Best Artificial Intelligence Books to Read in 2024

If you are interested in an artificial intelligence book, you might be overwhelmed by the amount of information and misinformation out there. Artificial intelligence books are one of those topics that seem to pop up everywhere, overshadowing everything else — like the sun rising over the desert — and attracting a lot of hype and panic.

You might hear that artificial intelligence will revolutionize every industry, or that it will destroy the world, or both, and you might feel the pressure to decide which side you are on.

But what if you want to learn more about artificial intelligence, beyond the sensational headlines and the technical jargon? What if you want to explore the history, the challenges, the opportunities, and the implications of artificial intelligence, without getting lost in the details or the drama?

Fortunately, some excellent books can help you do that. These books are not the typical ones that you see on the bestseller lists, with catchy titles like “How to Survive the AI Apocalypse” or “How to Make a Fortune with AI”. These books are written by experts, researchers, and thinkers who have a deep and nuanced understanding of artificial intelligence, and who can communicate it in an engaging and accessible way.

Artificial Intelligence Books will not scare you or sell you anything; they will inform you and inspire you. They will show you that artificial intelligence is not a monolithic force, but a diverse and dynamic field, with many perspectives, possibilities, and problems. They will also show you that artificial intelligence is not just about machines, but about humans, and how we interact with, shape, and are shaped by technology.

Here are five of the best artificial intelligence books that you should read in 2024 if you want to broaden your knowledge and challenge your assumptions.

The Alignment Problem, by Brian Christian (2020)

This Artificial Intelligence book you should read if you want to understand the core challenge of artificial intelligence: how to make machines behave in ways that are consistent with human values. This challenge, known as the alignment problem, has been around since the dawn of technology, but it becomes more urgent and complex as artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and pervasive.

As Brian Christian, a writer and computer scientist, explains, the alignment problem is not about preventing machines from taking over the world, but about ensuring that machines do what we want them to do, and not what we tell them to do. This is harder than it sounds, because human values are often vague, inconsistent, and context-dependent, and machines are often literal, rigid, and oblivious.

Christian illustrates this problem with many examples, from self-driving cars to facial recognition, and explores the possible solutions, from ethical frameworks to human oversight. He also introduces the fascinating people who are working on the alignment problem, from computer scientists to philosophers, and shows how their insights and innovations can help us create more beneficial and trustworthy artificial intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence Book, by Melanie Mitchell (2019)

This Artificial Intelligence book you should read if you want to understand the basics of artificial intelligence: what it is, how it works, where it came from, and where it is going. Melanie Mitchell, a professor and researcher in computer science and complex systems, provides a comprehensive and clear introduction to the field, covering its history, methods, applications, and challenges.

She explains the key concepts and techniques of artificial intelligence, such as neural networks, natural language processing, computer vision, and machine learning, using simple examples and analogies. She also traces the evolution of artificial intelligence, from its origins in the 1950s to its current state of turmoil and uncertainty.

She acknowledges the achievements and the limitations of artificial intelligence, and the controversies and the paradoxes that surround it. She also addresses the common questions and misconceptions that people have about artificial intelligence, such as whether it can be creative, conscious, or ethical, and whether it will surpass, replace, or harm humans.

The Algorithm, by Hilke Schellmann (2024)

This Artificial Intelligence book you should read if you want to understand the impact of artificial intelligence on the world of work: how it is changing the way we hire, evaluate, monitor, and retain employees. Hilke Schellmann, an investigative journalist and journalism professor, takes you on a journey into the hidden and often disturbing reality of how artificial intelligence is used by human resource departments.

She reveals how artificial intelligence can offer advantages, such as increasing efficiency and reducing bias, but also how it can pose risks, such as creating discrimination, invasion of privacy, and loss of agency. She exposes how some of the tools and algorithms that are used to make employment decisions are flawed, biased, or fraudulent, and how they can cause harm and injustice to workers.

She also explores the ethical and legal implications of using artificial intelligence books in the workplace and the possible ways to regulate and improve it.

Progressive Capitalism, by Ro Khanna (2022)

This Artificial Intelligence book that you should read if you want to understand the political and economic implications of artificial intelligence: how it is creating opportunities and challenges for society, and how we can respond to them. Ro Khanna, a Democratic congressman from California, offers a vision of how we can harness the potential of artificial intelligence for the common good while avoiding the pitfalls of inequality, exploitation, and polarization.

He argues that we need a new model of progressive capitalism, that balances innovation and inclusion, growth and justice, and markets and democracy. He proposes a set of policies and initiatives, such as creating technology hubs in the Midwest and South, investing in research and education, preventing data discrimination, and ensuring fair taxation and regulation.

He also advocates for a more active and responsible role of the government, the private sector, and civil society, in shaping and governing the development and use of artificial intelligence.

AI 2041, by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan (2021)

This Artificial Intelligence book that you should read if you want to imagine the future of artificial intelligence: how it will transform various aspects of our lives, culture, and society in the next 20 years. Kai-Fu Lee, a prominent venture capitalist and former president of Google China, and Chen Qiufan, a renowned science fiction writer, collaborate to create a unique and captivating blend of fiction and nonfiction.

Each chapter consists of a short story by Chen, set in a different country and scenario, followed by an analysis by Lee, explaining the scientific and technological basis of the story. The stories are realistic and diverse, ranging from deep fakes in Nigeria to A.I. tutors in Korea, to autonomous vehicles in Sri Lanka.

The analyses are informative and insightful, covering various topics and trends, such as computer vision, natural language processing, bitcoin security, and more. Artificial Intelligence book is a creative and stimulating way of exploring the possibilities and the consequences of artificial intelligence while acknowledging the uncertainty and the unpredictability of the future.

These five books are not the only ones that you can read about artificial intelligence, but they are among the best ones that you can find. They will not give you definitive or absolute answers, but they will give you valuable and varied perspectives. They will not tell you what to think, but they will make you think.

They will not make you fear or worship artificial intelligence, but they will make you appreciate and understand it. They will show you that artificial intelligence is not a simple or a single thing, but a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, that reflects and affects our humanity in profound and surprising ways.