Artificial Intelligence: Book Review

by Noel Jerke (Author)
Format: Kindle Edition

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the most interesting topics of the current era. With the advancement in science and technology, the use of AI has increased substantially in almost every business. The majority of large-scale business organizations such as Facebook, Apple, Tesla, Google, and many others are heavily dependent on AI. Precisely, Artificial Intelligence relates to the use of various machine learning, data warehouse, robotics, and other such technologies to improve the business processes and make them more efficient in terms of data management.

In this era, AI is not only important for a single group of people rather it has become important for everyone. For this reason, this eBook on Artificial Intelligence is quite relevant for all readers. It provides complete details about AI, its impact on the world, how people need to adapt to it, the winners and losers, as well as how to make the best use of AI to improve your socio-economic abilities.

Unlike many books, this one has a unique way of introduction by providing quotes from notable personalities belonging to the tech sector. It then gives an overview of the book and the use of AI.

Chapter 1 – Why Should I Care?

Many may not notice that but AI has already been affecting the lives of many. Its involvement has increased in our lives so much that we don’t even feel like it’s something odd. Tech giants have been collecting data of users and then using it to provide catered recommendations to such people based on their income, gender, internet searches, and tons of other parameters as well. Those who don’t recognize or do not want to recognize AI are going to lose in this rapid-paced era.

This chapter is all about why everyone should be aware of AI and not neglect this rising technological movement that is going to impact everyone’s life. Throughout this chapter, the author has not only mentioned the benefits of AI but has also mentioned the essential need for being aware of AI. There are massive job prospects in this field which could give the job earners a big sum of money. Old jobs are now being outdated. Without the effective learning of new jobs, people won’t be able to survive in the modern future as well.

This chapter also discusses the numerous applications of AI Technology, and not all of them sound just about right. Much of them can be potentially used for the harms of humans as well.

Chapter 2 – How Did We Get Here?

This chapter is all about the history of AI and robotics technology, which you can get from its name “How Did We Get Here?”. It is a well-known fact that AI has not just come up in days or weeks or even months. It has taken years of effort, technology, commitment, testing, and advancement in various fields of Information Technology to make sure that AI can be considered a reliable technology.

This chapter begins with an overview of the history of robots. Surprisingly, it has a lot of valuable information that you wouldn’t just find on any Wikipedia page on the history of Robots. The writer has talked from the ancient times when the Greeks were the first ones to come up with basic robotic technology. Besides, it also has discussed the various applications of robotics associated with World War I and World War II. As a matter of fact, the writer believes that it was this era that gave rise to robotic technology as military applications were being researched and made better constantly.

“In World War II, drone technology began to take off. Reginald Denny, a World War I veteran, and war hero, opened a hobby shop in the 1930s. He introduced the army to what he dubbed the RP-1 (Radioplane 1). This plane was truly remotely controlled. The military loved it, and after several modifications and tweaks, the OQ-2 Radioplane, also known as the “Dennymite” debuted. Denny made thousands of them for the army, and they saw liberal use in WWII.”

– (Ebook Excerpt)

Cultural Robotics is also an important side application associated with Artificial Intelligence that gave a more public reputation to robotics.  The author has used pictorial illustrations to define the timeline by which Artificial Intelligence technology has emerged and grown over the current era. Although the idea was there around the 1950s, it was the 1970s when the first applications of AI were seen with the works being done by MIT, Stanford, and other top research institutes.

The Idea About Robots

The Idea About Robots

Chapter 3 of this book has vast knowledge on the topic of robots. If you have any questions related to robots, most likely, you are going to find an answer to them. This chapter has talked about the 7 different types of robots that are being used and researched in the contemporary era. This includes Residential, Industrial, Commercial, Medical, Agricultural, Military, and Cabot as well. While there may be a few other miscellaneous robots as well, they do not fall under these categories.

This chapter provides detailed information on the present situation of robotics and how they are being used in each of the 7 sectors mentioned above. It has also given an idea about the possible concerns that people and many organizations have with the increasing usage and dependency on robots.

Another area where robots will naturally flourish in the military—using robots in warfare addresses many concerns with wantonly wasting human life on the battlefield.

(Ebook Excerpt)

Some people may express concerns about robots replacing human workers in the medical field. They would feel uncomfortable with a robot performing surgical work, providing physical care, or comforting them in times of stress.

(Ebook Excerpt)

One of the most interesting parts of this chapter is how detailed the agricultural application of robots has been explained. There are some remarkable aspects highlighted in this part, many of which are not even close to our imagination.

