Ethical issues concerning expert systems' applications in education

This article traces the connection between expert systems used as consultants in medicine and their design for instructional purposes in education. It is suggested that there are important differences between these applications. Recognizing these differences leads to the view that the development of intelligent computer-assisted instructions (ICAI) should be guided by empirical research into social/psychological consequences and by ethical inquiries into the acceptability of those consequences. Three proposals are put forward: (1) that the pedagogical role of intelligent CAI be clarified, (2) that forms of intelligent CAI be developed that aim primarily at refining rather than replacing human judgements, and (3) that ICAI research and development projects contain components which address ethical and social/psychological components and which are equitably-funded, integral parts of the overall development effort.This work was supported in part by funds from the Foundation of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and from the State of North Carolina. An earlier version of this paper was read at the Human Dimension in Artificial Intelligence Symposium held at the University of Kentucky (April 1988).     

A prolog based expert system for the allocation of quality assurance program resources

The worldwide proliferation of fraudulent materials has brought about the need for a new approach to the control of purchased material quality. Nuclear power, defense, aerospace and many other industries are affected by the supply of poor quality clones that presume to be original replacement parts. Safety considerations abound as these highly defective materials are used in systems that are critical to the preservation of human lives. Commonly utilized quality assurance programs have not effectively stopped the influx of fraudulent materials. These programs fail to concentrate inspection efforts on materials and inspection attributes that would effectively prevent the acceptance of fraudulent materials. herein a solution is presented to this problem in the form of an expert system application. Information commonly available in industry is formulated into a knowledge based system wherein advisories are given to the user regarding key purchased material receipt inspection strategies.     

Building a user model implicitly from a cooperative advisory dialog

This paper reviews existing methods for building user models to support adaptive, interactive systems, identifies sigificant problems with these approaches, and describes a new method for implicitly acquiring user models from an ongoing user-system dialog. Existing explicit user model acquisition methods, such as user edited models or model building dialogs put additional burden on the user and introduce artificial model acquisition dialogs. Hand coding stereotypes, another explicit acquisition method, is a tedious and error-prone process. On the other hand, implicit acquisition techniques such as computing presuppositions or entailments either draw too few inferences to be generally useful, or too many to be trusted.In contrast, this paper describes GUMAC, a General User Model Acquisition Component that uses heuristic rules to make default inferences about users' beliefs from their interaction with an advisory expert system. These rules are based on features of human action and conversation that constrain people's behavior and establish expectations about their knowledge. The application of these rules is illustrated with two examples of extended dialogs between users and an investment advisory system. During the course of these conversations, GUMAC is able to acquire an extensive model of the users' beliefs about the aspects of the domain considered in the dialog. These models, in turn, provide the sort of information needed by an explanation generator to tailor explanations the advisory system gives to its users.     

Is construction procurement a key to sustainable development?

Has specialization of professional roles obstructed the holistic approach and sustainable development? A preliminary survey in Botswana involving construction professionals found that existing procurement systems have not integrated the efforts of the different project participants and also fail to fulfil the expectations of the users. A holistic approach involving the re-integration of construction disciplines by applying new procurement methods is proposed. An integrated, holistic way of working could provide a number of synergies through the consideration of the building project as an entire system. The implications include better decision making upstream, more efficient use of resources and the mitigation of negative environmental effects downstream.

La specialisation professionnelle est-elle un obstacle a l'approche globale et au developpement durable? Une etude preliminaire menee au Botswana et portant sur les metiers de la construction a revele que les systemes d'approvisionnement actuels n'integrent pas les efforts des differents participants a un projet et ne repondent pas aux attentes des utilisateurs. Cet article propose une approche globale dont le succes repose sur la reintegration de ces metiers et sur de nouvelles methodes d'approvisionnement. Une methode de travail integree et holistique, ou un projet de construction serait considere comme un systeme complet, pourrait faire naitre un certain nombre de synergies. Cette hypothese exige un meilleur processus decisionnel en amont une utilisation plus efficace des ressources et l'attenuation des effets negatifs sur l'environnement en aval.     

Design and performance of large low-cost solar water heating systems

An analysis is presented for the monthly performance evaluation of a simple design low cost solar water heating systems. A sample of typical results is presented which confirms their suitability as solar heating systems for summer peacking or as solar preheaters for year around loads.     

Formal methods: The next generation of system design tools

Because of the growing demand for increasingly complex computer-based systems there is now an urgent need to provide tools to assist during the design of such systems. Formal specifications and formal methods provide such assistance but their widespread adoption has been hindered by the so-called ‘math fear’ and the perception that the tools are too difficult, too time consuming and too costly to use in a commercial environment. The aim of this article is to dispel the mystery surrounding the topic and to explain what formal methods are, how and why they are used, the benefits that accrue and why the technology should be accepted on a broader front. The application of formal methods to the design of computer-based systems will be discussed without resorting to jargon or mathematics. The discussion will concentrate more on the software content of systems but the arguments apply equally well to hardware. Some of the available tools will also be introduced.     

Agens Faber: Toward a Theory of Artefacts for MAS

Human intelligence has evolved along with the use of more and more sophisticated tools, allowing Homo Faber (from Homo Habilis to Homo Sapiens Sapiens) to cope with environment changes, as well as to adapt the environment to his needs. Analogously, in this seminal paper we introduce the notion of Agens Faber, conveying the idea that agent intelligence should not be considered as separated by the agent ability to perceive and affect the environment—and so, that agent intelligence is strictly related to the artefacts that enable, mediate and govern any agent (intelligent) activity.

Along this line, we first discuss the notion of artefact for MAS in general, then we try to devise out the admissible / required / desirable features of an artefact for MAS. We elaborate on the many sorts of possible relations between agents and artefacts, focusing in particular on the issue of the rational exploitation of artefacts, and also rough out a possible taxonomy of artefacts for MAS.     

Integrating scheduling and control functions in computer integrated manufacturing using artificial intelligence

Proper integration of scheduling and control in Flexible Manufacturing Systems will make available the required level of decision-making capacity to provide a flexibly-automated, efficient, and quality manufacturing process. To achieve this level of integration, the developments in computer technology and sophisticated techniques of artificial intelligence (AI) should be applied to such FMS functions as scheduling. In this paper, we present an Intelligent Scheduling System for FMS under development that makes use of the integration of two AI technologies. These two AI technologies — Neural Networks and Expert Systems — provide the intelligence that the scheduling function requires in order to generate goodschedules within the restrictions imposed by real-time problems. Because the system has the ability to plan ahead and learn, it has a higher probability of success than conventional approaches. The adaptive behavior that will be achieved contribute to the integration of scheduling and control in FMS.     

Seismic safety of lifelines—an optimum design method

Lifeline systems are vulnerable to two types of hazards arising from potential earthquake sources. These are the hazard of a fault-rupture strike on elements of a lifeline system and the hazard of overstress induced in different elements of the system because of the ground vibration. An optimum design method is presented in this paper for the design of a lifeline system for a maximum accepted probability of failure because of any of the two modes of failure. The method may be used to determine an optimum path between a number of fixed points which represent supply or demand stations in the system.