Human Again: In the AI Age by J.D. Macpherson – Artificial Intelligence is what you make it

Through the advent of the age of artificial intelligence, employing intentionality when using this cutting-edge technology to create insightful products will be the only way for anyone to set themselves a cut above the rest in an increasingly automated world.

The short, punchy chapters in this book take AI education a step further than the average guide, exploring the nuances of AI beyond the casual tool or apocalyptic entity many perceive it to be. The information harboured within guides readers into forming their own long-term, collaborative relationships with AI; ones that challenge their own creativity in the process.

Spoiler-Free Plot

Not lasting more than a handful of pages each, every chapter delivers a new perspective or suggestion on how to handle specific tasks when using an AI system, specifically a Large Language Model or LLM. An explanation of the different types of AI is provided in order to emphasize the relative harmlessness of the types of AI made available to the general public.

Once this distinction is made, this book delves into the advantages one stands to gain by learning how to properly harness the power of generative AI. Of course, the technology does have some shortcomings in certain areas, and those are discussed alongside the benefits, giving a balanced argument on the subject at hand.

Anecdotes, news articles, research papers, literary quotes and first person recounts from the author herself meld together to give a comprehensive, step by step guide on formulating an AI strategy that so closely mirrors each individual’s unique artistic or linguistic identity, it frees up time for users to dedicate towards the creative aspects that absolutely require that unquantifiable, human touch that’s impossible to duplicate.

My Take on Human Again: In the AI Age

Skepticism might as well be my middle name; I take it with me everywhere I go. While I was able to acknowledge my general feelings of unease regarding the functions of AI that I was aware of before opening the first page of this book, some points of which do still stand, I opted to leave my biases at the front cover.

I have never claimed to be tech-savvy. There was much room for me to learn more about the finer details concerning AI that I found myself embracing wholeheartedly. All the technical knowledge is disseminated to accommodate people like me—the technologically challenged—without assuming complete ineptitude as some guides do, and therefore failing to capture the attention of their readers whilst simultaneously leaving a sour taste in their mouths from the insulting manner of “speaking”.

The author talks to readers as equals through their writing. Their personal experiences attached to an explanation or a feature of the AI system they themselves have utilised brings that human element into the fold. This further proves the author’s points for them: it is possible to produce original work using AI, heavily imprinted with its creator’s style, and that method matters most; eking out all that an LLM has to offer, challenging it to its limits then presenting it with a key to the inner workings of your creative identity goes a long way in generating results not a single soul would accuse of being inauthentic.

This book gives actionable advice. The author’s candor lets readers assess and compare their own needs to the author’s, allowing them to figure out exactly which steps would suit them best. The toolkit portions are especially useful to revert back to when specific information is needed in the moment.

The parts of the book that delve further into the core of what it means to be human are exceptionally well written. They exude the very same qualities they speak of. Written with samples of that unnamed substance, it’s recognizable in how it makes you feel, yet impossible to artificially synthesize, and any attempt to do so fails quite miserably.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this read. The people who seek out this book will receive more than they expected, and those who stumble into it will come out the other end with valuable knowledge they’ll be itching to test out.

Angel of the future or a vampire feasting ravenously on user data? This book peels back the code, wiring, and popular perceptions away from the mainframe, exposing the sinews of human consciousness nestled beneath; impossible to replicate, yet capable of enhancement by those who care for the challenge.

Age Rating

14 years and above

Content Warnings

Foul Language.

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