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Chapter 1 Introduction To KBS

The document provides an overview of knowledge-based systems (KBS), highlighting their purpose in utilizing computers to manage and reason with knowledge effectively. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of KBS, various applications, and the importance of careful project selection due to potential costs and failure rates. Additionally, it outlines the components of KBS, definitions of key terms, and examples of potential expert systems in different domains.

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30 views34 pages

Chapter 1 Introduction To KBS

The document provides an overview of knowledge-based systems (KBS), highlighting their purpose in utilizing computers to manage and reason with knowledge effectively. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of KBS, various applications, and the importance of careful project selection due to potential costs and failure rates. Additionally, it outlines the components of KBS, definitions of key terms, and examples of potential expert systems in different domains.

Uploaded by

Jason Kariuki
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SCS 412 Knowledge Based Systems

Introduction to knowledge-based
systems
Motivation

• utilization of computers to deal with knowledge


– quantity of knowledge available increases rapidly
– relieve humans from tedious tasks
• computers have special requirements for dealing
with knowledge
– acquisition, representation, reasoning
• some knowledge-related tasks can be solved
better by computers than by humans
– cheaper, faster, easily accessible, reliable
Artificial intelligence

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is concerned with


exploring such aspects of human (and other
animal) mental activity that make them
intelligent such as:
– understanding  creativity
– perception  problem-solving
– consciousness  using language
by simulating them using computers.
Applied artificial intelligence
• What is applied AI?
• Applied AI is concerned with producing
software which is “intelligent”
• It is intelligent in that it is based on what we
know about human reasoning and other
mental abilities
• We are therefore talking about a branch of
advanced computing - computer technology -
rather than social science
Sub-fields in AI
• Knowledge Based Systems
• Artificial Neural Networks
• Genetic Algorithms
• Machine Learning
• Natural Language Processing
• Pattern Recognition
KBSs & Knowledge
• What is a knowledge-based system?
– A computer system which is built around a
knowledge base. i.e. a collection of knowledge,
taken from a human, and stored in such a way
that the system can reason with it.
• What is knowledge?
– Knowledge is the information that people use to
solve problems.
Definitions
• Knowledge: Understanding gained through
experience or study “know-how”
• Intelligence: Capacity to acquire and apply
knowledge; thinking and reasoning; ability to
understand and use language
• Memory: Ability to store and retrieve relevant
experience at will; part of intelligence
Definitions

• Learning: Knowledge acquired by


instruction or study; consequence of
intelligent problem solving
• Experience: Relates to what we’ve done
and to knowledge; experience leads to
expertise
• Common Sense: Unreflective opinions of
ordinary people
• Heuristic: A rule of thumb based on years
of experience
Types of KBSs
• Expert Systems
• Decision Support Systems
• Artificial Neural Networks
• ….
Reasons for building a KBS.
• One might build an KBS for any or all of the
following reasons:
– To archive an expert’s knowledge, to insure
against the day when he/she leaves, or retires, or
dies.
– To disseminate his/her knowledge, so that it is
available in more (possibly many more) places
than the location of the expert.
– To ensure uniformity of advice/decisions.
– As a basis for training other specialists.
Advantages of KBSs
• Put another way, KBS have the following
advantages over humans:
– The knowledge is permanent
– The knowledge is easily replicated
– The knowledge is represented explicitly, and can
be evaluated
– The system is consistent - whereas human
practitioners have bad days, computers don’t.
– Once built, running costs are low
Disadvantages of KBS
• Developing an expert system usually costs a
great deal of time & money
• Historically, there has been a high failure rate
in KBS projects
– The project may well fail during development -
most likely during the “knowledge acquisition”
phase.
– The development may succeed, but the
organisation may fail to accept and use the
finished system.
Disadvantages of KBS
• A human expert can update his/her
knowledge in the light of
– Common sense
– Knowledge derived from other domain
– Contacts with other experts.

