Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2020-12-13
Books mentioned on #144 – Michael Littman: Reinforcement Learning and the Future of AI
Michael Littman is a computer scientist at Brown University. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – SimpliSafe: https://simplisafe.
Michael Littman recommended Exhalation by Ted Chiang, and discussed Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom, Reinforcement Learning by Rich Sutton, The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian, Stuart's Fancy Drinks and How to Mix Them by Thomas Stuart, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Superintelligence
Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom is a rigorous examination of the potential risks, paths, and existential threats surrounding the creation of advanced artificial intelligence.
Discussed“so so as as i understand it that uh for example i read boston's book and a bunch of other reading material about this sort of general way of thinking about the world”
Where to get it
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Reinforcement Learning
Reinforcement Learning by Rich Sutton serves as a definitive textbook on the machine learning approach where agents learn to make decisions by taking actions to maximize cumulative reward.
Discussed“i mean that's really surprising to me when i first read that and then enriched rich sutton's book on the matter”
Where to get it
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The Alignment Problem
The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian explores the complex challenges of ensuring that artificial intelligence systems act in accordance with human values and intentions.
Discussed“currently i'm i'm reading uh the alignment problem actually by brian christian so i don't know if you've seen this out there yet”
Where to get it
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Stuart's Fancy Drinks and How to Mix Them
Discussed“I think I think stewart's book did a remarkably good job like a just a celebratory good job at describing ai technology and sort of how it works”
Where to get it
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Exhalation
Exhalation by Ted Chiang is a critically acclaimed collection of philosophical science fiction short stories.
Recommended“so one sci-fi book to recommend is exhalations by ted chang”
Where to get it
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is a comedic science fiction classic that follows the absurd misadventures of the last surviving man, Arthur Dent, across a satirical and indifferent universe.
Discussed“the historical hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy that that is the meaning of life”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“so i when i turned 42 you may know from that's a that is a book i read um the the historical hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy that that is the meaning of life”