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Human Compatible

AI and the Problem of Control

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Human Compatible

By: Stuart Russell
Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Human Compatible by Stuart Russell.

Creating superior intelligence would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, according to the world's pre-eminent AI expert, it could also be the last. In this groundbreaking book on the biggest question facing humanity, Stuart Russell explains why he has come to consider his own discipline an existential threat to his own species, and lays out how we can change course before it's too late. There is no one better placed to assess the promise and perils of the dominant technology of the future than Russell, who has spent decades at the forefront of AI research.

Through brilliant analogies and crisp, lucid prose, he explains how AI actually works, how it has an enormous capacity to improve our lives - but why we must ensure that we never lose control of machines more powerful than we are. Here Russell shows how we can avert the worst threats by reshaping the foundations of AI to guarantee that machines pursue our objectives, not theirs.

Profound, urgent and visionary, Human Compatible is the one book everyone needs to listen to understand a future that is coming sooner than we think.

©2019 Stuart Russell (P)2019 Penguin Audio Computer Science Future Studies History & Culture Machine Theory & Artificial Intelligence Social Sciences Technology & Society Artificial Intelligence Robotics Data Science Machine Learning

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Critic reviews

Surely the most important book on AI this year. (Ian Sample)
A brilliantly clear and fascinating exposition of the history of computing thus far, and how very difficult true AI will be to build. (Steven Poole)
Fascinating and significant. (James McConnachie)
All stars
Most relevant  
AI explained in plain English by British computer scientist, Professor Stuart Jonathan Russell OBE. An excellent, sometimes amusing read for anyone interested in the subject.

AI in plain English

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This book takes the reader through a detailed but overall analysis of the AI development, the fears that many people have towards the AI and the potential benefits. The reader will be much more knowledgeable about the core sets of arguments in the AI discourse today.

This is a far-reaching book, a reference book potentially for hundreds of years to come, allowing the listener the space to think, disgusting some of challenges both technical and philosophical and provides a bedrock of research on which the book is based.

Whether your interest is in becoming an AI specialist or you simply wish to understand a little bit more about this very controversial topic of the day you rest assured that this book will bring you and the historical development and perspectives on various generations prior 2021 and the forthcoming arrived illusions that is anticipated by everyone.

if you are a parent, a teacher of philosophy or citizenship or anywhere in that spectrum, a computer scientist or a beginner in the ar world, then this book is for you.

As a parent you should be able to expose your child to these ideas in small doses of course.

As a teacher you should be including in your program the ideas discussed in this book of course ensuring the right level of detail for the right audience but none the less the topics discussed in this book essential for most people to be aware of.

best Artificial Intelligence reference book

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Great book - good balance of accessible and informative. Narrator tone and intonation often unsuitable and distracting though. Incorrect/misleading word emphasis sometimes makes sentences difficult to follow/understand, or changes their meaning entirely. You get used to it. And one or two amusing passages

Enjoyable, entertaining

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I just finished Berkeley's Stuart Russell's excellent book "Human Compatible: AI and the Problem of Control". It's a great analysis on how to secure something we're builing, which a) we don't really understand how works, b) can by its very nature further improve on itself. I highly recommend for everyone with an interest in ai and technology's role in society to read this!

Great book on the problem of control in iga

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Russell is Prof of Computer Science & CHAI at Berkeley so he knows what he’s talking about! He critiques traditional AI paradigms & presents a compelling case for reshaping how AI systems are designed. He identifies a critical flaw in current AI development: that the systems are built to optimise predefined objectives which often fail y capture the complexity & nuances of human values. He argues for a shift toward provably beneficial AI that operates under the principle of uncertainty about human preferences so that its actions will always remain aligned with our intentions (basically to avoid the paperclip maximiser thought experiment).
He does not offer that many actionable solutions in this book but if we are not ready to hear them that would be premature…that will be the follow up book I hope.

Russell makes the complex AI concepts understandable

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A compelling exploration of why AI designers are deeply concerned about the future of artificial intelligence. I picked up the book to understand these fears, and it more than delivered—clarifying not just the existential risks but also the growing use of AI to displace jobs, tighten control, and power flawed defense systems. Stuart Russell’s argument for rethinking AI’s objectives is persuasive, and the narration was first class.

A Clear and Eye-Opening Look at AI’s Risks and Future

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Engaging, easy to follow, and very well read. This audiobook gives a good overview of AI and the challenges ahead considering human uncertainty

Nice to listen

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Excellent introduction to the topic. Flawless narration. I recommend “The Alignment Problem” for further reading.

Solid work but the deep insights are few and far between

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The book contains both technological explanations and philosophical arguments about AI. I wouldn’t say all of them are easy to understand, but it’s definitely worth reading to gain an overall view of the current state of AI and its future potential.

Comprehensive and entertaining

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When a book starts from: when I was a child my parents... Seriously?! We are not interested in your childhood as you can write your autobiography. This book should be about AI. Author is talking how frequently he flies, attends fancy-schmantzy conferences... This is a really bad book.

Disaster.

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