By the end of this chapter, the author has made a valid discussion on the benefits and drawbacks associated with robotics technology.

Discussion on AI

From Chapter 4 onwards, the book is all about Artificial Intelligence. In Chapter 4, the basics of AI as well as how it has taken the world by storm have been covered by the author. With modern-day examples, the author clarifies the point in a way that is understood clearly by the readers. Again, a comprehensive list of benefits and drawbacks associated with AI has been provided towards the end of this chapter.

However, this detailed list is discussed in a much more accurate manner in Chapter 5 which is all about the negative implications of robotic technology as well as AI. With various types of stealth drones, advanced-tech military equipment, and other applications of AI, this technology is not always in the benefit; rather there are several criminal applications as well which are growing. Besides, as of now, AI has not been perfected in its all manner. This poses several challenges and disastrous outcomes are expected from a technology that has not gotten perfect. Regarding these imperfections, the author has written in great detail. Every good has its own bad as well and the author has explained this with the concept of Surveillance. While surveillance has been used in various countries for security purposes, it has now created a series of serious challenges as well.

Moving on to Chapter 6, the writer has got into a detailed explanation of the good aspects of robotics and AI technology. The various types of positive applications of AI include medical aspects, automobile manufacturing, efficient and effective exploration, power plants, commodity manufacturing, and other such uses as well. With the help of AI, the world has become a lot more convenient, safe, and purposeful as well. The author also discusses how financial services have improved a lot better over the past few years due to AI and robotics. This is mainly due to the fact that fraud deterrence, auditing, and other financial work procedures are easy to perform with minimal error.

Industry Size – AI and Robotics

Chapter 7 of this book is about facts and figures associated with the tech industry of modern times. Although it is surprisingly high as of the current moment, an exponential increase is going to be seen in the near future as well. The author has conducted a detailed study on the market for AI as well as the exports of AI and Robotic services as well. The major competitors of this market include Microsoft, Google, Facebook, IBM, Intel, Boston Dynamics, Apple, and others as well.

Surprisingly, a lot of startups have also been investing in this as well and there is a detailed discussion about these startups too. Onwards Chapter 7, the writer has provided insights on the future of AI and robotics with many of them being speculations based on the current growth rate of the market.

“Education will also experience dramatic changes due to AI. Textbooks will be digitized with the help of AI. Virtual tutors assist human instructors. A facial analysis evaluates students to help determine who’s bored or struggling to tailor the experience to their individual educational needs better.”

(Ebook Excerpt)

General Overview

On the whole, this is one amazing book on the topic of AI. The best part about this book is that it has taken a neutral perspective on the topic. While the whole world is rapidly advancing towards the use and application of AI, this book provides both sides of the picture by highlighting the good and the bad about this technology. The negative implications are something that should be considered by top tech firms while the benefits are something beneficial for those pursuing education or gaining new skill sets. It is AI that is going to run the world soon.

Even though AI is a relatively difficult concept for a common person to understand, this book has been written in a way that the readability factor has not been compromised. Anyone can easily understand and learn about AI as this book has been written in easy English. A summary at the end of every chapter provides an overview and makes it easy for the readers to remember what they have read in the chapter. The presentation of content gets big points throughout this eBook.

Another great thing about this eBook is that references are provided throughout. From historical references related to AI to the current era, the author has made sure that any information is thoroughly backed by different types of certified organizations and institutes. This makes the book quite reliable and authentic as per the, For example, the reference to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has been made to explain a point on robotics.

“Robots are a diverse bunch. Some walk around on their two, four, six, or more legs, while others can take to the skies. Some robots help physicians to do surgery inside your body; others toil away in dirty factories. There are robots the size of a coin and robots bigger than a car. Some robots can make pancakes. Others can land on Mars.”

(Ebook Excerpt)

More insights into this book uncover the fact that it is quite detailed. Even the minor aspects associated with AI and robotics have been explained in detail so that the readers are not confused.

However, despite the few pictorial illustrations at the start of every chapter, there aren’t many others to make the book highly interactive for the readers. It only gives a basic idea. The author could have presented the information with the help of a few charts or graphs to further validate and explain his point but they are also missing. These could have helped in presenting complicated figures in a way that was easy for the readers to interpret. Other than that, the entire book is complete with accurate details, facts, and figures related to AI and its various applications.

Conclusion

On the whole, this seems like one of the best books on artificial intelligence in modern times. With the detailed information presented in an easy way, it is suitable for the geeks as well as basic learners who are interested in this topic. While you read this book, you might come across some of the most shocking facts about Artificial Intelligence as well.