The Risky Future of AI and Human Interaction: A Review of Human Compatible by Stuart Russell
“Human Compatible” by Stuart Russell is one of the newest books in my collection yet it’s secured itself a spot in the top 5 books I have on Artificial Intelligence. As a world-renowned AI researcher and professor at UC Berkeley who else is better positioned to take us on a deep dive into the future of artificial intelligence and its potential impact on human society than Russell? While providing unique insights into such a rapidly evolving field, Russell has ensured that the book is both accessible and compelling, as we go on an exploration through the technical and ethical challenges involved in designing “human compatible” AI systems. Russell starts by outlining the history of AI research and the various approaches that have been taken over the years. He argues that the dominant approach, which he refers to as “rational decision theory”, is fundamentally flawed because it assumes that artificial intelligence systems can be programmed to optimise a given objective function. Thi...
