Hello World: How to Be Human in the Age of the Machine

“Yes, I picked Hello World because, as you said, Hannah Fry is a very good communicator. She’s a British mathematician, though she’s become more of an author and communicator in her public life. This book, Hello World, is trying to summarise the state of everything related to data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. She goes through the potential problems that can be raised by algorithms—whether they’re technical problems, ethical problems, or political problems—but what I like about the book is that she’s very honest about the opportunities. On this topic of data and machine learning, there have been different waves of books over time. There was a first wave which was singing the praises of these techniques, trying to teach people how to use them, and making lots of promises about how this was going to change the world for the better. Then there was a second wave of books, which I think was needed, but was extremely critical, basically saying, ‘Hey! These algorithms that you’re being told are going to change the world for the better, well, they’re biased, they’re racist and sexist, and we should probably stop using them.’” Read more...

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Edouard Mathieu

“The fact is, the age of AI is coming fast, and we need to be ready for it. This book will help you decide how worried you should be.” Read more...

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Jim Al-Khalili, Physicist

“She explains in incredibly clear language, with very, very good examples, just how pervasive the use of algorithms is. It’s a great book about our time.” Read more...

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Fiammetta Rocco, Artists & Art Critic