The most important technology of our time — decoded Millions use AI every day. Few understand why it works.

If you are smart enough to know that using AI isn't the same as understanding it, this book is for you. ✓ What actually happens inside today's AI systems? ✓ What makes today's models so powerful? ✓ Why do they sometimes fail so spectacularly? ✓ Why do they sometimes fail so spectacularly? ✓ And where is all this going next? Bertrand Meyer is a pioneer of modern software engineering, entrepreneur and professor emeritus at ETH Zurich. His influential computer science books have sold over a million copies worldwide. In AI for Smarties, he goes beneath the surface to explain how Modern AI works, what today's systems can and cannot do, and the challenges for all of us. 294 pages, full color, 100+ illustrations, 180+ exercises.

AI for Smarties: Understanding Artificial Intelligence
UNDERSTANDING AI
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AI may be the most hyped technical topic ever, making it particularly urgent to cut through the noise and understand the good, the hype, and the ugly

Philippe Kahn Founder of Borland, Starfish, Lightsurf, inventor of the camera phone

In this impressive book, Bertrand Meyer delivers a masterclass on modern AI. He progressively guides the reader from foundational principles to advanced topics, seamlessly incorporating history, philosophy, societal implications, and key debates—all within a brilliantly engaging and accessible manuscript.

Lionel Briand Director Ireland's national research center for software research, pioneer in software testing and trustworthy AI

The book is a genuine work of demanding popularization, rooted in the tradition of le gai savoir, or perhaps in the best traditions of geek culture, where intellectual rigor is in no way incompatible with humor, curiosity, and the joy of sharing knowledge without pretension.

Stéphane Dalbera digital innovator, founder of Atopos

Clear and simple: your key to understanding why AI works

The path to Modern-AI

How the logic-based techniques of Old-AI failed and gave way to neural networks, backpropagation, gradient descent, and other techniques behind LLMs and other AI successes — explained simply and clearly.

How to use AI effectively

Modern-AI systems are impressive but imperfect. To use them effectively you must understand how they work. This books enables you to stay on top of AI and steer your career in an AI-rich world.

About the Author

– Pioneer of modern software engineering – Leading computer science author with 1M+ books sold – Author of classic Object-Oriented Software Construction, which trained several generations of software developers – Entrepreneur and ETH Zurich professor

About the book

AI for Smarties Understanding Artificial Intelligence By Bertrand Meyer Published by Smarties Press, July 2026 272 + x pages 17 chapters + Bibliography, glossary, index Full color 82 figures, numerous other illustrations

You get more than a book

By purchasing a copy of AI for Smarties, you get access to many resources: exercises, weekly quizzes, reader forum. Best of all, you get one year of free updates — a particularly important benefit for a technology which evolves so fast.

AI for Smarties: Understanding Artificial Intelligence €29.95
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