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From: marcel@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.ai
Subject: Re: just a reminder... - (nf)
Message-ID: <3910@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Nov-83 20:25:38 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.3910
Posted: Thu Nov 17 20:25:38 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Nov-83 04:03:51 EST
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#R:sri-arpa:-1364800:uiucdcs:32300007:000:1899
uiucdcs!marcel    Nov 17 11:05:00 1983

I agree. I myself am becoming increasingly worried about a blithe attitude I
sometimes hear: if our technology eliminates some jobs, it will create others.
True, but not everyone will be capable of keeping up with the change.
Analogously, the Industrial Revolution is now seen as a Good Thing, and its
impacts were as profound as those promised by AI. And though it is said that
the growth of knowledge can only be advantageous in the long run (Logical
Positivist view?), many people became victims of the Revolution.

In this respect I very much appreciated an idea that was aired at IJCAI-83,
namely that we should be building expert systems in economics to help us plan
and control the effects of our research.

As for the localization of power, that seems almost inevitable. Does not the
US spend enough on cosmetics to cover the combined Gross National Products of
37 African countries? And are we not so concerned about our Almighty Pocket
that we simply CANNOT export our excess groceries to a needy country, though
the produce rot on our dock? Then we can also keep our technology to ourselves.

One very obvious, and in my opinion sorely needed, application of AI is to
automating legal, veterinary and medical expertise. Of course the law system
and our own doctors will give us hell for this, but on the other hand what kind
of service profession is it that will not serve except at high cost? Those most
in need cannot afford the price. See for yourself what kind of person makes it
through Medical School: those who are most aggressive about beating their
fellow students, or those who have the money to buy their way in. It is little
wonder that so few of them will help the under-priviledged -- from the start
the selection criteria wage against such motivation. Let's send our machines
in where our "doctors" will not go!

					Marcel Schoppers
					U of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign