Cover of "Navigating the AI World: Using and Building AI at Work" by Prasad Kukkala

Book

Navigating the AI World

Using and Building AI at Work

By Prasad Kukkala

PublishedFirst editionPublished 9 September 2026Updated 19 September 2026

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This book connects everyday AI use with the systems that make it possible, from context and company knowledge to tools, agents and physical infrastructure. It is written for working professionals who want to understand what sits underneath the tools they use, decide what to learn next, and recognize the risks before they paste, connect or automate.

The central recommendation is simple: start with a bounded work problem, establish the data and authority it requires, and add complexity only when evidence justifies it.

Who this book is for

Working professionals who use AI tools at work and want to understand what sits underneath them, decide what to learn next, and recognise the risks before they paste, connect or automate. Part A is for everyone; later parts are for people who build, evaluate or operate AI systems.

What you will learn

  • How language models actually answer, and what that means for trust
  • Where your data goes when you paste, connect or automate, and the five questions to ask first
  • How to let a bounded company problem drive the design of an AI system
  • Retrieval with permission, narrow tool authority and the MCP boundary
  • Evaluation, evidence for release, and designing for hostile input
  • What production AI services cost, how they fail, and how to operate them
  • A roadmap you can revise, with hands-on labs

Contents

Corrections and updates

  • 2026-09-19: Print-edition PDF revised (r2): the "Practice labs" section is set without a part letter, as in the manuscript.
  • 2026-09-19: Downloadable PDF replaced with the print edition typeset to the TechiesJournal book interior standard (7×10, 88 pages, numbered figures, live references).
  • 2026-09-08: Web edition corrected — fixed a spacing typo in Chapter 19. The downloadable First Edition PDF retains the original printed text.

Written by Prasad Kukkala