by Anil Ananthaswamy (Author) 

A rich, narrative explanation of the mathematics that has brought us machine learning and the ongoing explosion of artificial intelligence

Machine learning systems are making life-altering decisions for us: approving mortgage loans, determining whether a tumour is cancerous, or deciding whether someone gets bail. They now influence developments and discoveries in chemistry, biology, and physics—the study of genomes, extra-solar planets, even the intricacies of quantum systems. And all this before large language models such as ChatGPT came on the scene.

We are living through a revolution in machine learning-powered AI that shows no signs of slowing down. This technology is based on relatively simple mathematical ideas, some of which go back centuries, including linear algebra and calculus, the stuff of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century mathematics. It took the birth and advancement of computer science and the kindling of 1990s computer chips designed for video games to ignite the explosion of AI that we see today. In this enlightening book, Anil Ananthaswamy explains the fundamental math behind machine learning, while suggesting intriguing links between artifical and natural intelligence. Might the same math underpin them both?

As Ananthaswamy resonantly concludes, to make safe and effective use of artificial intelligence, we need to understand its profound capabilities and limitations, the clues to which lie in the math that makes machine learning possible.

Review

A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Title for July

“Why Machines Learn, by the award-winning science writer Anil Ananthaswamy, takes the reader on an entertaining journey into the mind of a machine… [The book] demystifies the underlying mechanisms behind machine learning, which may possibly lead to a better understanding of the learning process itself and the development of improved AI.”—Physics World

“A skillful primer makes sense of the mathematics beneath AI's hood.”—New Scientist

“Some books about the development of neural networks describe the underlying mathematics while others describe the social history. This book presents the mathematics in the context of the social history. It is a masterpiece. The author is very good at explaining the mathematics in a way that makes it available to people with only a rudimentary knowledge of the field, but he is also a very good writer who brings the social history to life.”—Geoffrey Hinton, deep learning pioneer, Turing Award winner, former VP at Google, and Professor Emeritus at University of Toronto

“After just a few minutes of reading Why Machines Learn, you’ll feel your own synaptic weights getting updated. By the end you will have achieved your own version of deep learning—with deep pleasure and insight along the way.”—Steven Strogatz, New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Powers and professor of mathematics at Cornell University

“If you were looking for a way to make sense of the AI revolution that is well underway, look no further. With this comprehensive yet engaging book, Anil Ananthaswamy puts it all into context, from the origin of the idea and its governing equations to its potential to transform medicine, quantum physics—and virtually every aspect of our life. An essential read for understanding both the possibilities and limitations of artificial intelligence.”—Sabine Hossenfelder, physicist and New York Times bestselling author of Existential Physics: A Scientist's Guide to Life's Biggest Questions

Categories : Pattern Recognition, Discrete Mathematics

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CF1223R8

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dutton (July 16, 2024)

Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 16, 2024

Language ‏ : ‎ English

File‏ : ‎ EPUB, 43.64 MB

Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported

Print length ‏ : ‎ 476 pages