Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication. It shouldn't be surprising that my list of my favorite books of 2024 includes a number of works by older writers working out what it means to make art as a career--what their creative future might look like.

There is a lingering misconception about video games that they exist entirely in their own sealed subculture, utterly untranslatable to books or movies. But this has never been the case: in the 80s and 90s, games (and by extension, virtual worlds) became a major theme of cyberpunk fiction, from the jacked-in hacker dystopia of William Gibson's Neuromancer to the narcotic alternative reality of Jeff Noon's Vurt. Video game history and culture have also been widely explored in book form, whether that was the How to Beat Pac-Man manuals of the 1980s or current investigations of the game development process by journalists such as Jason Schreier and Tom Bissell. Avid gamers and utter newcomers alike will learn much about video games and our modern digital world from these five books. An experienced New York Times and Rolling Stone journalist, Kushner brought keen reporting skills and cultural nous to this examination of seminal 1993 shooter Doom and the young men who made it.

With El Niño slated to drop a warm, wet winter on most of the US in the coming months, everybody's going to need something good to read while the weather outside is frightful. Engadget's well-read staff have some suggestions: our favorite books of 2023! We've got a phenomenal assortment of genres and titles for you this year, from horror and true crime to rom-coms and fantasy adventures, here to provide months of entertainment for even the most voracious reader. I love horror movies but horror novels are kind of hit and miss for me. I was immediately pulled into Final Girl Support Group, though, which does a lot of winking and nodding at classic slasher flicks while creating a completely unique story. Grady Hendrix's novel doesn't satirize the final girl, but imagines what life might be like for them after the end of their movie. Each of the main characters is (loosely) based on the final girl of a classic slasher, though their storylines don't feel contrived or predictable. It reads like a fast-paced thriller but, like so many of the best horror movies, it's also a poignant reflection on trauma.

It's hard to find something pithy to say about 2023, a year of dissonant extremes, when wildfires devoured Canadian forests, Twitter withered into X, the Titan submersible imploded into infamy, Silicon Valley's power players rejoiced over the rise of generative AI, scientists cheered Crispr treatment breakthroughs, peace activists became terrorist-attack victims, and the world despaired over the thousands of children killed in Gaza. It is, frequently, a painful one. Appropriate, then, that this was a year for unwieldy, searching, big-swing books. Doorstoppers and sagas rose to the moment, providing insight into an increasingly inscrutable world even when they couldn't provide comfort. As always, this is an idiosyncratic, incomplete, and subjective list, the result of one person's avid but disorganized reading schedule.

As businesses are increasingly transitioning to a remote setup, learning how to adjust and thrive in these settings is integral for success. The books mentioned in this article give real-life advice on how to thrive as an employer/employee in this never-before-seen virtual workspace revolution and maintain a healthy personal life. Readers can gain numerous insights from these recommended reads and truly make the best out of their virtual workspace journey. These recommended readings teach how to be more productive and solve dysfunctional traits (miscommunication, reduced engagement, mishandling of disputes) towards a more competent and self-sufficient team. Deep Work is a type of book that doesn't just give reasons as to why concentration is important but creates a detailed plan for its readers to actively participate in deep concentration to become the best version of themselves.

Philip Jackson has a PhD in artificial intelligence along with extensive experience in software development and design through the founding of TalaMind LLC, where he continues his research toward human-level artificial intelligence. In Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Jackson introduces the science of reasoning processes in computers and past research approaches. This third edition includes the original exploration of fascinating questions like "Can computers think?" and "Can computers use reason to develop their own concepts, solve complex problems, play games, understand our language?" With the combination of introductory and advanced material, this book is ideal for both beginners looking to better understand AI as well as computer science experts wanting an easy-to-understand glimpse into the history of artificial intelligence.

I've read a couple of your books now, and what I want to know is this: Do you really think that artificial intelligence is a threat to the human race and could lead to our extinction? Yes, I do, but it also has the potential for enormous benefit. I do think it's probably going to be either very, very good for us or very, very bad. It's a bit like a strange attractor in chaos theory, the outcomes in the middle seem less likely. I'm reasonably hopeful because what will determine whether it's very good or very bad is largely us. We have time, certainly before artificial general intelligence (AGI) arrives. AGI is an artificial intelligence (AI) that has human-level cognitive ability, so can outperform us--or at least equal us--in every area of cognitive ability that we have. It also has volition and may be conscious, although that's not necessary. We have time before that arrives: We have time to make sure it's safe. At the same time as having scary potential, AI also brings the possibility of immortality and living forever by uploading your brain. Is that something you think will happen at some point? I certainly hope it will. Things like immortality, the complete end of poverty, the abolition of suffering, are all part of the very, very good outcome, if we get it right. If you have a superintelligence that is many, many times smarter than the smartest human, it could solve many of our problems. Problems like ageing and how to upload a mind into a computer, do seem, in principle, solvable. So yes, I do think they are realistic.

Finding it challenging to learn artificial intelligence? If yes, then check out these 5 best books on artificial intelligence for beginners. With all the hype around artificial intelligence – robots, autonomous cars, etc — it can be easy to assume that AI is not having an impact on our daily lives. In fact, most of us encounter artificial intelligence in some form or another almost every day. As soon as you wake up to check your smartphone and watch another movie recommended by Netflix, AI has quickly slipped into our daily lives. Some of its applications include process automation, predictive analysis, fraud detection, customer experience enhancement, and more. You can enhance your knowledge by starting reading the Best Books on Artificial Intelligence to get to know the concepts of AI. A lot of learners are interested in learning the concepts of AI.I will discuss the best books on artificial intelligence, so stay tuned to this blog. What Does Artificial Intelligence Mean? Artificial Intelligence is one of the most trending buzzwords in today’

Finding it challenging to learn artificial intelligence? With all the hype around artificial intelligence – robots, autonomous cars, etc -- it can be easy to assume that AI is not having an impact on our daily lives. In fact, most of us encounter artificial intelligence in some form or another almost every day. As soon as you wake up to check your smartphone and watch another movie recommended by Netflix, AI has quickly slipped into our daily lives. Some of its applications include process automation, predictive analysis, fraud detection, customer experience enhancement, and more.

Machine learning has bestowed humanity the power to run tasks in an automated manner. It allows improving things that we already do by studying a continuous stream of data related to that same task. Machine learning has a wide array of applications that belongs to different fields, such as healthcare, finance and manufacturing, and others. Machine learning also forms the basis of artificial intelligence. It is the branch of AI that powers chatbots, customizes the shows that Netflix recommends for you, and determines your TikTok feed.