Artificial General Intelligence
Series Foreword
The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series presents concise, accessible, and beautifully designed pocket-sized books on topics of contemporary significance. Written by leading experts, the books in this series offer authoritative overviews of subjects spanning culture, history, science, and technology.
In today’s age of instant information, we are inundated with opinions, rationalizations, and surface-level descriptions. However, it is far more challenging to find foundational knowledge that fosters a principled understanding of the world. The Essential Knowledge series addresses this need.
By synthesizing specialized knowledge for general readers and exploring critical topics through their core principles, each compact volume offers a gateway to complex and nuanced ideas.
Book Vision:
To provide a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), distinguishing between myths and realities of AI, and inspiring readers to think critically about the potential, challenges, and societal impacts of developing general artificial intelligence.
Book Mission:
- Provide Context: Explore the history and evolution of AI to establish a strong foundation for understanding this technology.
- Define AGI: Clarify the definition of AGI, differentiate it from narrow AI, and examine theoretical and practical perspectives on AGI.
- Build Understanding: Discuss concepts of human intelligence and their relationship to artificial intelligence, bridging the gap between the two domains.
- Examine Approaches: Outline practical approaches to developing AGI, including foundation models and open-ended learning.
- Reflect on Ethics: Explore issues of consciousness, ethics, and societal impacts of AGI, including the challenges posed by superintelligence.
- Offer Future Insights: Inspire readers to consider future scenarios of AGI and its influence on society, employment, and human life as a whole.