December 2025
Beginner to intermediate
480 pages
13h 57m
English
Overview
Get up to speed quickly with generative AI!
AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, automated coding tools like Cursor and Copilot, and countless LLM-powered agents have become a part of daily life. They’ve also spawned a storm of misinformation, hype, and doomsaying that makes it tough to understand exactly what Generative AI actually is and what it can really do. Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition, delivers a clear, well-written survey of generative AI fundamentals along with the techniques and strategies you need to use AI safely and effectively.
In this easy-to-read introduction, you’ll learn:
Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition, guides you from your first eye-opening interaction with tools like ChatGPT to how AI tools can transform your personal and professional life safely and responsibly. AI moves fast—and so this second edition has been completely revised to reflect the latest developments in the field.
About the Technology
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude can draft emails, generate marketing copy, and prototype product designs. They can also produce poetry, realistic images or videos, and even generate computer code. But how do they do all that? This accessible book reveals how generative AI works in plain, jargon-free language, so you can use it safely and effectively.
About the Book
Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition is a completely revised and updated guide to the capabilities, risks, and limitations of generative AI. You’ll understand the latest innovations in AI, AI agents, multimodal training, reasoning models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and more. Along the way, you’ll explore how AI is impacting the world, with an expert-level look at AI in industry, education, and society.
What's Inside
About the Reader
No technical experience required.
About the Authors
Numa Dhamani is a natural language processing expert working at the intersection of technology and society. Maggie Engler is a researcher and engineer working on safety for generative AI systems.
Quotes
Brings you fully up-to-speed on the most powerful technology of our time.
- Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI and co-founder of Google DeepMind
Comprehensive, powerful, essential!
- Gurdeep Pall, President AI, Qualtrics
Straightforward and easy-to-understand.
- Kenneth R. Fleischmann, Professor, University of Texas at Austin
Crackles with clarity and authority.
- Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, Head of AI Red Team, Microsoft
Up-to-date and comprehensive overview of Generative AI.
- David Ryan Polgar, Founder, All Tech Is Human
AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, automated coding tools like Cursor and Copilot, and countless LLM-powered agents have become a part of daily life. They’ve also spawned a storm of misinformation, hype, and doomsaying that makes it tough to understand exactly what Generative AI actually is and what it can really do. Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition, delivers a clear, well-written survey of generative AI fundamentals along with the techniques and strategies you need to use AI safely and effectively.
In this easy-to-read introduction, you’ll learn:
- How large language models (LLMs) work
- How to apply AI across personal and professional work
- The social, legal, and policy landscape around generative AI
- Emerging trends like reasoning models and vibe coding
Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition, guides you from your first eye-opening interaction with tools like ChatGPT to how AI tools can transform your personal and professional life safely and responsibly. AI moves fast—and so this second edition has been completely revised to reflect the latest developments in the field.
About the Technology
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude can draft emails, generate marketing copy, and prototype product designs. They can also produce poetry, realistic images or videos, and even generate computer code. But how do they do all that? This accessible book reveals how generative AI works in plain, jargon-free language, so you can use it safely and effectively.
About the Book
Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition is a completely revised and updated guide to the capabilities, risks, and limitations of generative AI. You’ll understand the latest innovations in AI, AI agents, multimodal training, reasoning models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and more. Along the way, you’ll explore how AI is impacting the world, with an expert-level look at AI in industry, education, and society.
What's Inside
- How AI and foundation models work
- Applications across daily life and work
- Balancing innovation with responsibility
About the Reader
No technical experience required.
About the Authors
Numa Dhamani is a natural language processing expert working at the intersection of technology and society. Maggie Engler is a researcher and engineer working on safety for generative AI systems.
Quotes
Brings you fully up-to-speed on the most powerful technology of our time.
- Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI and co-founder of Google DeepMind
Comprehensive, powerful, essential!
- Gurdeep Pall, President AI, Qualtrics
Straightforward and easy-to-understand.
- Kenneth R. Fleischmann, Professor, University of Texas at Austin
Crackles with clarity and authority.
- Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, Head of AI Red Team, Microsoft
Up-to-date and comprehensive overview of Generative AI.
- David Ryan Polgar, Founder, All Tech Is Human
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