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1. “Introduction to Generative AI”: A Clear, Insightful Guide Essential for Researchers and Enthusiasts
   “Introduction to Generative AI” is a must-read for anyone interested in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence. This book stands out as one of the best resources I’ve encountered on the subject, and it played a significant role in my PhD research.What makes this book exceptional is its ability to break down complex concepts into easy-to-understand language. The author takes you through the intricacies of large language models (LLMs) and their workings without overwhelming the reader. The sections on integrating generative AI into both personal and professional workflows are particularly practical and insightful.One of the book’s strongest points is its balanced approach to the innovation and responsibility that comes with the use of generative AI. The discussions around the social, legal, and policy implications are timely and necessary, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the broader impacts of this technology.The writing is clear, engaging, and informative, making it accessible to both newcomers and those with a more advanced understanding of AI. Whether you’re using AI tools like ChatGPT or just curious about where AI is heading, this book is an invaluable resource. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of generative AI.

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2. Excellent Overview of Generative AI
   Generative AI is an exploding field, but with all the hype, chatter and fear mongering around the subject, it can be hard to understand. This book is extremely well written and does a fantastic job of introducing the topic from a balanced perspective, explaining both the exciting potential and ethically challenging aspects of this technology. The authors do a great job providing a gentle introduction to the topic while also covering topics that are applicable and relevant for technical practitioners. As such, I would highly recommend this book to experts and novices alike!

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3. An Excellent Introduction to Generative AI
   Numa and Maggie’s Introduction to Generative AI is a refreshing antidote to the prevailing attitude of ChatGPT as a magical genie or some sort of doomsday device [1]. Their deep dive in the topic shows generative AI as a mirror to our society, warts and all.The first few chapters of the book cover how these models are constructed and why bias, stereotyping, and discrimination is found in these systems. The very qualities that make generative AI seem so wondrous unfortunately also make it inherit some of the worst traits on the internet (think reddit but like ALL of it). Additionally, the explanation of why these models seem to be skilled at tasks they were not trained for is crucial for understanding why so many people have invested in AI.It then transitions into how you should be using these systems and the potential data privacy concerns. The book then delves into my favorite chapter of how Generative AI systems can be compromised or used to spread disinformation. Once again, the building blocks of AI technology make it especially vulnerable to attacks by bad actors.The breadth of this book is quite extensive. It’s filled to the brim with useful websites and references as well as anecdotes, legal frameworks, hacking, AI relationships, Lazarus movie stars, and more. There are sections on utopian societies and how you should use ChatGPT today to get the best results (chapter 3 should be required reading for everyone).As someone who uses ChatGPT and Gemini quite frequently but has felt a sense of unease around AI, this book has made me feel excited about the benefits of AI and tentatively hopeful we will be able to deal with some of it’s challenges.Numa and Maggie make sure to frame Generative AI in a global context which is much appreciated and sadly rare for most books about technology. If we believe in an equitable future then we have to include everyone who is using it. The book ends on a philosophical note showing the connection between some leading thinkers on AI and their concerning connection to eugenics. The people that are affected by Artificial Intelligence should be both considered and involved in it’s production, regulation, and not just it’s consumption.Numa and Maggie have done something rare for technologists. Not only have they written a book about an emerging technology but they have picked a side and a blueprint on how the future of AI should be regulated (both societally and legally) to reduce bias, protect privacy, and generally be helpful to people today. This is not just an introduction to Generative AI, it is a treatise on ethics and in a way is asking one of the oldest questions there is, how should we treat one another and who should we care about? As we delve deeper into artificial intelligence, it will ask us to reexamine our humanity, hopefully we come out with a passing grade.Note: I came out of this book very curious about how AI models would react differently in non-English dominant training sets. Would a AI bot only trained in Arabic poetry or Chinese Literature gave us very different answers (translation issues notwithstanding)?References:[1] Will A.I. Become the New McKinsey?To be clear this article is talking about why A.I. is not a genie and this line of reasoning is dangerous and misguided.

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4. Great book on the basics, implications, and use cases for generative AI
   This was a great read. Don’t be scared if you aren’t already an AI/Tech wizard, this book is written for a more general audience and does a great job explaining how generative AI works, what it can be used for, and what the implications of the technology are.

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5. A valuable primer for those new to Generative AI
   There are many new books on AI and the exciting world of Generative AI. Unless you are actively working in the AI field or have time to research it the terms and technology involved can be overwhelmingThis book takes frequent looks into recent history in the AI field and plots to where the industry is currently is at. There are real life examples of the benefits of Generative AI but also documents genuine issues and the technological problems of believing everything ChatGPT tells you. There are sections on ethics, abuse and legal issues, from copyright to data privacy although chapter 8 (risks) was a lot of duplicated material from earlier chapters.I would recommend this book for technical leadership and non-technical management. Although it covers the high level workflows of LLMs and synthetic media the book holds off stepping into the actual mathematics which are not that complex and can be explained by a diagram or you can even ask ChatGPT to explain them to you!

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6. Great read for anyone interested in Gen AI
   This is a great introductory guide for anyone interested in Generative AI. The authors did a great job of giving a holistic overview that is accessible to non-technical audiences. A friend of mine who is a Machine Learning Engineer also learned how to better communicate technical concepts from this book – so it is helpful for those who have a technical background as well. Highly recommend!

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