From Obscurity to World-Changing Tech: 'Genius Makers' by Cade Metz

The time is ten past tomorrow; the day after I finished an intriguing book about the central players in the development of AI tech over the past five decades.

With so much hype around AI at the moment, I think it’s important for us as business leaders to understand the growth story of this society-altering technology. 

That's exactly what "Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World" by Cade Metz does. 

The book gives an in-depth look at the history of AI and fascinating personal stories of the men and women who pioneered the technology. 

It does an excellent job of charting the trajectory of AI; from an academic niche that serious researchers openly sniggered at, to gaining begrudging respect in research labs, to literally becoming the hottest property in technology, business and society today. 

The author, Cade Metz is a technology correspondent for The New York Times, and his experience and perspective on AI shines through in this informative and engaging book.

Overview of the book

At its core, "Genius Makers" is a comprehensive exploration of AI and the people behind it. 

The book covers the history of AI, from its earliest days to the current state of the technology. Metz also looks at the companies and individuals who are leading the way in AI development and implementation, including Google, Microsoft, DeepMind, OpenAI, Yann LeCun and Geoff Hinton.

Although this isn’t a “case studies to apply today” kind of book, I think business leaders interested in AI transformation will find plenty of useful high level insights on how this technology can be used to improve companies.

The book also looks at some of the challenges and ethical considerations that come with AI. This includes issues such as bias in AI algorithms, job displacement, and potential safety concerns with AI-powered machines.

Throughout the book, Metz relates countless, genuinely fascinating real-world examples and stories that illustrate the potential of AI and the people driving its development. 

Pros and cons of the book

For me, the real strength of "Genius Makers" is its comprehensive coverage of the people behind the creation of AI over 5 decades. 

We hear plenty these days about the rockstar CEOs who lead the giant tech corporations, but this book looks past them. 

It tells the stories of the genius, quirky, dogmatic, stubborn and visionary men and women who conceived, birthed, nourished, built and defended AI to get it to where it is today.

Metz does an excellent job of breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand concepts, making it an accessible read for anyone interested in AI, regardless of their level of technical knowledge. 

However, despite his skill in this area, some of the concepts covered in the book are advanced AI themes, which do require some prior understanding of the basics of how AI models work. 

Additionally, some of the ethical considerations discussed in the book may not be relevant to all businesses.

Key takeaways

After reading "Genius Makers," my Kindle is full of highlighted passages. I have definitely come away with a deeper understanding of where AI has come from, which in turn helps to better understand its potential impact on our collective future. 

For me, some of the key takeaways were:

• The importance of understanding AI in today's business landscape. AI is here to stay, as a key competitive advantage for businesses of all sizes, and business leaders who ignore this technology will fall behind.

• The ethical considerations involved with AI. Business leaders who are considering implementing AI in their organizations need to be aware of these challenges in order to ensure they are using this technology ethically and responsibly.

• The opportunities and challenges that come with AI. AI can help businesses streamline their operations, improve their customer experiences, and gain a competitive advantage. However, it can also pose challenges such as bias and job displacement.

• As with so many world-changing technologies, AI may appear to have burst into our lives overnight. The reality is that AI is a field of research which has been active since the 1950s.

Highly recommended

"Genius Makers" is a valuable resource for New Zealand business leaders interested in AI. 

It’s a super interesting read; blending a (mostly) easy-to-understand overview of AI technology, its history, and the main players who dragged it from ridicule to world-changing technology. 

While some of the concepts covered in the book can be complex, I think readers who are willing to put in the effort will come away with a deeper understanding of AI and how it can be used to improve their businesses.

I encourage you to check out "Genius Makers" for yourself and am very keen to hear any feedback or thoughts you may have on the book.