From reengineering to e-business, one factor stands out as the key differentiator between success and failure: clear alignment between business requirements and technology. This book presents a comprehensive roadmap and methodology for achieving that alignment--and maximizing ROI on any IT project.

A jaw-dropping exploration of everything that goes wrong when we build AI systems and the movement to fix them. Today’s “machine-learning” systems, trained by data, are so effective that we’ve invited them to see and hear for us—and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Recent years have seen an eruption of concern as the field of machine learning advances. When the systems we attempt to teach will not, in the end, do what we want or what we expect, ethical and potentially existential risks emerge. Researchers call this the alignment problem. Systems cull résumés until, years later, we discover that they have inherent gender biases. Algorithms decide bail and parole—and appear to assess Black and White defendants differently. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical tests, will be seen by human eyes. And as autonomous vehicles share our streets, we are increasingly putting our lives in their hands. The mathematical and computational models driving these changes range in complexity from something that can fit on a spreadsheet to a complex system that might credibly be called “artificial intelligence.” They are steadily replacing both human judgment and explicitly programmed software. In best-selling author Brian Christian’s riveting account, we meet the alignment problem’s “first-responders,” and learn their ambitious plan to solve it before our hands are completely off the wheel. In a masterful blend of history and on-the ground reporting, Christian traces the explosive growth in the field of machine learning and surveys its current, sprawling frontier. Readers encounter a discipline finding its legs amid exhilarating and sometimes terrifying progress. Whether they—and we—succeed or fail in solving the alignment problem will be a defining human story. The Alignment Problem offers an unflinching reckoning with humanity’s biases and blind spots, our own unstated assumptions and often contradictory goals. A dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, it takes a hard look not only at our technology but at our culture—and finds a story by turns harrowing and hopeful.

Meeting the challenges of high-performance HR Until 1760 ships routinely disappeared, ran aground, or sank because seafarers could not measure longitude. The cost in life and property was immense. Today, business faces a similar challenge, as the failure to measure human resources performance is just as costly and deadly to modern organizations. Senior executives once considered HR a "soft," unavoidable cost of doing business, responsible for compensation, employee transactions, company functions, workforce problems, and legal issues. Three factors changed this perception: the significant impact of high-performance HR, the implications of poorly performing HR, and soaring HR operating expenses. These factors have led to an increased demand and focus on HR metrics. Ultimate Performance approaches this challenge by providing clear, proven measurement solutions that will optimize the performance of people and businesses.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Spatial Cognition, Spatial Cognition 2014, held in Bremen, Germany, in September 2014. The 27 revised full papers presented in this book were carefully selected and reviewed from 53 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on spatial memory; language and communication; wayfinding and navigation; computational models; diagrams and maps; technical approaches; and spatial ability.

This book reviews comprehensively the technological, scientific, artistic and medical applications of liquid crystals. It starts with the basics of liquid crystals and covers electro-optical, thermo-optical, colour, polymeric, lyotropic, and scientific applications of liquid crystalline materials. It discusses the fabrication and operational principles of a full range of liquid crystal displays including dynamic scattering, twisted nematic, supertwisted nematic, dichroic, smectic A, ferroelectric, polymer dispersed, light valve, active matrix, etc., in detail. It also covers the emerging applications of liquid crystals such as optical computing, nonlinear optics, decorative and visual arts. The detailed chapters on classification, theory, chemical structure, physical properties and surface alignment of liquid crystals facilitate the basic understanding of the science behind LCDs and other uses of liquid crystals. The chapters on liquid crystal polymers and lyotropic liquid crystals, give deep insight into these areas. The potential uses and applications are also described in detail.

A systematic, carefully authored review of our current observational and theoretical knowledge of dark energy. Providing a brief and concise overview, the book covers theory and experiment in equal detail, directly linking the two. A final section also looks at future developments. Indispensable for researchers entering this rapidly evolving field.