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From: conrad@wucs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.cse
Subject: Re: Computer Science Degree Discussion
Message-ID: <1494@wucs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Mar-86 17:07:04 EST
Article-I.D.: wucs.1494
Posted: Thu Mar 13 17:07:04 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 01:34:53 EST
References: <1487@wucs.UUCP> <5665@kestrel.ARPA>
Reply-To: conrad@wucs.UUCP (Conrad Cunningham)
Distribution: na
Organization: Washington U. in St. Louis
Lines: 41

In article <5665@kestrel.ARPA> ladkin@kestrel.ARPA (Peter Ladkin) writes:
>In article <1487@wucs.UUCP>, conrad@wucs.UUCP writes:
>> 1) _computing science_, the study of the principles underlying computation,
>>
>> 2) _computation engineering_ [..] is the engineering discipline 
>> built upon the  "computing science" foundation. 
>>
>> 3) _computer engineering_ [..] the subfield of
>> electrical engineering that deals with the engineering of
>> computational devices.  
>> 
>> 4) _computer technology and applications_ is study of "current"
>> technologies and how to apply them to particular application areas.
>> 
>Where does AI fit here?                                             

If you are talking about AI "research", then it probably doesn't fit in any of
the categories.  AI "applications" would perhaps fit in either 2 or 4,
or perhaps a new "knowledge engineering" category.

From my limited understanding and appreciation for AI, I don't see it
as a "science".  AI is exploring some areas that aren't well enough
understood yet to be dealt with scientifically.  As a better
understanding of an area evolves, then it moves out toward the
mainstream of computer science/applications--it is no longer AI.
Perhaps it's role is somewhat analogous to the role that the field of
Philosophy has played with the traditional sciences.  New areas of
investigation are often explored first by "philosophers" and then, based
on the conceptual frameworks that evolve, the "scientists" can explore
the area scientifically--in an existing field or in a new field.  (How
can you form a scientific hypothesis when you don't know how to begin
to think about the problem? --I don't mean to imply that the
"philosopher" and the "scientist" can't be the same person.)

To me, the "field" of AI as it exists in 1986, is part computing
science, part psychology, part "art", part theology (some of the
issues AI deals with have a theological component), part public
relations hype, part con game, and part mysticism.  :-)

Conrad Cunningham
"Does AI stand for _Ain't Intellegence_?"