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From: jah@brunix.UUCP (Jim Hendler)
Newsgroups: net.ai
Subject: Re: RE: Expert Systems
Message-ID: <5992@brunix.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 13-Dec-83 11:14:51 EST
Article-I.D.: brunix.5992
Posted: Tue Dec 13 11:14:51 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Dec-83 08:33:14 EST
References: inmet.578
Lines: 31

I don't understand what the "size" of a program has to do with anything.
The notion that size is important seems to support the idea that the
word "science" in "computer science" belongs in quote marks.  That is,
that CS is just a bunch of hacks anyhow.
 The theory folks, whom I think most of us would call computer scientists,
write almost no programs.  Yet, I'd say their contribution to CS is
quite important (who analyzed the sorting algorithm you used this morning?)
 At least some parts of AI are still Science (with a capital "S").  We are
exploring issues involving cognition and memory, as well as building the
various programs that we call "expert systems" and the like.  Pople's group,
for example, are examining how it is that expert doctors come to make
diagnoses.  He is interested in the computer application, but also in the
understanding of the underlying process.


 Now, while we're flaming, let me also mention that some AI programs have
been awfully large.  If you are into the "bigger is better" mentality, I
suggest a visit to Yale and a view of some of the language programs there.
How about FRUMP, which in its 1978 version took up three processes each
using over 100K of memory, the source code was several hundred pages, and
it contained word definitions for over 10,000 words.  A little bigger
than Haunt??

  Pardon all this verbiage, but I think AI has shown itself both on
the scientific level, by contributions to the field of psychology,
(and linguistics for that matter) and by contributions to the state of
the art in computer technology, and also in the engineering level, by
designing and building some very large programs and some new
programming techniques and tools.

  -Jim Hendler