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You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place Hardcover – November 5, 2019

by Janelle Shane (Author)

1,018 ratings

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As heard on NPR's "Science Friday," discover the book recommended by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, and Adam Grant: an "affectionately down-to-earth to the year's most hype-prone field of tech" (theverge.com).

"You look like a thing and I love you" is one of the best pickup lines ever . . . according to an artificial intelligence trained by scientist Janelle Shane, creator of the popular blog AI Weirdness. She creates silly AIs that learn how to name paint colors, create the best recipes, and even flirt (badly) with humans—all to understand the technology that governs so much of our daily lives.

We rely on AI every day for recommendations, for translations, and to put cat ears on our selfie videos. We also trust AI with matters of life and death, on the road and in our hospitals. But how smart is AI really... and how does it solve problems, understand humans, and even drive self-driving cars?

Shane delivers the answers to every AI question you've ever asked, and some you definitely haven't. Like, how can a computer design the perfect sandwich? What does robot-generated Harry Potter fan-fiction look like? And is the world's best Halloween costume really "Vampire Hog Bride"?

In this smart, often hilarious introduction to the most interesting science of our time, Shane shows how these programs learn, fail, and adapt—and how they reflect the best and worst of humanity.

You Look Like a Thing and I Love You is the perfect book for anyone curious about what the robots in our lives are thinking.

"I can't think of a better way to learn about artificial intelligence, and I've never had so much fun along the way." —Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals

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Editorial Reviews

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One of the most anticipated books of the fall! - Adam Grant, Ars Technica, Philadelphia Inquirer, Next Big Idea Club, BookPage

"If you're terrified that artificial intelligence is going to take over the world, you clearly haven't asked a computer to write pick-up lines, name pets, or do anything else social or creative. Janelle Shane has, and she's the perfect tour guide to explain what machine learning can and can't do--and why it's already affecting your life. I can't think of a better way to learn about artificial intelligence, and I've never had so much fun along the way."―Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals

"While everyone else is making questionable predictions about the future of AI, Janelle Shane cuts through the fog by telling you how AI actually works. And even better: she makes it fun!"―Zach Weinersmith, creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal and New York Times bestselling author of Soonish

"An incredibly accessible, informative, and hilarious look at how the AIs deciding things around us operate."―Ryan North, New York Times bestselling author of How to Invent Everything

"What better way to explain AI than through examples of what it can and cannot do? Shane is an expert at this and fills the book with hilarious AI experiments as well as a bunch of complementary, charming cartoons. Her writing style is also so approachable that anybody, not just the engineer-minded or the tech-savvy, can understand the often abstract concepts she details."―Ars Technica

"This accessible guide to AI and machine learning cuts through the techno-hype... You Look Like a Thing and I Love You should be essential reading."―Booklist

"Ideal for those intrigued and/or mildly unnerved by the increasing role A.I. plays in modern life (and our future), this book is accessible enough to educate you while easing anxieties about the coming robot apocalypse. A surprisingly hilarious read, it presents a view of A.I. that is more "Office Space" than "The Terminator."―The Wall Street Journal

"AI, AI, AI, that's all you hear... but what is it, really? Why should we care? And why is it driving so much innovation, remaking our world seemingly day by day? Shane is a computer scientist and a great guide."―Philadelphia Inquirer

"An accessible primer... illustrated with charming cartoons, oddball case studies (self-driving cars in Australia were confused by kangaroos), and wry observations about the often-hilarious failures of artificial intelligence to comprehend human contexts."―Publishers Weekly

"If you're worried about what AI is doing to the world, this book may not exactly reassure you, but it will definitely equip you with greater understanding. Recommended for anyone who wants to better comprehend the strengths and limitations of artificial intelligence, but also for anyone who likes watching computers fail hilariously."―Gretchen McCulloch, New York Times bestselling author of Because Internet

"Janelle Shane has hit the trifecta--the most hilarious, most educational, and overall best explanation of artificial intelligence ever written (and drawn)."―Eric Topol, author of Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again

"A delightful way to learn about the technology that's poised to change our lives."―Annalee Newitz, author of Future of Another Timeline

