5.0

Disclaimer: Apparently I find AI gaffs much more hilarious than the average person does. Does this mean I’m more human than you?

Probably, yes.

This book gives a very accessible rundown of how artificial intelligence works. Featured are the embarrassing biases it exhibits, the toddler-like shortcuts it takes, and the loopholes it exploits. More importantly, author Janelle Shane explains why these things happen. And perhaps most importantly, she writes with clarity, candor, and a healthy dose of humor.

Just a teaser: At one point, Shane re-trains an AI that generates metal band names to instead generate ice cream flavors, and the awkward in-between phase yields such gems as: Swirl of Hell, Person Cream, and Blood Pecan.

For a society immersed in doomsday robot science fiction, this is a nice counterbalance, as Shane repeatedly highlights AI’s limitations. More serious readers might find her tone too light, but I found the balance of technical information and humorous foibles to be absolutely perfect. My attention never wavered. Just a delight.