Join us for a thought-provoking book club discussion of "Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans" by Melanie Mitchell. This book takes a deep dive into the history, science, and ethics of AI, exploring questions like what makes machines "intelligent" and how we can ensure that AI serves humanity in the best way possible. We will engage in lively discussions and gain a deeper understanding of the technology that's transforming our world. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or simply curious about the future of AI, this book club is a must-attend event!

Dates & Times:

1:00pm, Friday, April 14, 2023 - Part I: Background

1:00pm, Friday, April 28, 2023 - Part II: Looking and Seeing

1:00pm, Friday, May 12, 2023 - Part III: Learning to Play

1:00pm, Friday, May 26, 2023 - Part IV: Artificial Intelligence Meets Natural Language

1:00pm, Friday, June 9, 2023 - Part V: The Barrier of Meaning (Author is schedule to join us!) 

Description of the book from the publisher:

Melanie Mitchell separates science fact from science fiction in this sweeping examination of the current state of AI and how it is remaking our world

No recent scientific enterprise has proved as alluring, terrifying, and filled with extravagant promise and frustrating setbacks as artificial intelligence. The award-winning author Melanie Mitchell, a leading computer scientist, now reveals AI’s turbulent history and the recent spate of apparent successes, grand hopes, and emerging fears surrounding it.

In Artificial Intelligence, Mitchell turns to the most urgent questions concerning AI today: How intelligent—really—are the best AI programs? How do they work? What can they actually do, and when do they fail? How humanlike do we expect them to become, and how soon do we need to worry about them surpassing us? Along the way, she introduces the dominant models of modern AI and machine learning, describing cutting-edge AI programs, their human inventors, and the historical lines of thought underpinning recent achievements. She meets with fellow experts such as Douglas Hofstadter, the cognitive scientist and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of the modern classic Gödel, Escher, Bach, who explains why he is “terrified” about the future of AI. She explores the profound disconnect between the hype and the actual achievements in AI, providing a clear sense of what the field has accomplished and how much further it has to go. 

Interweaving stories about the science of AI and the people behind it, Artificial Intelligencebrims with clear-sighted, captivating, and accessible accounts of the most interesting and provocative modern work in the field, flavored with Mitchell’s humor and personal observations. This frank, lively book is an indispensable guide to understanding today’s AI, its quest for “human-level” intelligence, and its impact on the future for us all.