"If you're interested in knowing more about machine learning and artificial intelligence, or in trying to understand our robot overlords, or if you just love weird and interesting science, you can't miss this book."―David Ha, lead researcher, Google Brain

"A fun, commonsense guide to the technology that's shaping our future."―William Poundstone, author of The Doomsday Calculation

"Irresistibly funny and compelling."―Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools

...a deft, informative and often screamingly funny primer on the ways that machine learning can (and often does) go wrong.―Physics World

In a field often bogged down by technical jargon, [Shane]’s book is a funny and accessible primer on AI, and her talk at TED 2019 addresses that the dangers of AI are much stranger than science fiction might have you believe.―Adweek

"Shane's primer treats AI like a large, surprisingly clever, but frequently discombobulated pet. It's an affectionately down-to-earth introduction to the year's most hype-prone field of tech, complete with charming illustrations. ―theverge.com

About the Author

Janelle Shane has a PhD in electrical engineering and a master's in physics. At aiweirdness.com, she writes about artificial intelligence and the hilarious and sometimes unsettling ways that algorithms get human things wrong. She has been featured on the main TED stage, and in the New York Times, The Atlantic, WIRED, PopularScience, All Things Considered, Science Friday, Marketplace, and more. She was named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, and an Adweek Young Influential. She is almost certainly not a robot.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Voracious (November 5, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316525243
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316525244
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #405,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #27 in Natural Language Processing (Books)
- #125 in Artificial Intelligence & Semantics
- #262 in Social Aspects of Technology

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1,018 ratings

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Janelle Shane

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Janelle Shane's AI humor blog, AIweirdness.com, looks at the strange side of artificial intelligence. She has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, WIRED, Popular Science, All Things Considered, and Slate. Her upcoming book, "You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How AI Works and Why It’s Making the World a Weirder Place" uses cartoons and humorous pop-culture experiments to look inside the minds of the algorithms that run our world, making artificial intelligence and machine learning both accessible and entertaining. She has only made a neural network-written recipe once and discovered that horseradish brownies are about as terrible as you might imagine.

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1,018 global ratings

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Customers find the book informative and entertaining, particularly appreciating how it breaks down complex topics and explains the limits of AI. They describe it as a humorous introduction to AI with cute illustrations, and one customer notes how each chapter introduces concepts in a fun way. The book receives positive feedback for its readability and value, though opinions about its worth are mixed.

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39 customers mention "Information quality"39 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and appreciate how it breaks down complex topics in a lighthearted way for non-technical readers, while effectively explaining the limits of AI.

"...(it covers all the main topics, including ethical and technological issues)...." Read more

"...It does a great job of explaining the limits of AI and really explaining where it can be useful...." Read more

"...This is a short technical book. I like that! It reminds me of the classic "How to Lie With Statistics," by Darrell Huff, 1954, 142 pages...." Read more

"I found this book funny and enlightening. It was simple to understand. I learned that AI is trained by its training data...." Read more

26 customers mention "Fun read"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and educational, with one mentioning that each chapter introduces concepts in a fun way.

"...for all those interested in passing a couple of days of good reading on AI topics, learning on them, and enjoying a very entertaining author...." Read more

"...I think it has more technical details and more interesting, on-point examples than some reviewers appreciate...." Read more

"This is a wonderful, humorous introduction to AI that is a fast read packed full of examples...." Read more

"...It's great fun and introduces normally dense topics in a way most people can understand." Read more

24 customers mention "Humor"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous, particularly as an introductory guide to AI, with one customer noting its informative and irreverent style.

"...It is also hilarious, it also has cute illustrations, and it is also one of the best introductions to the subject ever written." Read more

"I found this book funny and enlightening. It was simple to understand. I learned that AI is trained by its training data...." Read more

"Great book to understand AI. It is full of humor and wit." Read more

"This is a wonderful, humorous introduction to AI that is a fast read packed full of examples...." Read more

18 customers mention "Readability"13 positive5 negative

Customers find the book very readable and understandable, with one mentioning it's a quick read.

