Today's "machine-learning" systems, trained by data, are so effective that we've invited them to see and hear for us-and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Recent years have seen an eruption of concern as the field of machine learning advances. When the systems we attempt to teach will not, in the end, do what we want or what we expect, ethical and potentially existential risks emerge. Researchers call this the alignment problem. Systems cull resumes until, years later, we discover that they have inherent gender biases. Algorithms decide bail and parole-and appear to assess Black and White defendants differently. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical tests, will be seen by human eyes. And as autonomous vehicles share our streets, we are increasingly putting our lives in their hands. The mathematical and computational models driving these changes range in complexity from something that can fit on a spreadsheet to a complex system that might credibly be called "artificial intelligence." They are steadily replacing both human judgment and explicitly programmed software. In best-selling author Brian Christian's riveting account, we meet the alignment problem's "first-responders," and learn their ambitious plan to solve it before our hands are completely off the wheel. In a masterful blend of history and on-the ground reporting, Christian traces the explosive growth in the field of machine learning and surveys its current, sprawling frontier. Readers encounter a discipline finding its legs amid exhilarating and sometimes terrifying progress. Whether they-and we-succeed or fail in solving the alignment problem will be a defining human story. The Alignment Problem offers an unflinching reckoning with humanity's biases and blind spots, our own unstated assumptions and often contradictory goals. A dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, it takes a hard look not only at our technology but at our culture-and finds a story by turns harrowing and hopeful.

A fascinating exploration of how computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives. In this dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, acclaimed author Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths show us how the simple, precise algorithms used by computers can also untangle very human questions. Modern life is constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we accept? The authors explain how to have better hunches and when to leave things to chance, how to deal with overwhelming choices and how best to connect with others. From finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing one's inbox to understanding the workings of human memory, Algorithms To Live By is full of practical takeaways to help you solve common decision-making problems and illuminate the workings of the human mind.

'Vital reading. This is the book on artificial intelligence we need right now.' Mike Krieger, cofounder of Instagram Artificial intelligence is rapidly dominating every aspect of our modern lives influencing the news we consume, whether we get a mortgage, and even which friends wish us happy birthday. But as algorithms make ever more decisions on our behalf, how do we ensure they do what we want? And fairly? This conundrum - dubbed 'The Alignment Problem' by experts - is the subject of this timely and important book. From the AI program which cheats at computer games to the sexist algorithm behind Google Translate, bestselling author Brian Christian explains how, as AI develops, we rapidly approach a collision between artificial intelligence and ethics. If we stand by, we face a future with unregulated algorithms that propagate our biases - and worse - violate our most sacred values. Urgent and fascinating, this is an accessible primer to the most important issue facing AI researchers today.

Each year, the AI community convenes to administer the famous (and famously controversial) Turing test, pitting sophisticated software programs against humans to determine if a computer can "think." The machine that most often fools the judges wins the Most Human Computer Award. But there is also a prize, strange and intriguing, for the "Most Human Human."
Brian Christian--a young poet with degrees in computer science and philosophy--was chosen to participate in a recent competition. This playful, profound book is not only a testament to his efforts to be deemed more human than a computer, but also a rollicking exploration of what it means to be human in the first place.

Master the development of 2D games by learning to use the powerful GameMaker Language and tools provided by the GameMaker: Studio workspace and engine! About This Book * Rapidly develop games using the powerful yet easy easy-to to-use GameMaker: Studio engine * Comprehensive: This is a comprehensive guide to help you learn and implement GameMaker's features. * Go through step-by-step tutorials to design and develop unique games Who This Book Is For If you have at least some basic programming experience of JavaScript or any other C-like languages, then this book will be great for you. No experience beyond that is assumed. If you have no game development experience and are looking for a hobby, are an experienced game developer looking to master some advanced features, or fit anywhere in that spectrum, then you will find GameMaker: Studio and this book to be very useful in helping you create exciting games. What You Will Learn * Understand the GameMaker: Studio interface and tools to quickly create the various assets used in your games * Translate some of the GameMaker: Studio drag and drop functions to the GameMaker language * Create games with random elements for exciting gameplay * Use the basic GameMaker file I/O and encryption systems * Utilize the GameMaker networking functions to create multiplayer games * Give AI routines to your enemies to make challenging gameplay * Create particle systems to give your game exciting graphics * Understand the various debugging techniques available in GameMaker: Studio In Detail This book is excellent resource for developers with any level of experience of GameMaker. At the start, we'll provide an overview of the basic use of GameMaker: Studio, and show you how to set up a basic game where you handle input and collisions in a top-down perspective game. We continue on to showcase its more advanced features via six different example projects. The first example game demonstrates platforming with file I/O, followed by animation, views, and multiplayer networking. The next game illustrates AI and particle systems, while the final one will get you started with the built-in Box2D physics engine. By the end of this book, you have mastered lots of powerful techniques that can be utilized in various 2D games. Style and approach A This step-by-step guide that follows and with details ons different topics throughout the creation of various examples.

In the spring of 1990 Brian set out to spend one year alone in the wilderness. It was to be his rite of initiation, the cutting of his ties to this world so he might belong to God completely. His hope was to learn the ancient skill of survival, understand the wisdom of the wilderness then return to the Yupik Eskimo youth and begin a program that integrated the wilderness and a relationship with God. Little did he know that God was to choose a wilderness far more foreboding than the forests of the Northwest to bring him to my masculine soul. Even more daunting was the fact that he would wander through this wilderness for over twenty-one years. This is his journey of becoming an initiated man of God: the descent into dark places, the facing of shadow, the embracing of the wounded boy and the awakening of the primal energies of God. It was a quest which demanded that he face darkness within and without, which was the gateway to the most profound spiritual experience of his 28 year journey with God. "It is not often that we find rugged masculinity and vulnerable spirituality in the same book. They are both here in abundance. Read this book, and be both fed and freed " Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M. Center for Action and Contemplation Albuquerque, New Mexico Founder of Men as Learners and Elders (MALEs) "Your work is a fascinating, deeply personal, fiercely honest, intriguing work of passion for God and men's work - something that has had my heart on fire since 2008 when I first read Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. It has inspired me in many ways." John Fontaine, Kentucky "This book is on par with Abbey, Thoreau, and Ted Kerasote, except that the spiritual realm is the center of the journey." Bill, Michigan "As a woman reviewer, I can also say I deeply related to many of the issues Brian wrestled with God over, and felt many of the same feelings Brian struggled with. It blessed me in the reading of it." Julie, Michigan"