Citizen's Guide to Artificial Intelligence
by John Zerilli
Zerilli demystifies AI's societal impact, from healthcare algorithms to criminal justice - essential reading for navigating our algorithmic age.
"Do we take it on faith that a machine knows best in approving a patient's health insurance claim or a defendant's request for bail".
Editorial Summary
Cambridge researcher John Zerilli delivers a crucial primer on how artificial intelligence shapes our daily lives as citizens. The book explores how business and government have integrated algorithmic decision support systems into operations, examining statistical definitions of fairness, legal responsibility, the role of humans in machine learning systems, and AI as both regulatory tool and target. Zerilli casts an interdisciplinary floodlight on algorithmic tools used across healthcare, law, social services, social media and business, explaining AI's technical components in jargon-free language while addressing crucial ethical issues like privacy, bias, accountability and autonomy. The work confronts pressing questions: do we trust machines to approve health insurance claims or bail requests, what's the potential for manipulation by targeted political ads, and how can these sophisticated tools ever be transparent?
Perspective
"This is essential reading for anyone trying to understand how algorithmic systems already govern their lives, from credit scores to criminal sentencing. With ChatGPT and large language models now mainstream, Zerilli's framework for thinking about AI transparency, bias, and accountability becomes even more urgent for navigating our algorithmic society."
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