"...First: the tone (the author is very nice)..." Read more

"The book is very readable and there were some laugh out loud examples of artificial intelligence programs going off the rails...." Read more

"...The writing is clear and understandable. It is also hilarious, with cute illustrations...." Read more

"...I think the book was a little too redundant. Nevertheless i enjoyed the insight about the limitations of current AI models." Read more

7 customers mention "Visual quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the visual quality of the book, with its cute illustrations and adorable design, and one customer notes its ability to generate novel images of animals.

"This is an adorable book. I bought it because I needed to know more about AI, and this exemplar seemed perfect to me. And it was...." Read more

"...It is also hilarious, it also has cute illustrations, and it is also one of the best introductions to the subject ever written." Read more

"...models can do in tasks like generating baking recipes, generating novel images of animals, and naming new colors based on the names of existing nail..." Read more

"You look like a thing and I love you is a fun look at how easily neural networks can be trained to not solve your problem...." Read more

9 customers mention "Value for money"6 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's value for money, with some finding it great while others consider it a waste of money.

"...bought it because I needed to know more about AI, and this exemplar seemed perfect to me. And it was...." Read more

"...Personally, I find this book forgettable and not living up to the hype." Read more

"...book was a really gentle introduction that was both accessible and competent...." Read more

"I'm a longtime follower of AI Weirdness, and this is a great book...." Read more

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Odysseus at home
An adorable book
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2023
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This is an adorable book. I bought it because I needed to know more about AI, and this exemplar seemed perfect to me. And it was.

I had already read several books on AI, dozens in fact, and let's say this is one of the best. First: the tone (the author is very nice); secondly, the drawings (always adding clarity), and thirdly, the scope (it covers all the main topics, including ethical and technological issues).

The problem with books on AI is that some authors begin to talk on AI in a very effective manner, but then, before you realize, they start pontificating on all the evils that it brings with it, and the perverse people behind the scene trying to kidnap your soul (or your money). Believe me, I tremble every time I read on AI because I know what possibly is going to happen after the first fifty pages. This is not the case. Janelle Shane goes to the point, shows you the magic, and the limits of this pervasive science, without painting the horror movie some others make you watch.

Highly recommended for all those interested in passing a couple of days of good reading on AI topics, learning on them, and enjoying a very entertaining author.

Five brilliant stars.

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Chris
Great primer on artificial intelligence and it's limitations
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2019
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The book is very readable and there were some laugh out loud examples of artificial intelligence programs going off the rails. It does a great job of explaining the limits of AI and really explaining where it can be useful.

I went with four stars as it does get repetitive at times and I would have preferred a little more depth into the different AI models and how they work.

Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about artificial intelligence.

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3 people found this helpful

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Jed Rothwell
Witty introduction. Not detailed, but technically accurate
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2019
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I loved this book! I am a programmer and I have read several books about AI. This is an introduction for the general public. It does not have many technical details, but it is technically accurate. The writing is clear and understandable. It is also hilarious, with cute illustrations.

I think it has more technical details and more interesting, on-point examples than some reviewers appreciate. They see the jokes and illustrations, and they don't notice how much technical information comes along with them. For example, she describes some fascinating parallels with biological evolution and AI systems discovering method of locomotion on their own, such as making yourself into a tower and then toppling over in the direction you want to go. The author points out this is how some species of grass propagate their seeds, one stem-length, each growing season.

This is a short technical book. I like that! It reminds me of the classic "How to Lie With Statistics," by Darrell Huff, 1954, 142 pages. Everyone who wants to understand statistics should read this. It is also hilarious, it also has cute illustrations, and it is also one of the best introductions to the subject ever written.

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36 people found this helpful

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You are a wonderful tool.
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2022
Verified Purchase
I found this book funny and enlightening. It was simple to understand. I learned that AI is trained by its training data. Perhaps writing memos that seek to train AI will help me in the future. Especially, writing out the zeros. Zeros being dead ends and failures in the logic of a path. Also indicating determine and non determinate problems. I also have developed a love of giraffes.

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2 people found this helpful

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Tamara A. Larson
Awesome Intro
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2024
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Great book to understand AI. It is full of humor and wit.

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Robert Hafernik
Both informative and fun to read
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2020
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While focusing on the various types of AI platforms, Ms Shane also brings a lot of humor to the table.

