Unraveling AI through Parallels to Human Behavior

The most effective way to learn something complex is to relate it to a concept you already understand. AI can be abstract and challenging to grasp through traditional methods, but you already know how your own brain learns and makes decisions. There are striking parallels between how the human mind and an artificial one absorb new information, form insights, make choices, and correct errors.

This book takes you on a journey of discovery, guiding you through the inner workings of AI by comparing them to our own natural learning process. You ll not only learn the fundamentals of AI but also gain a deeper understanding of why it behaves as it does, revealing how its decision-making mirrors the intelligence at work in our everyday lives.

These parallels work both ways: by studying the quirks and patterns of AI, we can learn to hack our own minds. Together, we ll explore the secret techniques AI uses to make remarkable decisions and discover how to apply these same strategies to human thought. This book offers a fresh perspective on how AI learns and performs, and on the extraordinary neural network each of us carries within our own brains.

Drawing on two decades in aerospace and data science -- including roles at NASA, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman -- the author uses clear, relatable concepts to help learners and professionals gain a practical understanding of AI and discover how its principles can enhance human learning and creativity.

How AI Works (An Overview).- What Is a Cat? How AI (And Humans) Learn.- Touching the Stove: Gradient Descent Guides High Drama Reactions.- Bias and Prejudice: Are Incomplete and Mislabeled Training Sets the Source of Discrimination?.- Local Minima: Risk Aversion and the Tragedy of the Mediocre.- Unacceptable Error Rates: Getting Stuck in a Rut (and How to Get Unstuck).- Reinforced Learning and Mutation: Why Early Coffee Shops Were An Epicenter of Innovation.- Why Do the Fish Have Hands? Breaking the Limits of Function Fixation.- AI-Generated Art 1: How to Generate Unlimited Creativity On Demand.- AI-Generated Art 2: Your Astounding, Hidden Assumptions.- Unanchor the Mean: How to Identify and Remove Unseen Bias from Your AI-Model (Or Your Life).- Agent-Based Training.- Random Forests and Decision Trees: Solving Impossible Mysteries through Lateral Thinking.- Transfer Learning: Learn Once, Use Over and Over.- The Almighty Loophole: How to Exploit Rules While Following Them (A Cautionary Tale).- Conclusion.

Nathan Eskue is the founding partner of Planck Dynamics, a Netherlands-based company developing life-saving systems that leverage AI and quantum technologies for defense and civilian applications. Planck focuses on state-of-the-art quantum-inspired edge computing, quantum authentication for secure communications, and innovative quantum sensing applications for landmine detection/removal.

He also serves as a professor of aerospace engineering at TU Delft, heading a research team focused on AI, quantum applications, manufacturing, robotics, project/business management, and rapid iteration prototyping.

Nathan holds degrees in business information systems, marketing, operations management, an MBA, as well as a Master of Data Science from Columbia University. He has spoken at more than 75 international conferences on AI, aerospace/defense, quantum computing, and other technical topics. His career spans over twenty years at NASA, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and other leading aerospace organizations, with expertise in product development, project management, supply chain, manufacturing, and AI architecture. Currently, his work centers on integrating AI and quantum technologies into advanced manufacturing and space applications, serving as a senior advisor for clients in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.