Mythbusting guide to artificial intelligence published

5 March 2020

Prof. Mike Wooldridge’s latest book tells a new authoritative story of AI, from Turing to today.

Published today by Pelican Books, The Road to Conscious Machines: The Story of AI is Prof. Wooldridge’s second book in a Penguin popular series. After seven technical books on AI, his first mainstream introductory work, Artificial Intelligence, was published as part of the illustrated Ladybird Expert series in 2018 and proved a huge success with readers.

Hertford Fellow and Head of Oxford’s Department of Computer Science, Mike is an expert on artificial intelligence and machine learning. In this lively and clear guide, he reframes the AI narrative, taking on exaggerated fears of dystopian robot takeovers. Such anxieties, he argues, distract us from the more immediate risks that this transformative technology poses – from algorithmic bias to fake news. Explaining what AI is (and isn’t) and tracking its booms and busts, he shows us how misplaced fears overlook the true life-changing potential of artificial intelligence and conscious machines.

Professor Sir Adrian Smith, Director & Chief Executive of the Alan Turing Institute, described this new work as “a terrific book” and “essential reading for everyone seeking to make sense of artificial intelligence.” Find out more and buy the book on Mike’s website.