These Strange New Minds: How AI Learned To Talk and What It Means

Neuroscientist and AI researcher Summerfield (cognitive neuroscience, Oxford Univ.; Natural General Intelligence: How Understanding the Brain Can Help Us Build AI), in his first book for a general audience, offers a compelling and insightful exploration of large language models (LLMs) and their profound world impact. This work is both a great introduction to artificial intelligence and a thought-provoking analysis of its capabilities and limitations. Summerfield takes readers through the surprising history of AI, revealing how chatbots such as ChatGPT and Bard have evolved to become human-like in their responses. Key questions and concerns addressed: can AI truly “think” or “understand?” Whose biases do these systems reflect? Can they deceive humanity, and how would we know if they are? Does AI pose a genuine threat to humanity? Summerfield balances technical insight and philosophical reflection and summarizes AI concepts without oversimplifying them, making this book appealing to tech enthusiasts, professionals, and any readers curious about the rapidly advancing field.