Book Review - You Look Like A Thing And I Love You by Janelle Shane
How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place
Summary
This book offers a refreshing overview of artificial intelligence (AI), its capabilities, limitations, and, most importantly, often hilarious outcomes. Shane is an AI researcher and creator of the amazing blog "AI Weirdness." I understand that reading a 2019 book on AI might seem “too late” given all the recent advancements but the book's strength lies in Shane's ability to explain complex technical concepts in a humorous manner and these concepts remain relevant.
Key Concepts and Examples
The title of this book hints are the playful and experimental approach the author takes to understanding AI technology. The title is an AI-generated pickup line which clearly communicates the limitation of language models. Possibly even better were Shane’s examples that focused on AI-created recipes that review the AI training process to learn that a well configured sandwich does not include mud :)
Shane emphasizes that current AI systems are far from sentient. In fact, there is a shared thread with Mollicks’s recent book, “Co-Intelligence” where Shane essentially concludes that “If there is one thing we’ve learned from this book, it’s that AI can’t do much without humans.” This emphasis on collaborative problem solving, even when AI is vastly more capable and widely available, is a call for us to become more ready and more capable in this partnership. While we can laugh at the mud-filled sandwiches in the examples, we should also realize that we are the ones in the driver seat and we benefit from smarter and more accurate approaches to training and input that will allow us to get to better answers.
Best Audience For This Book:
Business leaders and decision-makers considering AI implementation looking to avoid the technical “textbook” approach.
Legal professionals dealing with AI-related cases or compliance.
General readers interested in understanding AI's impact on society.
Rating: 9/10
"You Look Like a Thing and I Love You" receives a 9/10 rating for its comprehensive coverage of AI concepts, engaging writing style, and practical insights into AI technology.
Suggested Action Items
After reading this book, consider taking the following actions:
Consider the potential limitations and biases in the AI tools you use today. If you see limits with tools you are using at work, advocate for responsible AI development and implementation within your organization.
Stay informed about AI advancements and their societal implications. This book is highly relevant to current technology but it’s also nearly 5 years old. Stay up to date.
Experiment with AI tools to gain hands-on experience and better understand their capabilities and limitations. Fear does not lead to understanding. And understanding is needed for positive adoption. Be an informed user of these tools and a partner in their success.
Final Thoughts:
I value this book for how it made a technical topic a fun topic. I love the funny hand-drawn comics. I loved the absurd examples of outputs from AI. It all kept me engaged and entertained. Shane's work serves as an essential guide for anyone seeking to navigate the increasingly AI-driven world with a balanced and informed perspective and it does so without making learning these ideas feel like work.
Available at: https://www.janelleshane.com/book-you-look-like-a-thing