AI: Call It What It Is

AI has developed its own language. This book makes it understandable.

Large language models. Hallucinations. Tokens. Agents. Alignment. RAG. Guardrails. Slop. Vibe coding. The vocabulary of artificial intelligence is everywhere, but the same words are often used differently by engineers, executives, journalists and marketers.

AI: Call It What It Is is a clear, plain-English guide to 187 of the formal terms, informal expressions and industry slang shaping today’s AI conversation. Each explanation tells you what a term means, what it does not mean and why it matters.

Inside, you will learn how to:

• Understand the language used to describe modern AI

• Separate established technical concepts from marketing labels

• Make sense of generative AI, large language models and AI agents

• Recognise the risks surrounding bias, security, privacy and regulation

• Question exaggerated claims without needing a technical background

• Speak more confidently about AI at work and in everyday life

There is no coding, no mathematics and no breathless prediction about machines taking over the world. Just concise explanations, original illustrations and the context you need to understand what people are really talking about.

Written for business leaders, professionals, students, educators, parents and anyone who feels expected to understand AI without ever having had it properly explained.

Read it from beginning to end or keep it nearby as a quick reference whenever another unfamiliar term appears.

Know the words. Spot the spin. Ask better questions.

Andrew Waldron is a senior technology acquisitions editor at one of the United States’ most respected technology publishers. Over the past decade, he has worked closely with leading authors and technology experts, developing a deep understanding of both the opportunities technology creates and the risks it brings.

A cybersecurity specialist, founder of an AI security agency that helps public and private sector organisations prepare for the emerging threats, challenges and opportunities created by artificial intelligence.