Reviews for Introducing Artificial Intelligence

1. Concise and useful survey

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2009

   AI is a field crowded with specialist sub-topics, each with their own jargon and methodology. Without getting bogged down in specific areas, this book is a good attempt to cover the general historical and philosophical background of AI, and a helpful reference to the main controversies and unproved hypotheses which are bound to come up whenever you look into a particular area of AI application.
   There could be more on Chomsky and language, more on robotics, and more on, well nearly everything, but isn't that the sign of a good book if it's trying to be an overview? You want to know more. In my opinion many extended AI discussions (particularly speculations about the future) do not examine their basic assumptions and Brighton & Selina's book is a good place to start if you want to know where you're starting from.

2. A slight let down

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, January 12th, 2007

   I studied AI and its history and philosophy briefly at university and since finishing I was hoping for a book that will refresh my memory, clarify certain aspects and delve deeper into the subject matter.
   
   Unfortunatley this book only refreshes my memory and fails to clarify much of the subject matter. I was also hoping for history on the idea of AI and Robots but this book skips over this. I am a big fan of the 'Introducing' book range but this book is slightly below its Icons normal standards.
   
   To be fair though, the subject matter is huge and complicated. This is also the only book I have found that is accessable to people not in the field and just for introduction. Therefore I would say it is a fair effort and give it 3 1/2 stars.
   
   If this subject interests you I would recommend Max Brammer's lectures if you have the opportunity