Is it really possible to explain machine learning in a simple and entertaining way? Gautier Stauffer, professor at HEC Lausanne (UNIL), and his co-authors have taken up the challenge and proved that it is. Their tool? An unexpected format to demystify this technology, often considered complex: the comic strip.
Machine learning, what’s that? A form of artificial intelligence, machine learning enables computer systems to learn from data.
To explain the mechanism, functionalities and opportunities of this technology to an experienced audience of students, managers and business leaders, professors Gautier Stauffer at HEC Lausanne and Olivier Dupouët at Kedge Business School in France, decided to create a comic book. The result – available in French – is “Surf, Sorbets et Statistiques: une introduction au machine learning dans les affaires”, by Bordeaux-based cartoonist Sébastien Tessier, aka Damour.
Through the adventures of an unlikely trio – an eccentric scientist, an Italian uncle who makes and sells itinerant ice creams, and a young, laid-back surfer – readers will discover with ease and humor how machine learning can transform the world of business. At the heart of the story, Giovanni, the passionate ice-cream salesman, and his nephew Simon, the enthusiastic surfer, decide to modernize the family business. With the help of Professor Nimbus and his little robot Aïe, they embark on an adventure where artificial intelligence and machine learning reinvent their trade. Thanks to data and algorithms, and by dint of tests and trials, every sales spot is accurately predicted according to the weather, every ice cream cone becomes tastier, and every customer leaves happy and satisfied with his or her taste experience. As for Giovanni, he’s making his business flourish.
Where does this original idea come from? “We wanted to get off the beaten track and demystify a technology that is often perceived as complex. The comic strip avoids the pitfalls of technical jargon. It makes learning fun and light, and makes it easier for everyone to immerse themselves in what is supposed to be a technical field,” explains Gautier Stauffer. In addition to its engaging characters, the book is rich in anecdotes illustrating the role of machine learning in running an ice cream business. Professor Nimbus embodies the scientific expert, while Giovanni and Simon represent the traditional entrepreneur and the new generation, both confronted with the rise of a rapidly expanding technology.
And what do the first readers think? They’ve been won over: “It’s fun, accessible, and finally makes concepts that seemed out of reach understandable,” confides one reader.
Available free online, this comic book is aimed at a well-informed audience of students, managers and business leaders, as well as data enthusiasts. You can leaf through the digital version or download the high quality version here.
