Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!amdahl!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpcea!hpnmd!hpsrla!hpmwtla!garyb
From: garyb@hpmwtla.HP.COM (Gary Bringhurst)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: The future of AI [was Re: Time Magazine -- Computers of the Future]
Message-ID: <2300002@hpmwtla.HP.COM>
Date: 7 Apr 88 18:47:28 GMT
References: <962@daisy.UUCP>
Organization: HP MicroWave Technology - Santa Rosa,CA
Lines: 20

>    Some people wondered what
> was the use of opening up a trans-continental railroad when the pony 
> express could send the same letter or package to where you wanted in just
> seven days....
>
>       Sean Brunnock
>       University of Lowell
>       sbrunnoc@eagle.cs.ulowell.edu

I have to agree with Sean here.  So let's analyze his analogy more closely.
AI is to the railroad as conventional CS wisdom is to the pony express.
Railroads can move mail close to three times faster than ponys, therefore
AI programs perform proportionately better than the alternatives, and are not
sluggish or resource gluttons.  Trains are MUCH larger than ponys, so AI
programs must be larger as well.  Trains travel only in well defined tracks,
while ponys have no such limitations...

Hey, don't trains blow a lot of smoke?

Gary L. Bringhurst