Why Machines Learn by Anil Ananthaswamy

Anil Ananthaswamy, with his “Why machines learn. The elegance of the mathematics behind AI”, takes us on a fascinating journey through the heart of artificial intelligence, from the birth of the first experiments to the diffusion and increasingly constant adoption of various GLMs today. This book is not a simple technical manual, nor a biography of scientists, it is a unique work that combines scientific rigor with engaging narration, making the most complex concepts of machine learning accessible even to non-experts.

The author, with his mastery of making complex topics understandable, guides us through the history of artificial intelligence, introducing us to the protagonists who have shaped this field. But it doesn’t just tell stories: it immerses us in the heart of the mathematics that underlies machine learning algorithms. So for example Ananthaswamy introduces the concept of “Perceptron”, one of the first artificial neural network models through the intriguing story of how Warren McCulloch and Walter Pittsa neurophysiologist and a teenage prodigy, met and laid the foundations for this revolutionary idea. The 1943 paper, “A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity,” is considered a turning point in the history of computing and artificial intelligence.

The brilliant intuition of McCulloch and Pitts was to simplify the functioning of the biological neuron in a mathematical model, the neurode. This model, although simplified, was capable of performing basic logical operations, thus demonstrating that artificial neural networks could be used to perform complex calculations. It is from this pioneering work that modern deep neural networks were born, the basis of many of the artificial intelligence applications we use today.

This anecdote is not only fascinating highlights the type of scientific dissemination approach in Ananthaswamy’s vision. The meeting between McCulloch, with his knowledge of the brain, and Pitts, with his training in mathematical logic, gave life to an idea that revolutionized the field of computer science despite coming from substantially different worlds. Ananthaswamy’s in-depth knowledge of the scientific world and his ability to tell fascinating stories make this book an essential work for anyone interested in understanding the basics of artificial intelligence. The author, with his experience as a science journalist at prestigious institutions such as MIT and New Scientist, manages to make us relive the emotion of scientific discovery and make us appreciate the beauty of the mathematics that underlies algorithms of machine learning.

Yes Ananthaswamy manages to replicate the miracle, substantially for each concept and/or chapter, starting with a fascinating anecdote, which captures the reader’s attention and gently introducing him gradually to a complex concept. Subsequently, the author delves into the topic from a mathematical point of view, explaining the concepts in a clear and detailed way, without boring.

“Why machines learn” is a book that can be appreciated both by those approaching artificial intelligence for the first time and by those who are already experts in the sector. It’s a great resource for students, researchers, industry professionals, and simply anyone who is curious about how learning machines work.

“Why Machines Learn. The Elegance of the Mathematics Behind AI” by Anil Ananthaswamy it is published by Apogeo (Feltrinelli Group) and is available online at the price of 27.55 euros as well as in the main bookstores.