Top AI books curated by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we have connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite AI books – and here are the answers.

  • Curated by industry experts
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Top AI books recommended by experts
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Fundamentals of AI

Understanding the concepts of AI starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

The Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence

The Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence

This book looks at AI from the outside in, focusing on the resources, labor, politics, and power structures behind modern AI systems. It is a strong pick for someone learning AI who wants more than technical basics and wants to understand the social, environmental, and ethical costs that come with …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The Alignment Problem

The Alignment Problem

Brian Christian looks at how modern machine learning systems can go wrong when their goals do not match human values. It is a strong pick for someone learning AI because it gives useful context on bias, reward design, fairness, and safety, and explains why these issues matter beyond just model perf…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. If machine brains surpassed human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become extremely powerful - possi…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI

Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI

Something new entered our world in November 2022 — the first general purpose AI that could pass for a human and do the kinds of creative, innovative work that only humans could do previously. Wharton professor Ethan Mollick immediately understood what ChatGPT meant: after millions of years on our o…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

On Intelligence

On Intelligence

This book explores a theory of how the brain works, especially how memory and prediction might produce intelligence. It is not a hands-on AI manual, but it is useful for readers who want conceptual background on intelligence and the ideas that have influenced parts of AI research.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: What It Is, Where We Are, and Where We Are Going

A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: What It Is, Where We Are, and Where We Are Going

This book gives a clear, big-picture look at how AI developed, what modern systems can actually do, and where the field may be headed next. It is a good pick for someone learning AI who wants context beyond tools and hype, especially from an experienced researcher who explains both the progress and…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Additional AI Reading

These books are not required for you to learn AI, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Global Edition

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Global Edition

Thelong-anticipated revision of ArtificialIntelligence: A Modern Approach explores the full breadth and depth of the field of artificialintelligence (AI). The 4th Edition brings readers up to date on the latest technologies,presents concepts in a more unified manner, and offers new or expanded cove…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI

The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI

Since it was first published in 2005, Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity Is Near and its vision of an exponential future have spawned a worldwide movement. Kurzweil's predictions about technological advancements have largely come true, with concepts like AI, intelligent machines, and biotechnology now …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics: Algorithms, Worked Examples, and Case Studies

Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics: Algorithms, Worked Examples, and Case Studies

A solid introduction to machine learning focused on predictive analytics, with coverage of core algorithms, worked examples, and practical case studies. It is a good pick for someone learning AI who wants to understand how models are built and applied to real problems like classification, risk asse…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach

This is a foundational AI textbook that gives a broad view of the field, from search and reasoning to machine learning, robotics, and natural language processing. It is a good pick for someone who wants a serious, structured understanding of core AI ideas and the methods behind them.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans

Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans

This book gives a clear, big-picture look at AI, including what modern systems can do well and where they still fall short. It is a good pick for someone learning AI who wants a thoughtful, accessible overview without hype, especially around common misconceptions about machine intelligence.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Artificial Intelligence for Humans

Artificial Intelligence for Humans

This looks like an introductory AI book aimed at explaining the core ideas behind the field, including expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition, and computer vision. Someone learning AI would pick it up to get a broad, beginner-friendly overview of how these major areas fit t…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Specializations and Deeper AI Knowledge

You've got your basics in order – time to move on to some advanced and specialized concepts. AI is evolving every day, these books can help you master it.

Artificial Intelligence By Example: Acquire Advanced AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning Design Skills, 2nd Edition

Artificial Intelligence By Example: Acquire Advanced AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning Design Skills, 2nd Edition

This is a practical AI book that walks through real examples, from simple game-playing programs to chatbots and neural networks. It covers machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and applied topics like IoT and blockchain, so it fits someone who wants broad hands-on exposure to mod…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World

The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World

This book gives a big-picture look at machine learning, explaining the major schools of thought in AI and the idea of a future universal learning algorithm. It is a good pick for someone learning AI who wants context on how modern learning systems work, why they matter, and how they could shape bus…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

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