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  • Human Compatible

  • AI and the Problem of Control
  • By: Stuart Russell
  • Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
  • Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (170 ratings)
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Human Compatible cover art

Human Compatible

By: Stuart Russell
Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
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Summary

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

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)

What listeners say about Human Compatible

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best Artificial Intelligence reference book

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.

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3 people found this helpful

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AI in plain English

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.

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Enjoyable, entertaining

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

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Great book on the problem of control in iga

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!

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Nice to listen

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

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Solid work but the deep insights are few and far between

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

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Comprehensive and entertaining

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.

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Disaster.

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.

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good breadth

focused an the myriad of factors /variables involved, exposing how complex the area is , good listen if the expectation is only to grasp a better understanding of the challenges involved.

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