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EXPLORING CAREERS IN AI

A thought-provoking and useful look at AI jobs and their future.

An informative look at artificial intelligence and its impact on the workforce and society.

Allen opens by describing how AI’s increasing prevalence has created new jobs and altered existing ones—for example, by automating many repetitive tasks. At the same time, AI is requiring people to develop new skills in areas such as writing, legislation, ethics, and machine-learning engineering. Five subsequent chapters go into more detail about the impact of AI on the workplace, specific career paths in AI, how young people can prepare for AI careers, the challenges of working with AI, and what the future may hold. The author explores how AI has affected areas as disparate as the hiring process and medical screening. He notes that while “novices need to learn the basics of AI, more experienced workers…are finding they must retool their skill sets to revitalize their careers.” The chapters open with narratives that offer insights into specific people and companies who are managing their work with AI, concrete examples that anchor the data and statistics. The book does a good job of discussing ethical issues, including AI errors and biases as well as the dangers of deliberate deception, personal privacy violations, and other concerns. This concise yet wide-ranging and readable work is enhanced by ample stock photos, interesting insights from experts, and well-designed text boxes.

A thought-provoking and useful look at AI jobs and their future. (picture credits, source notes, interview with a software developer, find out more, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2025

ISBN: 9781678210083

Page Count: 64

Publisher: ReferencePoint Press

Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025

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THE NEW QUEER CONSCIENCE

From the Pocket Change Collective series

Small but mighty necessary reading.

A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.

Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.

Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: June 2, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Penguin Workshop

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020

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TAKING ON THE PLASTICS CRISIS

From the Pocket Change Collective series

Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.

Teen environmental activist and founder of the nonprofit Hannah4Change, Testa shares her story and the science around plastic pollution in her fight to save our planet.

Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.

Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Penguin Workshop

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020

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