Artificial Intelligence: An Illustrated History: From Medieval Robots to Neural Networks

by Clifford A. Pickover

Overview

A History of the Future that's Happening Right Now

Artificial Intelligence: An Illustrated History explores the historic origins and current applications of AI in such diverse fields as computing, medicine, popular culture, mythology, and philosophy. Through more than 100 entries, award-winning author Clifford A. Pickover, offers a granular, yet accessible, glimpse into the world of AI—from medieval robots and Boolean algebra to facial recognition, and artificial neural networks. First released in 2019, this updated paperback edition brings readers up to speed with coverage of technologies such as DALL-E and ChatGPT, and it explores the very real fear that AI will alter the course of humanity—forever. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454955788
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	823,624
Product dimensions:	7.31(w) x 8.44(h) x (d)

About the Author

Clifford A. Pickover has published more than 50 books, translated into a dozen languages, on topics ranging from science and mathematics to religion, art, and history. He received his PhD degree from Yale University, has been granted more than 800 US patents, and has more than 180,000 X (formerly Twitter) followers. For many years, he was an IBM researcher and inventor and editor-in-chief of the IBM Journal of Research and Development. He is the author of many other books including Death and the Afterlife, The Physics Book, and The Math Book, which won the Neumann Prize.

Editorial Reviews

This is an addictive stroll through the annals of artificial intelligence, highlighting almost 100 innovations developed between 1300 BCE and 2018. The chronologically arranged, brief (three or four paragraphs), but authoritative entries are complemented by full-page illustrations and range from the mythological (Lancelot's copper knights, The Terminator) to the actual (da Vinci's robot knight, the Roomba) and from gaming (tic-tac-toe, backgammon, the Rubik's Cube, Jeopardy) to more serious pursuits (face and voice recognition, autonomous robotic surgery). Readers will find basic information regarding the who, what, when, where, and how of each subject, plus accounts of public reception and practical applications, if any. Many familiar names appear: Aristotle, Tesla, ENIAC, Hal 9000; other references may be a bit more obscure, like The Steam Man of the Prairies, a sf novel published in 1868. Features include an index, cross-references to related articles within the book, and recommendations for more comprehensive further reading selections. This is an enjoyable diversion to read cover to cover, follow along common strands, or dip into for random bits.” —Booklist
 

From the Publisher