New Books in Technology David Eliot, "Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of AI" (Aevo UTP, 2025)
19 snips
Oct 14, 2025 David Elliott, a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa and author of *Artificially Intelligent*, delves into the social and political impacts of AI. He emphasizes the importance of a human-centered narrative in understanding technology's evolution. The discussion covers the origins of algorithms through historical figures like Al-Khwarizmi and Ada Lovelace, the messy nature of scientific progress, and the societal implications of AI, including its role in surveillance and the need for public participation in shaping its future.
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Book For Everyday Readers
- David Elliott wrote the book for everyday people seeking an accessible, measured introduction to AI.
- He aims to spark collective action, not alarmism or techno-utopianism.
Algorithm Is The Root
- An algorithm is simply a set of steps that, given inputs, produces an outcome.
- Computing mechanizes algorithms; AI is a complex, living form of algorithmic computation.
Ada Lovelace's Early Vision
- Ada Lovelace foresaw programmable machines becoming general-purpose a century before hardware existed.
- Her relationship with Charles Babbage anchored the early conceptual leap toward modern computing.
