Smart Machines: How AI Is Changing Our World

Gr 5 Up–Artificial intelligence (AI) permeates students’ academic and personal lives, as well as how librarians and teachers guide learning. This timely addition to the “Orca Think” series provides basic information on the obvious questions: What can AI accomplish? How reliable is what you get from an AI query? That said, the book’s greatest strength is de-mystifying how AI systems actually function. The author excels at making complex concepts accessible through clear explanations and effective visual aids that support diverse learning styles. Building logically from familiar concepts like machine learning and large language models, the text illuminates their similarities and differences. A critical, and helpful, example is describing artificial neural networks (ANN) as they augment LLM and machine learning. She gives a “sandwich” analogy—input layer, hidden layers, and output layer— which helps readers grasp AI algorithms and understand fundamental differences between AI queries and traditional Google searches. What is particularly valuable are concrete examples of AI’s limitations and failures. A critical component of early ChatGPT chatbots’ training was Wikipedia. Now a feedback loop—chatbots modifying and writing the Wikipedia entries—how lead to unreliable outputs and hallucinations. This is crucial context for understanding several of AI’s current challenges and foibles. The book’s final section methodically examines nine ethical considerations in AI research, including privacy concerns, “do no harm,” and sustainability. Practical resources enhance the book’s utility: for example the contact information for organizations certifying copyright-compliant AI tools; and details about summer programs for students who want to be changemakers in AI. Standard nonfiction features: comprehensive table of contents, a glossary, a list of resource for follow-up research, and a robust index.