You Teach the Machines: AI On Your Terms - Hardcover

Pennington, Jeff

Hardcover

ISBN 13: 9798998815218

Publisher: Balacynwood, 2025

Synopsis

AI on your terms. Not theirs.

Most people think AI is something that happens to them. Jeff Pennington-a data science veteran who started at Ask Jeeves and spent 17 years leading AI strategy at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia-wants you to know the truth: You are the one teaching the machines.

In You Teach the Machines, Pennington strips away the jargon and technical gatekeeping. Using a mix of pop culture (80's classic Trading Places), art (Bob Ross' "happy little clouds") parenting (his daughter's first swear word), and history, this book provides a non-technical roadmap for the AI revolution. Accessible and entertaining for non-technical people.

What you'll discover:

• Your Fears: Why AI companies should be feared, but that AI itself isn't always scary.
• The Training Cycle: How your everyday interactions-from driving to health apps-feed the algorithms.
• Healthcare & Beyond: How AI can scale medical expertise for rural areas and the hidden risks of data privacy.
• Actionable Literacy: Hands-on exercises to identify what AI is actually good at-and where it fails.
• Historical Perspective: Why the AI shift is the "New Printing Press," not just a new software update.

Whether you're a parent navigating "The AI Talk" with your kids or a professional looking to stay relevant in an automated world, this book gives you the knowledge to maximize benefit and minimize harm.

Stop competing with the machines. Start teaching them.

About this title

About the Author

Jeff Pennington is a veteran data scientist and AI strategist with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of technology and human impact. From his early days at Ask Jeeves to his 17-year tenure leading data initiatives at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Jeff has dedicated his career to demystifying complex systems. As the author of You Teach the Machines: AI On Your Terms, Jeff is a leading voice in AI literacy, advocating for a human-centric approach to machine learning. He is known for using relatable analogies-accidentally teaching his daughter her first swearword, the 1980s classic movie Trading Places-to bridge the gap between technical gatekeeping and public understanding. A sought-after speaker on AI ethics, healthcare data privacy, and the historical parallels of the digital revolution, Jeff's work empowers parents, educators, and professionals to transition from passive technology users to active "teachers" of the machines.

Edition details

• Publisher: Balacynwood
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798998815218
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 236