Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World

In this debut, Metz, technology correspondent for the New York Times, has crafted an engaging narrative focused on the figures who have been working on artificial intelligence (AI) over the decades. Some of the world’s most significant AI researchers and companies form the matrix of this history, as do their comings and goings into and out from the field. Metz covers early pioneers, such as Geoff Hinton and Alan Eustace, along with the development of technology and its terminology. This fast-paced account of people and places brings into context the historical roots of Internet giants Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon, and how their paths to success were not always guaranteed. Alongside stories of progress, Metz reveals tensions among prominent figures within Silicon Valley as well as tech hubs in New York and London. Competition is a recurring theme throughout this well-written narrative, as Metz brings to life personalities that dominated start-ups and other tech companies.