Okay, to be honest, this was just boring.

If you're new to science/tech and looking for an intro to AI with words defined, then you might enjoy this.

It gives a brief history of AI, it provides a pretty positive take on human/tech integration, and it does a decent job of defining jargon.

I however, could not get into it.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

Meh. That about sums up this book for me. If you want a high level understanding of what this "AI fad" is all about, then pick up this book and read it. You won't be disappointed. If you want anything beyond that, look elsewhere.

This book is buzzy, fast-paced, and written to keep that high level reader entertained. It touches on the big concepts and background of AI in a way that keeps things interesting and engaging, so kudos to the author for that.

My biggest issue with this book is that my impression of what it "should" be did not match what it actually was. Therefore, I was disappointed. I thought I would get a deeper, more technical look at AI, but what I mostly got out of it was a marketing pitch.

Not coming from the field of AI, I was concerned that this book would be over my head. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the material, while wide-ranging, is presented clearly enough that I was able to follow both the history and the opportunities for future developments. The author makes a reasonable case for why augmented intelligence should be preferenced over artificial intelligence. Seeing the ways that too much reliance on computer algorithms already wreak havoc on our daily lives, I can only agree.

What does the author mean by augmented mind? He means artificial intelligence (AI) combined with human intelligence. The author thinks that we should be looking at making human and machine into a hybrid rather than building robots. This an oversimplification of my understanding of an augmented mind. I think there is potential with this idea but still hesitate due to my lack of understanding how it would be controlled by the human then the AI. The author does gives examples of how it could work.

I am fascinated with the idea of an augmented mind. I would like to understand it a little bit better than I do. However, I don’t think that is the author’s fault. His writing is excellent. I will be thinking about this explanation as I go through my daily life.

A light non fiction that discusses all the varieties of artificial intelligence. It details how they benefit humanity showing the fear mongering in so many works of fiction

Quick, interesting read, and lots of stock for examining more and reading more in into the subject of AI's and augmenting.

The author did not list psychology or marketing in his skills, but he obviously knows how to organize his ideas so that his target audience is satisfied with the information he transmits. He explained all the "hard" word when he first use them. And if you're not completely disconnected with the technological or scientific reality, you won't have any problem to understand everything.

He takes us on a journey "back to the future", moving from old ideas about making a superman to what could be our future as transhuman through the current research and the fears they arouse.

But Bates is an optimist. What he presents to us is the human improving the machine in what it does best and the machine helping the human beings in their highest, most creative tasks, each excelling in their own part and doing nothing bad to the other, on the contrary, helping each other.

One thing the author says seems very true to me: one must stop obsessing with research on transforming AI to become an improved, more powerful human brain, but rather try to give a tool so our brain will work better.

I am an author and I know how long authors spend on researching their subject, using literature, but also Internet. Imagine that instead of typing what you're looking for on the keyboard of your computer or rummaging through books in the library, you only had to think about what you are looking for, what you need to know, and the "chip" in your brain would give you access to universal knowledge on these topics! Would not it be wonderful?

But I can't help worrying about hackers plundering our most personal data and putting our lives upside down. What will happen when they can plunder in our brains our innermost thoughts, in our most beautiful or most troubled dreams?

I hope that by then we'll have learned to better protect ourselves.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an eCopy of this very interesting book.

Augmented Mind is a well written and comprehensive book covering past, present and possible futures in Artificial Intelligence.

Written in an approachable style that still contains enough detail for the specialist this book should be on the reading list of anyone interested in computer science, big data or artificial intelligence.

This book takes an interesting and incredibly relavant look at the surge in artificial intelligence and what it could, and should, mean for humans. Many people are concerned about the possibility of artificial intelligence replacing human functionalities, taking jobs or even taking over the species itself. Others are concerned that certain aspects of artificial intelligence will never be as functional as that of humans, such as intuition and emotion. Mr. Bates proposes that instead of competing, if designed correctly, AI could function in concert with humans to create teams that are more functional than either apart. He examines how both the human brain and artifial ones work, the strengths and benefits of each, and fleshes out how they might pair with one another.

** Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review **
Lectura muy interesante e informativa. El lenguaje es claro y conciso. Es claro que el autor conoce de lo que esta hablando, y es exitoso al transmitirlo. Fue muy aclaratorio para mí sobre los temas inteligencia artificial, realidad aumentada, y mas, todos temas muy actuales y pertinentes, mas teniendo en cuenta como avanzan la tecnología y el mundo. Si les interesa la tecnología, es una lectura muy recomendada.

