September 2026
Beginner
256 pages
7h 11m
English
Content preview from AI Explained
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Chapter 1 The Evolution of AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a complex field that has evolved continuously over several decades. Its origins trace back to the period just before World War II, when the discipline we now call computer science had yet to take shape.
The journey from those early days to today’s AI has been full of twists and turns. At times, external events accelerated its development; at others, progress stalled in long periods of relative stagnation.
But in recent years, a seismic shift has taken place.
Driven by rapid advances in computation, storage, digital data, and global connectivity, the field has undergone a dramatic and sudden expansion. New applications and possibilities are emerging at an astonishing pace. It’s now impossible to ignore the conclusion that AI will play a defining role in the future of human development.
Yet, amidst all this promise—and potential peril—it all traces back some 90 years to a conceptual and infinite roll of virtual tape.
The Birth of Electronic Computation
In 1936, screen legend Charlie Chaplin captivated cinema audiences with his latest creation, Modern Times. In this film, he reprised his iconic character, the Little Tramp, this time confronting the relentless march of industrialisation.
Chaplin’s character personified the ordinary person struggling to cope with a rapidly changing world. Over the course of the film, he unwittingly becomes a symbol of resistance against the dehumanising forces of modernisation.
The theme ...
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I'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.