The Laws of Thought

“Tom Griffiths offers a fascinating journey through the frameworks that have shaped our understanding of the mind. From early logic to artificial intelligence, Griffiths–the head of Princeton’s AI Lab–unpacks the math behind how we have tried to capture human thinking. Blending history, science, and cutting-edge research, this book is about the deep connections between artificial and human intelligence, and is a must-read for anyone curious about how we think, and how machines are learning to rival us.”

–Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators

“The Laws of Thought is an engaging tour of how great minds have used math to crack the code of human thought. With delightful story-telling and memorable examples you’ll want to share with friends, Griffiths provides an essential guide for understanding the history of cognitive science and for how to best think about what intelligence means in a more AI-filled future.”

–Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

“In The Laws of Thought, Tom Griffiths invites readers on a captivating exploration of the historical milestones that have shaped our understanding of intelligence. His insights illuminate the evolving relationship between human thought and artificial intelligence, encouraging us to reflect on what it truly means to be intelligent in an age dominated by machines. This book is an indispensable resource for navigating the complexities of our AI-driven world. Griffiths masterfully bridges the gap between theory and practicality, making it a must-read for both scholars and curious minds alike.”

–Annie Duke, author of Thinking in Bets

Tom Griffiths is the Henry R. Luce Professor of Information Technology, Consciousness and Culture in the Departments of Psychology and Computer Science at Princeton University. He also directs Priceton’s Computational Cognitive Science Lab, a research group focused on understanding the mathematical foundations of human cognition, and the Princeton Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence, a new effort that supports innovative research efforts in AI and related fields. Griffiths is coauthor of the book Algorithms to Live By and has published over 400 academic papers in venues that include Science, Nature, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.