TheRicanReader

Estimated read time: 2 minutes Review: Human Again: In the Age of AI by J. D. MacPherson Courtesy of NetGalley and Book Whisper  I approached this review from two perspectives, one as an avid supporter of the AI revolution, the other from the lens of how AI would view the author’s written work.  Most books about artificial intelligence focus on knowledge : what AI can do, how it works, and why it matters. J. D. MacPherson makes a more important distinction. In Human Again , she argues that the real advantage in an AI-driven world isn’t knowledge—it’s insight . Data is abundant. Understanding is not. . Written in clear, engaging language, MacPherson shows how humans and AI can work together not to accumulate more information, but to extract meaning from it. Her concept of INK —Insight versus Knowledge—runs quietly but decisively through the book. AI can surface facts at scale; humans provide context, judgment, values, emotion, and direction. When the human element and AI the a...

  What You Need to Know About AI: A Primer on Being Human in an Artificially Intelligent World by James Wang — Courtesy of NetGalley Artificial intelligence is no longer theoretical—it is reshaping how we work, invest, govern, and live. In What You Need to Know About AI , James Wang offers a grounded, no-hype primer for readers who want to understand AI and its implications for being human in a rapidly automated world. Wang is strongest when explaining cause and effect: how economics, incentives, and technological progress intersect to drive AI’s adoption. He avoids the extremes that dominate much AI writing—there is no sci-fi alarmism (Terminator, iRobot, or HAL) and no blind optimism (AI is not going to save this world, only mankind can do that). Instead, Wang presents AI as a powerful human-created tool, capable of broad benefit but also real disruption, including misuse by bad actors and nation states. The book is informative and, at times, demanding (at least it was for...