Book suggestions for getting into AI development?

AI Thread Summary
A freshman in college interested in AI development seeks recommendations for books suitable for both beginners and advanced developers. The discussion highlights the diverse applications of AI, emphasizing that different types of AI, such as gaming AI, self-driving car AI, and chess AI, serve distinct purposes and have varying complexity levels. For those new to AI, foundational knowledge in mathematics, algorithms, and programming is essential. Resources like Wikipedia are suggested for historical context. The conversation also touches on the importance of understanding human cognition to advance AI technology, with examples like Honda's ASIMO robot illustrating current capabilities in assisting humans. Overall, a strong emphasis is placed on the breadth of AI and the necessity for specialization in specific areas.
BruceW~
Messages
16
Reaction score
2
Hi I'm a freshman in college that is interested in AI, and I wanted to do some independent studies on this subject.
Is there some good books I can read to get into AI development, and could you also suggest books for advance developers?

Thank you
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
I was once thinking along a similar line; I am well able to program in a number of computer languages. including PROLOG.
I decided to do a project that would try to intelligently interact with a human using simple text messages.
I used English language for the messages because it is commonplace and also my native language.
Eventually I gave up, the best result was something that could read a simple story and then reply to questions about the story

>> '? What do you think about the wolf'
<< 'The wolf is bad the wolf'

Maybe you will fare better
 
Last edited:
BruceW~ said:
Hi I'm a freshman in college that is interested in AI, and I wanted to do some independent studies on this subject.
Is there some good books I can read to get into AI development, and could you also suggest books for advance developers?

Thank you
What type of AI?

Gaming AI is a different sort than that used for making a self driving car, or the chess champion.
For a game, one wants the AI to be smart, but not too smart - who wants to be beaten all the time, so one has to compromise on algorithms or the visuals or the number of points awarded for a task, etc for the game to be fun(ish).

Self driving cars, or other machines with apparent intelligence, while not perfect, will have to live up to human expectations, usually less forgiving for machines than for other humans. The AI had better be as perfect as more than humanly possible.

Chess champion - One wants the machine to be unbeatable, and testable against the human mind.

Just putting that out there for contemplation on how wide the field actually is.
 
  • Like
Likes BruceW~
BruceW~ said:
Hi I'm a freshman in college that is interested in AI, and I wanted to do some independent studies on this subject.
Is there some good books I can read to get into AI development, and could you also suggest books for advance developers?

The first step is understanding what AI is all about and some historical perspective, so I recommend Wikipedia page about AI if you have not already done so.

There is a lot of things that are real prerequisites for this field, that span a very wide and deep spectrum. I'd recommend starting to boost your math and getting acquainted with some algorithmic stuff along with some programming, in order to implement things . Following the path of theoretical CS in your studies and being armed with enough patience will give you a decent entry point to the field and then you will have to specialize in some specific things.
 
  • Like
Likes BruceW~
rootone said:
I was once thinking along a similar line; I am well able to program in a number of computer languages. including PROLOG.
I decided to do a project that would try to intelligently interact with a human using simple text messages.
I used English language for the messages because it is commonplace and also my native language.
Eventually I gave up, the best result was something that could read a simple story and then reply to questions about the story

>> '? What do you think about the wolf'
<< 'The wolf is bad the wolf'

Maybe you will fare better
Thanks for the suggestion.
 
256bits said:
What type of AI?

Gaming AI is a different sort than that used for making a self driving car, or the chess champion.
For a game, one wants the AI to be smart, but not too smart - who wants to be beaten all the time, so one has to compromise on algorithms or the visuals or the number of points awarded for a task, etc for the game to be fun(ish).

Self driving cars, or other machines with apparent intelligence, while not perfect, will have to live up to human expectations, usually less forgiving for machines than for other humans. The AI had better be as perfect as more than humanly possible.

Chess champion - One wants the machine to be unbeatable, and testable against the human mind.

Just putting that out there for contemplation on how wide the field actually is.
I think I'm more interested in the second type of AI where the machine can help human perform daily activities.
 
  • Like
Likes Aufbauwerk 2045
QuantumQuest said:
The first step is understanding what AI is all about and some historical perspective, so I recommend Wikipedia page about AI if you have not already done so.

There is a lot of things that are real prerequisites for this field, that span a very wide and deep spectrum. I'd recommend starting to boost your math and getting acquainted with some algorithmic stuff along with some programming, in order to implement things . Following the path of theoretical CS in your studies and being armed with enough patience will give you a decent entry point to the field and then you will have to specialize in some specific things.
Will do thank you for the suggestion.
 
Since you are interested in machines which help humans perform daily activities, it may be useful to learn what you can about some of the existing robots which do just that. Much of this work is going on in Japan. Honda's ASIMO robot is a good example.

http://asimo.honda.com

Of course we do not have an android like Commander Data from Star Trek NG. What are the capabilities of Commander Data which ASIMO lacks? It may be useful to approach AI from that viewpoint.

I think the main problem in AI is understanding how our own brain works. It's frustrating we still have so much to learn about ourselves. How can we build Commander Data if we can't even build an intelligent dog or cat? To do so demands more knowledge than we have.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Likes BruceW~

Similar threads

Back
Top