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Unit 1: Overview of Artificial Intelligence

a practical training tool for students. As Van den Dries’ aim was to demonstrate the Notes
practical applicability of both applications, they were exposed to two objective tests in
which replicated stone tools as well as prehistoric artefacts were involved. In one test both
experience use-wear analysts and students participated. The outcome of this trail has been
compared with the results of all other blind tests that human use-wear analysts have
carried out hitherto. An important conclusion of Van den Dries’ study is that both
applications perform well, but that the expert system is better equipped for educational
tasks, while the neural network approach mainly suits research purposes. Therefore, the
expert system application, called WAVES, has been made operational. It already supports
students of several archaeology departments around the world in learning use-wear
analysis. Based on her findings Van den en Dries subsequently advises archaeologists to
exploit better the merits that artificial intelligence offers them, because it is a means to
record unique and valuable expert knowledge, to obtain objective analysis results and to
democratize archaeological knowledge.
Questions:

1. What are the application areas of AI ?
2. What is WAVES ?

1.5 Summary

AI is a branch of science which deals with helping machines find solution to complex
solutions.
AI is generally associated with computer science but it has many important links with
other fields such as Mathematics, Psychology and Biology etc.

It is more general than the “laws of thought” approach, because correct inference is only
a useful mechanism for achieving rationality, and not a necessary one. Second, it is more
amenable to scientific development than approaches based on human behavior or human
thought, because the standard of rationality is clearly defined and completely general.

1.6 Keywords

Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence is one of the newest disciplines. It was formally
initiated in 1956, when the name was coined, although at that point work had been under way
for about five years.

Expert System: An expert system is a computer system that emulates the decision-making ability
of a human expert. Expert systems are designed to solve complex problems by reasoning about
knowledge, like an expert, and not by following the procedure of a developer as is the case in
conventional programming.

Natural Language: A natural language (or ordinary language) is any language which arises in
an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the
human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken,
signed, or written.

1.7 Review Questions

1. Explain artificial intelligence with an example.
2. What are the advantages of AI?

3. How does AI help in solving complex problems of computer science?

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