name:
The Eye of the Master: A Social History of Artificial Intelligence,
review:
I got this book because I saw it being highly recommended somewhere. I didn't remember where or why when I started reading it. So when I was suddenly bombarded with the history of labour and how the word algorithm has been defined and used to also mean the processes and the knowledge of carrying out work, it was interesting to read. However, the book slowly builds its way to the modern times, making the case that algorithms have always reflected the work done by humans i.e. labour and that the role of machines has always been based on the division of labour as a means to reuse the knowledge of the collective. I'm no sociologist, but okay, let's see where this goes. Then suddenly the book gets to the modern AI era and we don't get as many details or as detailed an explanation. I read a review that called this book "blue balling for reading" and that's exactly the feeling I have. Disappointing that right where it would have been most useful, it gives up and finishes.,