Understanding AI

by Rose Hall and Rachel Firth

Published 5 August 2025

Artificial Intelligence is all about humans asking computers and other machines to think and even behave like humans, and to take on jobs that people find too difficult or too boring. But how do you actually define the term? What exactly can machines with AI already do, and what might they be able to do in the future?

This book answers all the questions - where answers exist - and raises debating points at every turn about what it all means. Should we be asking machines to do creative tasks, such as writing and illustrating books? Do we need to worry if intelligent machines need to be treated like people? Is there a chance that machines might take over the world, either by accident or on purpose? Is there any point going to school and doing homework if computers can do it all for us, and better?


Part of the best-selling "Understanding" series that brings to life the wide world of physics. Rather than explaining details about how to do physics, this book focuses on explaining what different branches of physics are about, how we know about them, and what mysteries remain for budding physicists to uncover. It doesn't shy away from the hard stuff, tackling black holes, quantum mechanics and even Einstein's theories of relativity.