Media Resources

Who is the audience?

This book is for anyone who is interested in AI and wants to know why it works, how it works, and what it has in store for all of us. Any prior experience with AI will help but there are no prerequisites; the book explains all the necessary concepts from the ground up.

About the book

The most important technology of our time — decoded.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming every profession, every industry, and nearly every aspect of society. Millions of people use AI every day.

Few understand why it works.

AI for Smarties explains the principles behind today’s AI revolution in clear, accessible language, separating enduring concepts from passing hype.

Existing books include academic texts, demanding too much background for most readers, and books focused on tools or current products. AI for Smarties strikes the right balance by explaining in simple terms the scientific ideas that made modern AI possible.

Why this book matters

About Bertrand Meyer

Bertrand Meyer is a software engineer, entrepreneur, educator, and author whose work has influenced generations of software developers. He is known as the creator of the Eiffel language, the inventor of Design by Contract and the author of the all-time best-seller Object-Oriented Software Construction which introduced object technology to an entire generation and played a key role in the success of the technology. He is the founder of Interactive Software Engineering (now Eiffel Software), Propulsion Academy (now Constructor Nexademy), and Recognyze.ai. Recipient of the ACM Software System Award, the IEEE Harlan Mills Award, the Dahl-Nygaard award, the Jolt Award. Member of Academia Europaea and the French National Academy of Technology. ACM Fellow, IFIP Fellow. Recipient of two honorary doctorates.

Why Bertrand Meyer?

Journalists may know AI, but many won’t know Bertrand’s background. His career shows he has spent decades helping shape modern software engineering—not simply commenting on AI.

• 1985 — Founded Interactive Software Engineering (Eiffel Software)
• 1988 — Published Object-Oriented Software Construction (Prentice Hall, Tony Hoare International Series)
• 1990s — Designed and implemented the principles of Design by Contract
• 1997 — Published Object-Oriented Software Construction, 2nd Edition (Pearson)
• 2000s — Professor at ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, top technical university in Europe)
• 2014 — Published classic text on agile methods: Agile: the Good, the Hype and the Ugly
• 2017 — Founded Propulsion Academy
• 2022 — Propulsion Academy acquired
• 2022 — Published classic text on requirements engineering: Handbook of Requirements and Business Analysis
• 2026 — Published AI for Smarties

Interview topics

• Why did AI suddenly succeed?
• What are Large Language Models actually doing?
• Why did machine learning replace rule-based AI?
• What software engineering can teach AI
• Will AI replace programmers?
• What jobs will be impacted?
• What are successful career strategies in the age of AI?
• Does education have to adapt to AI?
• The future of AI

Sample questions

• What is the biggest misconception about AI today?
• Why did rule-based AI fail?
• What jobs are at risk?
• What does “the triumph of empiricism” really mean?
• How can LLMs produce such impressive answers?
• What causes AI hallucinations?
• Is software engineering still relevant?
• Can AI reason?
• How should universities teach AI?

Book facts

Title: AI for Smarties:

Subtitle: Understanding Artificial Intelligence

✓ Why large language models work ✓ Why learning replaced rules ✓ What AI means for software engineering, education, and society A clear explanation of AI from one of software engineering’s pioneers, Bertrand Meyer. – Author of classic best-seller _Object-Oriented Software Construction_ – ACM Software System Award – IEEE Harlan Mills Prize

Author: Bertrand Meyer
Publisher: Smarties Press
Publication Date: July 2026
Language: English
272 + x pages
Preface, 17 chapters, glossary of AI, bibliography, extensive index
Full color. 82 figures, numerous other illustrations
Formats: E-book (PDF), Print (forthcoming)
ISBN: Forthcoming
Price: €29.95

Website: https://ai-for-smarties.com/

Translations into other languages: in progress, French version due out in September 2026.

Early praise for “AI for Smarties”

“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

“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 and founder of Atopos.

“Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what AI can and cannot do.”

High-resolution Images

Website / QR: https://www.ai-for-smarties.com/