Are you a novice in robotics, or are you interested in new industry developments?
Whatever your goal is, we have a book for you on our list.
If you’re as geeky as us (clicking this title proves that you are), you’ll like our top four theoretical, practical, and philosophical books about the topic. Jump on board and explore with us.
Humans Need Not Apply (2015) by Jerry Kaplan
The first entry is an oldie for a fast-paced industry like this. However, the book’s themes still hold their ground. The piece dwells on emerging technologies shaping society in the future, its impact on the job market, and the probability that it might lead to income inequality.
Predicting confusion among the population, the author suggests changing crucial aspects of the economic approach and social protocols to ease the shock.
This book will be equally interesting for economists, philosophy enthusiasts, and techies.
Robotics (2016)
Everything You Need to Know About Robotics from Beginner to Expert by Peter Mckinnon
Congratulations, you’ve stumbled upon an ultimate first textbook for anyone who wants to start building artificial intelligence-powered machines. Peter Mackinnon talks about the history, rules, and basics of the craft. He explores the ins and outs of hardware and software.
This book is an excellent place to start, but you also need hands-on experience whether you want to explore robotics as a hobby or as a career (a lucrative one, by the way).
Attending hardware and software hackathons can be useful.
An Octopart.com community post mentions that top-class hardware competitions are quite challenging to organize. Still, you’ll most likely find a decent one in the area and get a chance to develop an extraordinary machine in a weekend.
Civilization in Overdrive (2020)
Conversations at the Edge of the Human Future by Konrad Stachnio
One of the newest entries in our list, this collection of interviews includes insightful questions by the author and shocking revelations about AI, robotics, and humanity’s future.
Seventeen experts from various industries, thinkers, and professors discuss the future of our race, our perception of artificial intelligence, and how the world we know might not be there in a decade. Here are some of the topics included in the book:
- Where humans stand in the world ruled by algorithms.
- Is the direction tech is taking nowadays inevitable?
- How crypto and blockchain will impact economics and workplaces.
- How will brain chips and human-robot neurobiological bonds work?
New Laws of Robotics (2020)
Defending Human Expertise in the Age of AI by Frank Pasquale
Contrary to the previous entry’s themes and moods, this one eases a human into the thought of a future alongside androids.
This inspiring – sometimes even optimistic – entry takes a tad different approach. Its main goal is to show that human expertise is invaluable, even in the inevitably approaching machines’ age. It talks about:
- Policymaking
- Collaborative robotics
- Decentralization of decision-making
- Avoiding the “us vs them” mentality
Under the right laws and regulations, robots will add to the value of human effort rather than robbing them of their jobs. This is the author’s belief.
Bottom Line
Tens of titles hit the bookstore stands and digital retailers every year. With the industry in motion, we should expect more exasperating reads in 2021. Keep curious, and may the force be with you.
