Artificial Intelligence, Computer's saying "checkmate" and Computer diagnosing humans.

While reading through the book fundamentals of Information Systems, one subject caught my attention and drew me in. That is, I was fascinated by Expert Systems, which is a way for humans , companies, and governments to save precious experience, and specific skills which may be lost if the human which posses said information, dies. 

 Human beings have always been looking for ways to save and preserve their knowledge, from the first papyrus scroll, to the inscriptions in the tomb of a Pyramid. However, now, we actually have a way of saving skills and experience in remote locations. 

For web MD, the knowledge and diagnosis of a doctor can be gathered from their "easy diagnosis(1)" engine. Rather than using an expensive doctors visit, patients and visitors to the website can find out what their issue is from the comfort of their own home. Web MD--Using symptoms, gender, age, and descriptions of yourself--will diagnose your problem. Though Web MD may not be the most reliable expert system, it is still a step forward for the medical world and for information systems.  Perhaps, one day, we will cut costs of healthcare by using  Expert systems to diagnose patients.

Now, in similar fashion, diagnosing a patient is sort of like chess. There are pieces to the puzzle(symptoms) which the player must recognize and then create an appropriate plan of action towards success. For a doctor, that is a healthy patient. For Chess, that is a check mate. For Rybka(2), a computer based chess playing information system--using past experiences, games played, and all available content on chess-- makes Rybka, another step forward for Information Systems, programmers, and chess enthusiast.  Rybka doesn't use abstract thought to make its decisions, it uses programming, algorithms, and raw processing power to discover what available moves are allowed for her game and which ones have the highest chance of success. Imagine, a computer which can beat a man in chess, that is what Rybka is programmed to do. If Rybka were a person, and she passed away, her information would be lost. Luckily, her information can always be saved as binary. 

Speaking of Rybka, this program would be nothing without its knowledge base, which is a collection of data rules, procedures and relationships that must be followed to achieve value or the proper outcome. In Rybka's case, that is a check mate. But for the army, the outcome is bringing troops home from a mission. The U.S. Army uses Knowledge and Information Fusion Exchange (KnIFE). According to www.corpsman.com "US Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM) Joint Center for Operational Analysis (JCOA) Knowledge and Information Fusion Exchange (KnIFE) went operational in June 2008 and is designed to help warfighters rapidly adapt to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on a constantly changing battlefield and provide information to units preparing for deployment. (3)"If we relied on pen and paper, we could potentially lose soldiers when we don't need to. This helps our men and women in uniform come home safe. 

Clearly, Expert Systems are helpful for humans. We no longer have to be worried about our knowledge dying off with us. It can live on inside computers. Expert Systems help us create new worlds. One day we may not need doctors to diagnose and treat or soldiers to plan our battles. However, we will need humans to create, invent, and use abstract thought to bring us to new conclusions. Although, perhaps one day we will have an Expert System which can accomplish this as well. It's a brave new world, and Expert systems are leading us to it.

1. Web MD, Easy Diagnosis 2012  http://symptoms.webmd.com/default.htm#./introView

2. Rybka Chess Program http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6381

3. Knife description : http://www.corpsman.com/forum/showthread.php?29043-USJFCOM-KnIFE-for-IED-D