pillarigeorge

When you hear the term Artificial Intelligence, or AI you likely think about companies like OpenAI (the makers of ChatGPT) and Anthropic (the makers of Claude), or maybe Microsoft and it’s Copilot AI (which is based on ChatGPT). These companies products are mostly a type of AI called Large Language Models or LLMs. LLMs are trained on large amounts of text data, and they rely on predictive models to operate. Basically, they take in queries from users (which is simply more text) and, using show more their predictive models, they determine relevant words or phrases to string together to provide a response.

No Adult Left Behind starts out as a guide for folks who have yet to really dig in and experiment with these LLMs. The author shares his own experience and offers his tips and guidance so that the reader can learn how to get the most use out of these tools. This guidance is useful and easy to follow. It encourages you not to take the first response an LLM offers as sufficient, but to “engage in a conversation” - that is, continue to query so that you get a better, fuller response. He even suggests turning to more than one LLM with the same query to see what it will respond with, as two different AIs are likely trained on different sets of data, or might have predictive models that guide responses in different ways.

Later in the book Pillari turns his attention to other kinds of artificial intelligence, digging most deeply into advanced control systems. These systems include autopilots on airplanes, which respond to inputs from instruments onboard, and from the pilot, to take over the flying of large commercial jets. They also include driver assistance systems being offered on more and more cars, which can take control of your car, with observation and guidance from you the driver.

There are plenty of other examples of this type of system, including those which can control drones (unmanned vehicles) - in the air, at sea, and on the ground, and which are being relied on more in warfare, particularly by the Ukrainians in their struggle with Russia. Some Ukrainian drones are now rumored to be carrying AI modules onboard so that they can operate autonomously and not have communications with human pilots “jammed” by the Russians.

This part of the book is more of an exercise in helping the reader to understand what artificial intelligence is, how different AI systems interact with people, and what their strengths and limitations are. He also tackles the question of what happens to people when their reliance on these AI systems becomes too great.

If you’ve never used an AI tool but are curious to learn how, this book can be an excellent resource to help you get started, and I can and do recommend it for that.

NOTE: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am making this review voluntarily. show less