Is the Algorithm Plotting Against Us?

                                         *free review copy* 

Title: Is the Algorithm Plotting Against Us?: A Layperson's Guide to the Concepts, Math, and Pitfalls of AI

Author: Kenneth Wenger 

Publisher: Working Fires Foundation

Release Date: 5.1.23

Publisher’s Summary 

Artificial intelligence is everywhere—it’s in our houses and phones and cars. AI makes decisions about what we should buy, watch, and read, and it won’t be long before AI’s in our hospitals, combing through our records. Maybe soon it will even be deciding who’s innocent, and who goes to jail . . . But most of us don’t understand how AI works. We hardly know what it is. In "Is the Algorithm Plotting Against Us?", AI expert Kenneth Wenger deftly explains the complexity at AI’s heart, demonstrating its potential and exposing its shortfalls. Wenger empowers readers to answer the question—What exactly is AI?—at a time when its hold on tech, society, and our imagination is only getting stronger.

My Review

Everyone's talking about AI and often it is with a sense of fear and paranoia. Many people hear the term and envision some dystopian landscape like I, Robot or The Matrix, rather than recognizing that AI is already present in our everyday lives, from language processing platforms (chatbots, ChatGPT) and targeted marketing (those hyperspecific ads as you scroll your social media) to self-driving cars and manufacturing robots.


This book's subtitle says the information inside is geared toward a layperson, and I have a bit of an issue with that. I suppose the problem there is with the term itself, as in who falls into that category. I have what I would consider an "intermediate beginner" knowledge regarding AI, in that I have taken several college courses on computer programming, am scientifically literate, and try to read any news articles regarding the topic. This book definitely tested my intelligence (lots of data sets, math, and statistical models) and to be honest, was probably about two levels over my head. I enjoyed the challenge of diving into this subject but my eyes definitely glazed over in spots. This is no fault of the author, but rather a note toward this book's intended audience. I would suggest this to readers with intermediate or advanced knowledge of AI.