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The Practical Philosophy of AI-Assistants presents a formal conversation between an AI engineer, Peter, and a humanities researcher, Suman. The book ensures that specialist concepts in AI research are made comprehensible to a humanities researcher, while humanities theories can be easily grasped by an AI engineer.The authors establish ground rules to design an AI-Assistant, that is, an AI system that could act as a personal friend, consultant and confidante for every individual, to be integrated into our daily lives. These rules apply to four large areas of AI development: recognition and identification, communication, explanation, and civility.In discussing these areas, this book provides an accessible account of the current state of AI research, as well as adding nuance to the underpinning assumptions informing the relevant technologies, reflecting on their social implications.The broader ideological objective of The Practical Philosophy of AI-Assistants is captured by the phrase'practical philosophy', which expresses a commitment to bringing AI development to work towards a good life for all.

'A light-hearted, but engaging conversation about one of the key technologies of our age.I recommend this book to anyone interested in the broader issues around Artificial Intelligence.'Richard HartleyAustralian National University, Australia This book engages with the title question: what is artificial intelligence (AI)? Instead of reiterating received definitions or surveying the field from a disciplinary perspective, the question is engaged here by putting two standpoints into conversation. The standpoints are different in their disciplinary groundings — i.e. technology and the humanities — and also in their approaches — i.e. applied and conceptual. Peter is an AI engineer: his approach is in terms of how to make AI work. Suman is a humanities researcher: his approach is in terms of what people and academics mean when they say'AI'.A coherent argument, if not a consensus, develops by putting the two standpoints into conversation. The conversation is presented in 32 short chapters, in turn by Suman and Peter. There are two parts: Part 1, Questioning AI, and Part 2, AI and Government Policy. The first part covers issues such as the meaning of intelligence, automation, evolution, artificial and language. It outlines some of the processes through which these concepts may be technologically grounded as AI. The second part addresses policy considerations that underpin the development of AI and responds to the consequences. Themes taken up here include: rights and responsibilities; data usage and state-level strategies in the USA, UK and China; unemployment and policy futures.