The Attention

by Yaron Ronen

8 chapters

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Science attention scarcity ai transformers cognitive science neuroscience bounded rationality attention economy predictive coding information foraging working memory sparse attention

This book reveals attention as the fundamental bottleneck constraining both human cognition and AI systems, drawing striking parallels between biological limits like working memory and computational challenges in transformers. Readers gain a unified framework to understand why attention is scarce across silicon and carbon, equipping technologists, researchers, and general readers with insights to design better AI, reclaim personal focus, and navigate the attention economy. Discover practical solutions from cross-disciplinary research that reframe human-AI relations as a shared challenge rather than competition.

Chapters

8 chapters

The Bottleneck That Binds Silicon and Carbon

The Mathematics of Limited Capacity

The Biological Implementation

The Artificial Implementation

Decision Strategies Under Scarcity

Design Under Scarcity

The Ethics of Attention

Pathologies and Convergence