looking back in history, Kasparov points out how the introduction of machines in many instances was met with doubt, fear and resistance, but eventually became widely accepted while displaying the human ability to adapt to technology changes. “Once technology enables us to do certain things, we never give them up. We never go back. It’s against human progress and human nature.” The key is to focus on the power and potential of machines to augment the human capacity to perform—the two should be viewed essentially as complementary rather than as conflicting forces.
—Nita Mathur
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