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From: augs@cray.com (Paul Algren)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: What AI is exactly.
Message-ID: <1990Sep14.143300@cray.com>
Date: 14 Sep 90 19:33:00 GMT
References: <25392@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <3797@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM> <3543@gara.une.oz.au> <3815@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM> <1990Sep10.140437.19913@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu>
Reply-To: augs@cray.com (Paul Algren)
Organization: Cray Research, inc.
Lines: 26

AI is a term used to describe a quest to solve increasingly complex problems
with a computer.

Let's face it no program today is doing more than following the instructions 
some programmer has given it.  Some how I can never assign intelligence to 
following directions tediously (don't try to be philosophical here!).
What some programs are able to do is solve very complex problems consistently
enough to leave us in awe!  It can be argued that the computer can solve 
some problems better than a human can just because it is more rigorous.
But, I don't think to be rigorous has anything to do with intelligence either.
 
The problem is as the problems we want to solve become more complex, the 
time and effort put forward to solve them becomes too much given traditional
languages.

AI tools provide the added functionality needed to encode a solution
clear enough and with enough economy to produce results, when a traditional 
language would become incomprehensable.
 
If it solves a real problem don't knock it!! 
Corollary: Who cares if people think it's A`I'?

If someday we do create a computer which captures the essence of intelligence,
I hope it desires to follow directions tediously without pay. ????????