What is artificial intelligence? Understanding what a computer, an algorithm, a program, and, in particular, an artificial intelligence program are -- Turing test: understanding that it is difficult to measure the intelligence of computers -- Why is it so difficult? Understanding there are limitations to what a machine can calculate -- Lost in the woods: understanding a first principles of AI method -- exploration -- Winning at chess: understanding how to build heuristics -- Journey continues: understanding that one graph can conceal another -- Darwin 2.0: understanding how to explore space as a group -- Small but strong: understanding how ants find their way -- Bit of tidying up: understanding how a machine learns to classify -- Taking an AI by the hand: understanding that a good example is often better than a long explanation -- Learning to count: understanding what statistical learning is -- Learning to read: understanding what a neural network is -- Learning as you draw: understanding what deep learning is -- Winning at go: understanding what reinforcement learning is -- Strong AI: understanding AI's limitations -- Is there cause for concern? Understanding AI can be misused -- To infinity and beyond!: understanding that AI has good days ahead.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) fascinates, challenges and disturbs us. There are many voices in society that predict drastic changes that may come as a consequence of AI - a possible apocalypse or Eden on earth. However, only a few people truly understand what AI is, what it can do and what its limitations are. Understanding Artificial Intelligence explains, through a straightforward narrative and amusing illustrations, how AI works. It is written for a non-specialist reader, adult or adolescent, who is interested in AI but is missing the key to understanding how it works. The author demystifies the creation of the so-called "intelligent" machine and explains the different methods that are used in AI. It presents new possibilities offered by algorithms and the difficulties that researchers, engineers and users face when building and using such algorithms. Each chapter allows the reader to discover a new aspect of AI and to become fully aware of the possibilities offered by this rich field.