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AverageJoe
Inciteful and a fun read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2025
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I am diving into the field of AI and wanted a bit of incite into the tools of the trade. As I am just starting my journey I felt very lost in all of the big buzz words and news headlines. The whole smoke and mirrors illusions of "AI." had me drinking the koolaid for a bit. Now that I am a bit more educated between both classes and this book I feel confident in talking about the subject at work and with peers. I also feel confident knowing "AI" isnt this big monster coming for us. Its just large data being silly.

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Kelson Vibber
A fun, accessible introduction to how AI works...and how it sometimes doesn't!
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2023
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Still relevant despite recent advances in AI-generated imagery and text, because the new systems still work on the same principles as the ones that were around three years ago. They just have a lot more data and processing power. This also means they have the same limitations and blind spots. What was it trained on? *How* was it trained? (This is the most obvious way human bias can leak into an AI model.) How well is the goal specified? And of course, did the AI actually latch onto relevant details, or did it notice that all the training pictures labeled sheep had green fields and blue skies, and completely ignore the actual sheep?

These are things to keep in mind as we enter the landscape of generative AI tools like ChatGPT: You can train an LLM to write a book review, and it'll give you a great piece of text that *reads* like a book review -- but it's not going to have actually evaluated the book. For that, you'd have to train *another* AI to categorize books as good, bad, interesting, dull, and so on. But even that can only be as good as its training data. (I don't remember whether the classic phrase "garbage in, garbage out" is used anywhere in the book, but it still applies today!)

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Amazon Customer
Wonderful book
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on July 14, 2021
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Arrived in very book shape. One of the best reads on AI

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Client Amazon
Excellente vue d'ensemble du paysage de l'IA actuellement
Reviewed in France on December 26, 2019
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Ce livre se donne pour tache de présenter l'état des lieux actuels des capacités de l'Intelligence artificielle sans rentrer dans les détails techniques mais avec assez de détails et d'exemple pour avoir une très bonne idée de ce qui est possible, envisageable dans les années à venir et de ce qui reste très au-delà de nos capacités pour l'instant.

C'est une réussite émaillée d'adorables petits dessins humoristiques qui arrivent néanmoins à faire passer un réel message. Vous en ressortirez avec une réelle compréhension de ce qu'on appelle Intelligence Artificielle aujourd'hui et de ses (fortes) limitations, ainsi que de ses (réels) succès.

Je recommande à toute personne intéressée par le domaine, technique ou pas : si vous n'avez pas suivi l'évolution de ce champ attentivement, vous êtes garantie d'apprendre des faits nouveaux et intéressant dans tous les cas mais cela reste accessible à tous (et très drôle !).

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Satisfied Customer
Great as a value ebook, too much overlap with writer's blog for a physical purchase
Reviewed in Canada on January 19, 2023
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Some content overlap with the AI Weirdness blog that would make me think twice about paying full MSRP for a physical copy, but an outstanding deal for $4 as an ebook.

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Christopher Slatter
Good soyrce of information
Reviewed in Australia on February 8, 2020
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Use it for research

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Philipp Schober
Brilliant overview. Also, weirdly charming
Reviewed in Germany on December 21, 2022
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This book is an overview of currently existent AI systems, their limitations, the often weird and creative ways they ‚achieve‘ their tasks. Also, lacking a better word, it is charming. this begins with the title- a neural net’s effort at flirting, based on pick up lines from online dating, over running gags over AI- subverting cockroaches, based on a real example of a creative failure mode of an AI administering a chinese cockroach farm. the author presents the reader with a step by step overview of the workings of the different systems, without getting lost in the mechanics or underlying math. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to interested laypeople, though IT professionals likely won‘t learn anything new. They will giggle while failing to do so though.

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You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place Hardcover – November 5, 2019

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Janelle Shane humorously explains AI limitations.

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellente vue d'ensemble du paysage de l'IA actuellement

5.0 out of 5 stars Great as a value ebook, too much overlap with writer's blog for a physical purchase

5.0 out of 5 stars Good soyrce of information

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant overview. Also, weirdly charming

Wonderful book

Excellente vue d'ensemble du paysage de l'IA actuellement

Great as a value ebook, too much overlap with writer's blog for a physical purchase

Good soyrce of information

Brilliant overview. Also, weirdly charming