THE FUTRE IS OURS When humans first evolved, we were basically indistinguishable from animals. Then we harnessed the power of fire, and it catapulted us beyond a state of animalism. Since then, human innovation has propelled us from one technological revolution to the next. We are now at the next world-altering wave of technological evolution: artificial intelligence. But the current AI offerings cannot fulfill our fundamental desire to communicate with our technology through speech. We didn't evolve to type or use a mouse; we evolved to have conversations, including with our technology. We want the USS Enterprise shipboard computer, J.A.R.V.I.S. from Iron Man, the interface from Her. But we are not there yet. Conversational AI and AI in general are collectively our next fire, light bulb, or internet. And we must thank Apple, Google, and Amazon for whetting our appetite with Siri, Google Home, and Alexa. But now we're ready for what's next. That's where the groundbreaking work of computer scientist Jason Mars and Clinc, the company he founded, comes in. Breaking Bots paints a thrilling portrait of the past, present, and future of the AI revolution through Jason's unlikely journey to AI stardom, the extraordinary rise of Clinc from a scrappy start-up to a juggernaut toppler, and the paradigm-shifting technical and cultural DNA that makes Jason's work and Clinc's technology the future of AI. The AI revolution is at hand--and you are part of the journey!

From Facebook Messenger to Kik, and from Slack bots to Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and email bots, the new conversational apps are revolutionizing the way we interact with software. This practical guide shows you how to design and build great conversational experiences and delightful bots that help people be more productive, whether it’s for a new consumer service or an enterprise efficiency product. Ideal for designers, product managers, and entrepreneurs, this book explores what works and what doesn’t in real-world bot examples, and provides practical design patterns for your bot-building toolbox. You’ll learn how to use an effective onboarding process, outline different flows, define a bot personality, and choose the right balance of rich control and text. Explore different bot use-cases and design best practices Understand bot anatomy—such as brand and personality, conversations, advanced UI controls—and their associated design patterns Learn steps for building a Facebook Messenger consumer bot and a Slack business bot Explore the lessons learned and shared experiences of designers and entrepreneurs who have built bots Design and prototype your first bot, and experiment with user feedback

A revealing look at how user behavior is powering deep social divisions online—and how we might yet defeat political tribalism on social media In an era of increasing social isolation, platforms like Facebook and Twitter are among the most important tools we have to understand each other. We use social media as a mirror to decipher our place in society but, as Chris Bail explains, it functions more like a prism that distorts our identities, empowers status-seeking extremists, and renders moderates all but invisible. Breaking the Social Media Prism challenges common myths about echo chambers, foreign misinformation campaigns, and radicalizing algorithms, revealing that the solution to political tribalism lies deep inside ourselves. Drawing on innovative online experiments and in-depth interviews with social media users from across the political spectrum, this book explains why stepping outside of our echo chambers can make us more polarized, not less. Bail takes you inside the minds of online extremists through vivid narratives that trace their lives on the platforms and off—detailing how they dominate public discourse at the expense of the moderate majority. Wherever you stand on the spectrum of user behavior and political opinion, he offers fresh solutions to counter political tribalism from the bottom up and the top down. He introduces new apps and bots to help readers avoid misperceptions and engage in better conversations with the other side. Finally, he explores what the virtual public square might look like if we could hit "reset" and redesign social media from scratch through a first-of-its-kind experiment on a new social media platform built for scientific research. Providing data-driven recommendations for strengthening our social media connections, Breaking the Social Media Prism shows how to combat online polarization without deleting our accounts.

You don’t need to be a wizard to transform a game you like into a game you love. Imagine if you could give your favorite PC game a more informative heads-up display or instantly collect all that loot from your latest epic battle. Bring your knowledge of Windows-based development and memory management, and Game Hacking will teach you what you need to become a true game hacker. Learn the basics, like reverse engineering, assembly code analysis, programmatic memory manipulation, and code injection, and hone your new skills with hands-on example code and practice binaries. Level up as you learn how to: –Scan and modify memory with Cheat Engine –Explore program structure and execution flow with OllyDbg –Log processes and pinpoint useful data files with Process Monitor –Manipulate control flow through NOPing, hooking, and more –Locate and dissect common game memory structures You’ll even discover the secrets behind common game bots, including: –Extrasensory perception hacks, such as wallhacks and heads-up displays –Responsive hacks, such as autohealers and combo bots –Bots with artificial intelligence, such as cave walkers and automatic looters Game hacking might seem like black magic, but it doesn’t have to be. Once you understand how bots are made, you’ll be better positioned to defend against them in your own games. Journey through the inner workings of PC games with Game Hacking, and leave with a deeper understanding of both game design and computer security.

Bots – automated software applications programmed to perform tasks online – have become a feature of our everyday lives, from helping us navigate online systems to assisting us with online shopping. Yet, despite enabling internet users, bots are increasingly associated with disinformation and concerning political intervention. In this ground-breaking book, Monaco and Woolley offer the first comprehensive overview of the history of bots, tracing their varied applications throughout the past sixty years and bringing to light the astounding influence these computer programs have had on how humans understand reality, communicate with each other, and wield power. Drawing upon the authors' decade of experience in the field, this book examines the role bots play in politics, social life, business, and artificial intelligence. Despite bots being a fundamental part of the web since the early 1990s, the authors reveal how the socially oriented ones continue to play an integral role in online communication globally, especially as our daily lives become increasingly automated. This timely book is essential reading for students and scholars in Media and Communication Studies, Sociology, Politics, and Computer Science, as well as general readers with an interest in technology and public affairs.

In the second installment in the Robots Rule series, George is thrilled to score his dream job at Tinker Tech Industries. But he and his best pal Jackbot soon realize that something does not compute. Gizmos and gadgets combine with mystery-by-the-megabyte in this rollicking robot adventure for readers ages 9 to 12.

Strategic technology strategy for smaller financial institutions Breaking Digital Gridlock empowers credit unions and community banks to make the shift to digital—even without a seven-figure consulting budget. From leadership, to technology, to security, and more, this book provides effective, real-world strategies for taking the leap without tearing your organization apart. With an emphasis on maintaining the culture, services, and features you have carefully crafted for your customers over the years, these strategies allow you to make your organization more resistant to digital disruption by adopting key technologies at key points in their evolution. Expert advice grounded in practicality shows how FinTech partnerships and strategic technology acquisition can foster new growth with minimal disruption, and how project management can be restructured to most effectively implement any digital solution and how to implement and leverage analytics. Specific implementation advice coupled with expert approaches offer the ability to modernize in an efficient, organized, financially-sound manner. The companion website features a digital readiness assessment that helps clarify the breadth and scope of the change, and serves as a progress check every step of the way. Access to digital assets helps smooth the path to implementation, and a reader forum facilitates the exchange of ideas, experiences, and advice. Identify revolutionary versus evolutionary technology opportunities Empower employee innovation, and stop managing all risk out of good ideas Understand blockchain, machine learning, cloud computing, and other technologies Forge strategic partnerships that will drive growth and success amidst technological upheaval It is widely accepted that digital is the future of banking, but knowing is not the same as doing. If your organization has been riding the fence for too long amidst uncertainty and budget constraints, Breaking Digital Gridlock provides the solutions, strategies, and knowledge you need to begin moving forward.