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From: rggoebel@water.UUCP (Randy Goebel LPAIG)
Newsgroups: can.general,can.ai
Subject: Re: Star Wars North
Message-ID: <409@water.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 30-Mar-85 15:54:54 EST
Article-I.D.: water.409
Posted: Sat Mar 30 15:54:54 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 31-Mar-85 03:59:37 EST
References: <890@ubc-vision.CDN> <6@aquila.UUCP>
Reply-To: rggoebel@water.UUCP (Randy Goebel LPAIG)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 23
Xref: watmath can.general:185 can.ai:37
Summary: 


I think it's important to acknowledge the question of how SDI will
affect research, and AI research in particular.  However, I also
think that Alan Mackworth has suggested that we can debate something
very simple before we start to rationalize ``defense'' research:  a
focus on benefits to society from the economic and cultural is not
unreasonable.   As many people have observed, the Japanese fifth
generation project seeks to provide the tools for transition to an
information society.  This includes lots of things like improving
quality of life, improving the the production and delivery of good and
services, and providing better access to knowledge of all kinds.
I would like to see those who have defended defense research on the basis 
of our ``imperfect world'' try their hand at explaining why these goals
are not more important?

Randy Goebel
Logic Programming and Artificial Intelligence Group
Computer Science Department
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA N2L 3G1
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