Long before the technology even existed in the real world, the concept of artificial intelligence has long been a topic of fixation for writers. From cautionary tales and science fiction epics to nonfictional explorations of the implications of AI in our modern world, artificial intelligence seems to be an endlessly fascinating subject of books both big and small. As such, there are all kinds of truly exceptional books about artificial intelligence out there for you to read, enjoy, and maybe even learn a thing or two from. As to be expected, these books about artificial intelligence truly run the gamut. Beyond simply falling under both fiction and nonfiction, artificial intelligence books cover topics ranging from the future to the past, from work to society, from computing to critiques… and all sorts of other topics along the way.

Back in 1994, Tony was learning to play chess under the tutelage of long-time Costa Rican National Champion Bernal Gonzalez. While the chess training didn't stick, he very clearly remembers a conversation where the teacher explained that the world's best chess playing computer wasn't quite strong enough to be among the top 100 players in the world. Technology can advance exponentially, and just 3 years later in 1997, World Champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by IBM's chess playing supercomputer Deep Blue. But chess is a game of logic where all potential moves are sharply defined and a powerful enough computer can simulate many moves ahead. Things got much more interesting in 2011, when IBM's Jeopardy playing computer Watson defeated Ken Jennings who held the record of winning 74 Jeopardy matches in a row.

Welcome to Weird Things, a new regular column taking an oblique look at strange ideas from the worlds of SF, fantasy and beyond, that might – just might – be worth thinking about. Daniel H Wilson's novel, Robopocalypse, comes pre-packaged with two Unique Selling Points. First, that the author holds a Phd in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, and is hence more than just another oddball SF writer with an overactive imagination. And that, having been bought by Steven Spielberg for production "even before it was finished", the novel is already a success, and nothing breeds success like success. If the point of a book's title is to let the reader (or potential Hollywood producer) know exactly what is inside the tin, then Robopocalypse succeeds admirably. No doubt the sequels Zombiegeddon and Alienvasion have already been commissioned (from other suitably qualified experts).

Much virtual ink gets spilled each week enumerating the many horrors that could be ours in world filled with artificial intelligence, but top researchers in the field are already thinking ahead and making plans to ensure none of that happens. In particular, the importance of making A.I. "human-aware" has come to be viewed as a top imperative for the field, earning it special status as an official theme of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence taking place this week in New York. "It's crucial that we design smart systems to work well with people," said Harvard professor Barbara Grosz during a panel discussion at the conference on Tuesday. A.I. should be a complement for human intelligence, not a replacement, Grosz said. As such, an ability to understand with whom it's interacting and respond accordingly -- such as by explaining the decisions it makes -- is essential.

Much virtual ink gets spilled each week enumerating the many horrors that could be ours in an AI-filled world, but top researchers in the field are already thinking ahead and making plans to ensure none of that happens. In particular, the importance of making artificial intelligence "human-aware" has come to be viewed as a top imperative for the field, earning it special status as an official theme of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence taking place this week in New York. "It's crucial that we design smart systems to work well with people," said Harvard professor Barbara Grosz during a panel discussion at the conference on Tuesday. AI should be a complement for human intelligence, not a replacement, Grosz said. As such, an ability to understand who it's interacting with and respond accordingly -- such as by explaining the decisions it makes -- is essential.

Much virtual ink gets spilled each week enumerating the many horrors that could be ours in an AI-filled world, but top researchers in the field are already thinking ahead and making plans to ensure none of that happens. In particular, the importance of making artificial intelligence "human-aware" has come to be viewed as a top imperative for the field, earning it special status as an official theme of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence taking place this week in New York. "It's crucial that we design smart systems to work well with people," said Harvard professor Barbara Grosz during a panel discussion at the conference on Tuesday. Nominate your analytics project today! AI should be a complement for human intelligence, not a replacement, Grosz said.

Back in 1994, Tony was learning to play chess under the tutelage of long-time Costa Rican National Champion Bernal Gonzalez. While the chess training didn't stick, he very clearly remembers a conversation where the teacher explained that the world's best chess playing computer wasn't quite strong enough to be among the top 100 players in the world. Technology can advance exponentially, and just 3 years later in 1997, World Champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by IBM's chess playing supercomputer Deep Blue. But chess is a game of logic where all potential moves are sharply defined and a powerful enough computer can simulate many moves ahead. Things got much more interesting in 2011, when IBM's Jeopardy playing computer Watson defeated Ken Jennings who held the record of winning 74 Jeopardy matches in a row.

Back in 1994, Tony was learning to play chess under the tutelage of long-time Costa Rican National Champion Bernal Gonzalez. While the chess training didn't stick, he very clearly remembers a conversation where the teacher explained that the world's best chess playing computer wasn't quite strong enough to be among the top 100 players in the world. Technology can advance exponentially, and just 3 years later in 1997, World Champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by IBM's chess playing supercomputer Deep Blue. But chess is a game of logic where all potential moves are sharply defined and a powerful enough computer can simulate many moves ahead. Things got much more interesting in 2011, when IBM's Jeopardy playing computer Watson defeated Ken Jennings who held the record of winning 74 Jeopardy matches in a row.