See my review in Splash Magazines Worldwide splashmags.com. Bates' surveys of both brain function and AI development process are lucid and understandable for nontechnical readers. I was disappointed he didn't cover the topic of consciousness, although he does touch on self-awareness, which is not necessarily the same thing.

The Coming Synthesis: Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence

Humans do some things very well, creativity is a particularly human ability. Artificial Intelligence using computer based technology is much more proficient at handling large data sets. The thesis of this book is that combining the two can produce a breakthrough in problem solving and invention. Machine learning, the current focus of AI research, is important, but it isn’t the whole picture. Add in humans and capabilities are enhanced beyond what each type of intelligence can do alone.

The author does an excellent job reviewing the status of AI research. It’s a chapter worth reading. The chapter on the psychology of how humans learn and solve problems is equally well done. These chapters form the basis of the rest of the book with presents a way forward in combing these two forms of intelligence.

The book is very readable. Technical material is presented with illustrations to make the points easily accessible to the lay reader. I enjoyed the ending chapters where Bates presents ideas for hybrid solutions where human and artificial intelligence are combined. I highly recommend this book. It will give you something to think about.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Book Review - AUgmented Mind

This book seems to be a combination of two books, whose purposes don’t blend well. I liked the part of the book about the developments in computer AI. It was interesting and prompted looking into some in more detail. I’m not interested in an inspirational testimonial.The book has good info about AI, combined with (less interesting) RAH-RAH about how great everything will be when all people are in a flow with their work and don’t hate what they do. He also seems to be very interested in developing flying cars without explaining why. The most useful chapters of the book are the descriptions of areas of AI where he describes the human/computer collaboration. This would have worked better as two books.

Like most of us in the modern world, I imagine, I am both intrigued and wary about the concept of artificial intelligence. So, when I found this book at a book review site that I use, I was curious, as the title seemed to suggest something more than straight-up artificial intelligence would be discussed. I am delighted to say that I was right. The book is written by an author who is a pioneer in artificial intelligence, and in this book, he offers a different and potentially heartening future of AI and IA. The book first details his own history with the concept, starting with finding an intriguing article on neural networks when he was a teenager to the sale of his AI firm and beyond. The first part of the book is a collection of his thoughts on why we need to see a broader role for both humans and machines in the future of AI, a future in which he sees as a hybrid of both that could allow for more than we can even envision today. The author decidedly does not want us to be wary of the future, and he thinks that intelligence augmentation is the path to that better future. He details the history of both artificial and human intelligence in a way that is both compelling and fascinating in what it could mean for the future both artificial and human intelligence. As one who is somewhat skeptical by Nature, I found myself drawn to his vision of the future. A cracking good read for anyone who is intrigued (or leery) about the future of AI... or who simply likes to future think.

What is augmented? What is artificial intelligence? The buzz words are made clear. Very in-depth history, application and opportunities described in the book. I would recommend reading if you are looking to get clarification on those terms and to find out what would be their business applications. I am interested in all emerging tech, this this book is of a good value.

This is not a light non-fiction read, but it is thorough and bring together info from a lot of sources. The book covers a variety of types of thinking, knowledge, intelligence, and touches on creativity and types of learning. Also, many types of AI are covered. Recommended for a stimulating and interesting read.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

Those reasonably in-tune with the recent advancements in this field will be aware of the ubiquitous scaremongering about AI and those talking of the downfall of humanity at the hands of power hungry robots, but to give myself a sense of perspective I like to read about topics from a variety of viewpoints. Augmented Mind focuses on the positives we as a species could achieve through the merging of humans and technology.

At only 180 pages, this is a concise but dense read packed with fascinating information by an expert on Artificial Intelligence; it's clear that he knows this area and the possibilities it could bring like the back of his hand. Despite that it is written in a more accessible fashion that one might imagine. I learned an awful lot about the benefits hybrid human-robots could bring forth.

This is an interconnected web of thought-provoking topics. It talks of the history and future of AI. I still have reservations based on my past reading about Augmentation, but there is plenty of information in favour of it, however, I feel such advancements should be handled very carefully indeed. Many thanks to Neocortex Press for an ARC.

This book was a quick interesting read. It gives you an introduction into AI and different platforms where it is being used.

Overall, it was a good book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in AI and technology (programming and machine learning).

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Neocortex Press in exchange for an honest review.