New Books Network David Eliot, "Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of AI" (Aevo UTP, 2025)
Oct 14, 2025
David Elliott, a PhD candidate and AI researcher, dives into the multifaceted world of artificial intelligence. He explores how AI’s development intertwines with social forces, while highlighting historical figures like Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing. Elliott discusses the critical balance between innovation and ethical considerations, cautioning against the surveillance state fueled by AI. He encourages listeners to engage with AI's future actively, distinguishing between hope and mere optimism in shaping a fair and equitable world.
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Algorithms Are The Core Of Computing
- An algorithm is simply a step-by-step set of instructions that produces an outcome when given variables.
- David Elliott frames AI as a complex, living algorithm built on mechanized instructions.
Ada Lovelace's Vision Predated Hardware
- Ada Lovelace foresaw programmable machines' broad potential a century before hardware existed.
- Elliott ties her story to Lord Byron and Mary Shelley to show cultural roots of computing ideas.
Science Advances In Messy, Social Ways
- Scientific progress is nonlinear, shaped by social forces and contested paradigms.
- Elliott stresses that individual catalysts matter but happen within broader social and historical conditions.
