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Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming multiple aspects of human life, raising fundamental questions: Is AI truly intelligent? Can it surpass human capabilities? What are its risks and opportunities? In this book, I aim to clarify what AI really is, debunking myths while offering a rigorous, balanced perspective on its impact. Rather than chasing the latest AI trends, I will focus on the core principles that define it, tracing its evolution from early pioneers like Alan Turing to today s advanced systems. AI remains in the realm of narrow intelligence, excelling at specific tasks but far from replicating human cognition. Yet, its ability to process vast data, predict behaviors, and generate creative content is reshaping industries, from healthcare to finance. At the heart of AI s progress is machine learning, particularly neural networks, which rely more on data-driven training than traditional scientific theory. However, this innovation comes with challenges: environmental costs, job market disruptions, ethical dilemmas, and the black box problem AI s decision-making opacity, which raises concerns about trust and accountability. AI also plays a growing role in global power dynamics, influencing governance, security, and even democracy. Nations leading AI development gain strategic advantages, but without careful regulation, AI could fuel inequality, surveillance, and manipulation. Despite the fears AI evokes, it is neither an existential threat nor a magical solution. My goal is not to celebrate or demonize it but to provide a critical framework for understanding this technological revolution. By fostering awareness, we can shape AI s integration into society in a way that aligns with human values and scientific progress.
List of contents
1 Introduction.- 2 The Early Pages of AI: Between Dream and Reality.- 3 Shining Light on AI.- 4 Machine Learning: when Computers Learn (on Their Own!).- 5 Mathematics...the Bare Minimum.- 6 What Data for Learning, and What Kind of Learning?.- 7 Generative AI: the Sudden Boom.- 8 AI is not just Generative.- 9 AI in Science.- 10 Where Do we Stand and a Look into the Futur.- 11 Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence.- 12 Black, White, and Grey Boxes: a New Frontier, from Big Data to Big Science.- 13 Dialoguing with ChatGPT4.- 14 Conclusion and Further Insights.- 15 Addendum: A brief mathematical digression on complexity, reproducibility, transparency, and explainability of AI.
About the author
Alfio Quarteroni is an Emeritus Professor at Politecnico di Milano, Milan and at EPFL, Lausanne as well as a senior research fellow at University of Texas, Austin. He is the founder of MOX and co-founder of MOXOFF, a spin-off company at Politecnico di Milano. Quarteroni is a member of several prestigious academies, including the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, the European Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Europe, the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, and the Italian Academy of Engineering and Technology. He has authored 25 books and more than 400 research papers. Quarteroni has been honored with numerous awards, including the NASA CFD Award in 1992, the International Galileo Galilei Prize for Sciences in 2015, the ECCOMAS Euler Medal in 2022, the ICIAM Lagrange Prize in 2023, the Blaise Pascal Prize for Mathematics in 2024, the Ritz-Galerkin medal in 2024, the Ralph Kleinman Prize in 2025.
