You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place

An introduction to artificial intelligence that explores how AI works and its growing presence in daily life. Janelle Shane, creator of the blog AI Weirdness, uses examples from her own experiments with AI systems to explain the technology. She demonstrates how AI learns by training systems to name paint colors, generate recipes, and attempt to flirt with humans. The book addresses practical applications of AI, from recommendation algorithms and translation tools to self-driving cars and medical devices. Shane examines how these programs solve problems, understand humans, and sometimes fail in unexpected ways. She also explores quirky outputs from AI systems, such as robot-generated Harry Potter fan-fiction and unusual Halloween costume suggestions. Shane explains how AI programs learn and adapt, and how they reflect both human strengths and weaknesses. The book is intended for readers curious about artificial intelligence and how it influences modern life.