Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!bigtex!natinst!sequoia!dewey
From: dewey@sequoia.UUCP (Dewey Henize)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Where's AI when we really need it?
Message-ID: <406@sequoia.UUCP>
Date: 23 Mar 89 17:31:41 GMT
Reply-To: dewey@sequoia.UUCP (Dewey Henize)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Home for Recalcitrant Hackers
Lines: 31


Watching the boob tube this morning (not a lot to chose from at 4AM), I was
treated to what seems to be repeated every year lately - reports on how
badly the IRS itself is at answering questions regarding filling in our
wonderful tax forms.

Working in this industry, I get bombarded weekly with announcements of new
and wonderful uses for Expert Systems/AI packages, that are all announced
as using a ruleset and a clear interface to solve recurring problems.

Put these two together and you should see my question coming - isn't someone
who knows AI (I admit up front I don't) missing a fantasticly lucrative
market here?  I've used most of the PC based 'fill in the forms' software,
or some large number of them anyhow.  Awkward, to say the least.  I haven't
seen anything better though.  Why not?  I know the tax laws are nasty, but
isn't that exactly what the Expert Systems proponents say their field is
supposed to address?

What am I missing?  Are there products out that do this and I haven't heard
about them?  Or is it really beyond current technology?  Or is it just 'not
interesting' to the AI/Expert Systems folks?  Really, I'd like to know.
Heck, I might even buy something...

Dewey Henize

-- 
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| There is nothing in the above message that can't be explained by sunspots.  |
|                   execu!dewey             Dewey Henize                      |
|         Can you say standard disclaimer?  I knew you could.  Somehow...     |
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