You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place

by Janelle Shane

Overview

“A deft, informative, and often screamingly funny primer on the ways that machine learning can (and often does) go wrong.” —Margaret Harris, Physics World

“You look like a thing and I love you” is one of the best pickup lines ever…according to an artificial intelligence trained by the scientist Janelle Shane, creator of the popular blog AI Weirdness. Shane creates silly AIs that learn how to name colors of paint, create the best recipes, and even flirt (badly) with humans—all to understand the technology that governs so much of our human lives.

We rely on AI every day, trusting it for matters both big and small, from unlocking our phones to hospital care. But how smart is AI really…? Shane delivers the answer to every AI question you’ve ever asked, and some you definitely haven’t—such as: How can a computer design the perfect sandwich? What does robot-generated Harry Potter fan fiction sound like? And is the world’s best Halloween costume really “vampire hog bride”?

In this smart, often hilarious introduction to the most interesting science of our time, Shane shows how these machines learn, fail, and adapt—and how they reflect both the best and worst of humanity.

"I can't think of a better way to learn about artificial intelligence, and I've never had so much fun along the way." —Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316525220
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	03/23/2021
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	92,510
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Janelle Shane has a PhD in electrical engineering and a master's in physics. At aiweirdness.com, she writes about artificial intelligence and the amusing and sometimes unsettling ways that algorithms get human things wrong. She has been featured on the main TED stage; in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, Popular Science, and more; and on NPR's All Things Considered, Science Friday, and Marketplace. She was named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, and an Adweek Young Influential. She is almost certainly not a robot.

Table of Contents

Introduction: AI is everywhere 1

Chapter 1 What is AI? 7

Chapter 2 AI is everywhere, but where is it exactly? 29

Chapter 3 How does it actually learn? 61

Chapter 4 It's trying! 109

Chapter 5 What are you really asking for? 140

Chapter 6 Hacking the Matrix, or AI finds a way 161

Chapter 7 Unfortunate shortcuts 168

Chapter 8 Is an AI brain like a human brain? 185

Chapter 9 Human bots (where can you not expect to see AI?) 209

Chapter 10 A human-AI partnership 219

Conclusion: Life among our artificial friends 234

Acknowledgments 237

Notes 239

Index 253

Editorial Reviews

One of the most anticipated books of the fall! - Adam Grant, Ars Technica, Philadelphia Inquirer, Next Big Idea Club, BookPage

"If you're terrified that artificial intelligence is going to take over the world, you clearly haven't asked a computer to write pick-up lines, name pets, or do anything else social or creative. Janelle Shane has, and she's the perfect tour guide to explain what machine learning can and can't do—and why it's already affecting your life. I can't think of a better way to learn about artificial intelligence, and I've never had so much fun along the way."—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals

"While everyone else is making questionable predictions about the future of AI, Janelle Shane cuts through the fog by telling you how AI actually works. And even better: she makes it fun!"—Zach Weinersmith, creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal and New York Times bestselling author of Soonish

"An incredibly accessible, informative, and hilarious look at how the AIs deciding things around us operate."—Ryan North, New York Times bestselling author of How to Invent Everything

"What better way to explain AI than through examples of what it can and cannot do? Shane is an expert at this and fills the book with hilarious AI experiments as well as a bunch of complementary, charming cartoons. Her writing style is also so approachable that anybody, not just the engineer-minded or the tech-savvy, can understand the often abstract concepts she details."—Ars Technica

"This accessible guide to AI and machine learning cuts through the techno-hype... You Look Like a Thing and I Love You should be essential reading."—Booklist

"Ideal for those intrigued and/or mildly unnerved by the increasing role A.I. plays in modern life (and our future), this book is accessible enough to educate you while easing anxieties about the coming robot apocalypse. A surprisingly hilarious read, it presents a view of A.I. that is more "Office Space" than "The Terminator."—The Wall Street Journal

"AI, AI, AI, that's all you hear... but what is it, really? Why should we care? And why is it driving so much innovation, remaking our world seemingly day by day? Shane is a computer scientist and a great guide."—Philadelphia Inquirer

"An accessible primer... illustrated with charming cartoons, oddball case studies (self-driving cars in Australia were confused by kangaroos), and wry observations about the often-hilarious failures of artificial intelligence to comprehend human contexts."—Publishers Weekly

"If you're worried about what AI is doing to the world, this book may not exactly reassure you, but it will definitely equip you with greater understanding. Recommended for anyone who wants to better comprehend the strengths and limitations of artificial intelligence, but also for anyone who likes watching computers fail hilariously."—Gretchen McCulloch, New York Times bestselling author of Because Internet

"Janelle Shane has hit the trifecta—the most hilarious, most educational, and overall best explanation of artificial intelligence ever written (and drawn)."—Eric Topol, author of Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again

"A delightful way to learn about the technology that's poised to change our lives."—Annalee Newitz, author of Future of Another Timeline

"If you're interested in knowing more about machine learning and artificial intelligence, or in trying to understand our robot overlords, or if you just love weird and interesting science, you can't miss this book."—David Ha, lead researcher, Google Brain

"A fun, commonsense guide to the technology that's shaping our future."—William Poundstone, author of The Doomsday Calculation

"Irresistibly funny and compelling."—Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools

 ...a deft, informative and often screamingly funny primer on the ways that machine learning can (and often does) go wrong.—Physics World

In a field often bogged down by technical jargon, [Shane]’s book is a funny and accessible primer on AI, and her talk at TED 2019 addresses that the dangers of AI are much stranger than science fiction might have you believe.—Adweek

"Shane's primer treats AI like a large, surprisingly clever, but frequently discombobulated pet. It's an affectionately down-to-earth introduction to the year's most hype-prone field of tech, complete with charming illustrations. —theverge.com

From the Publisher