Delimiting Expert Systems

Expert systems research is founded on the principle that the problem domains it is applied to are stable and logically independent of the process of finding solutions to those problems. This notion has a range of convenience whose boundaries must be acknowledged to prevent inappropriate, useless, and even dangerous attempts to apply expert system technology in military domains. Suggested criteria for determining the applicability of expert systems are discussed, and an alternative kind of intelligent system is described. This alternative-conversational systems is founded on the principles of cybernetics and stems from a very different philosophy than artificial intelligence. While conversational and expert systems are distinct, both will be needed and may even complement each other in the effort to bring sophisticated decision-making aids to the users of the future.