AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can't, and How to Tell the Difference by Sayash Kapoor Arvind Narayanan

AI Snake Oil by Sayash Kapoor and Arvind Narayanan is a clear-eyed guide to the promises and limits of artificial intelligence. Written for readers who want to understand AI without the hype, it explains what these systems can genuinely do, where they fall short, and why some claims sound better than the evidence behind them.

Blending accessible science writing with practical insight, the book helps you spot misleading marketing, evaluate AI tools more critically, and make sense of the technology shaping work, media, and everyday life. If you want a thoughtful, balanced look at AI’s real-world impact, this book offers exactly that.