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Aspects of technology assessment – the future role of artificial intelligence
Author(s) -
Bernold T.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
randd management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1467-9310
pISSN - 0033-6807
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9310.1985.tb00536.x
Subject(s) - computer science , management science , psychology , artificial intelligence , engineering ethics , engineering
Abstract The author regrets that the artificial intelligence (Al) community is too inward looking. There is not enough concern with the potential impact of the new technologies of Al on the world outside. For example, it gives too little importance to the needs of the system user. Continued neglect may mean that it will fall victim to the current shake‐out in the computer industry. The current tendency to restrict system development to modelling expertise rather than general intelligence is a good sign, reflected in the general adoption of the term knowledge engineering rather than Al. The author surveys briefly some of the problems that may bar rapid development: secrecy, the gap between Academe and the industrial user and lack of standardisation. For continued progress it will be necessary to concentrate on designing simple systems, studying knowledge acquisition and orientation on the user. The author appeals for a systematic technology assessment programme to devise means of avoiding negative social impacts such as further de‐skilling of the workforce, concentration of the know‐how into too few hands amd fostering the false idea that Al will eliminate the need for human judgment in decision‐making.