Its difficult to achieve learning in KBS


A Short History of
Knowledge Systems

general-purpose first-generation emergence of mature


search engines rule-based systems structured methods methodologies
(GPS) (MYCIN, XCON) (early KADS) (CommonKADS)

1965 1975 1985 1995

=> from art to discipline =>


Terminology

• Domain
– some area of interest
banking, food industry, photocopiers, car manufacturing
• Task
– something that needs to be done by an agent
monitor a process; create a plan; analyze deviant behavior
• Agent
– the executor of a task in a domain
typically either a human or some software system
Terminology

• Application
– The context provided by the combination of a task
and a domain in which this task is carried out by
agents
Parts of a Knowledge Base System
Knowledge Base systems consist of a varied number of
components;
•The Knowledge Base,
•The User =>Knowledge Engineer, Knowledge Expert,
Application User
•The Inference Engine
•The I/O User Interfaces
•Working Memory
•Learner
•The Explainer (Explanation Facility)
•Knowledge Acquisition Module
KBS architecture (2)
Applications of Knowledge Base
systems
• Knowledge Base systems have been applied to many diverse
problem domains, such as the following.
• Diagnostic Aids such as MYCIN, [Shortliffe '76, Davis '76],
which diagnoses bacterial blood infections and PUFF, [Kunz
et al '78], which diagnose pulmonary disorders.
• MYCIN was a joint venture between Dept. of Computer
Science and the Medical School of Stanford University.
• Much of the work took place in the 1970's.
• Mycin was designed to solve the problem of diagnosing and
recommending treatments for meningitis and bacteremia,
(blood infections).
• Aids to Design and Manufacture such as R1,
[McDermott '82], which configures
computers.
• Teaching Aids such as SCHOLAR [Carbonell
'70] which gives Geography Tutorials and
SOPHIE, [Brown et al '82], which teaches how
to detect breakdown in electrical circuits.
• Problem Solving
• Recognition of forms, e.g. DENDRAL, [Buchanan and
Feigenbaum '78, Lindsay et al '80], which recognizes
the structures of chemical compounds.
• Robotics e.g. SHDRLU, [Winograd '73], which
manipulates polygons in a restricted environment.
• Game playing systems such as Waterman's Poker
Player, [Waterman '70], and
• Automatic theorem Provers such as AM, [Lenat '82].
• [Hayes-Roth et al '83, Handbook A.I. '82, Waterman
'86], describe some more categories than those
mentioned above. These include Planning systems
such as NOAH, [Sacerdoti '75] and MOLGEN,
[Friedland '75] and
• Prediction systems such as Political Forecasting
Systems, [Schrodt '86] based on the Holland
Classifier, [Holland '86].
Choosing a KBS project
• Because of cost, and the danger of failure, it
is important that KBS projects are carefully
chosen.
Choosing aKBS project
– The expense must be justified, in the light of
the possible benefits.
– KBS technology must be appropriate
• the right kind of knowledge is available
• it isn’t a problem which conventional
programming could do better.
– Management, and the participants, must
support the project fully.
The phone call test
• A rather simpler approach to answering the
question which domains are worth building
into a KBS?
• “Any problem that can be and frequently is
solved by your in-house expert in a 10-30
minute phone call can be automated as an
expert system.” Prof.Morris Firebaugh
ES Tools

• ES languages
– higher-level languages specifically designed for
knowledge representation and reasoning
– SAIL, KRL, KQML, DAML, OWL (Web Ontology
Language)
• ES shells
– an ES development tool/environment where the user
provides the knowledge base
– CLIPS, JESS, Mycin, Babylon, G2, ...
Possible expert systems - case histories

• For discussion.
• The following seven problem areas may, or
may not, be suitable for computerisation as
KBS.
Possible KBSs - case histories

• A certain third world country has a large


population, very few trained doctors, and
insufficient resources to train many more.
It is proposed to provide paramedics, who
can be trained relatively cheaply and easily,
with medical kits and portable PCs, each PC
to be loaded with an expert system that
can advise on the diagnosis and treatment
of a variety of common diseases.
Possible KBSs - case histories

• The housing department in a provincial


English town is overworked, although the
staff turnover is quite low. Much of the work
the staff do involves interviewing clients, and
there is a clear pattern of questioning (which
varies to a limited degree, depending on the
circumstances of the client). It is proposed to
build an expert system, which will direct the
questioning process.
Possible KBSs - case histories

• A firm of wine importers relies heavily on its


chief wine expert, who is skilled at selecting
wines that are destined to be popular, on the
basis of their taste, colour, scent etc. She is
soon to retire. It is proposed to build an
expert system that will enable any of several
junior wine specialists to do her job.
Possible KBSs - case histories

• An education authority has a severe shortage


of primary school teachers. It is proposed that
an expert system should be built which can do
the job of teaching English and arithmetic to
five year old children.
Possible KBSs - case histories

• A software company proposes to build an


expert system which can perform book-
keeping for small commercial concerns.
Possible KBSs - case histories

• A large manufacturer of diesel electric


locomotives has problems in providing
enough maintenance personnel who are
sufficiently skilled to locate faults in these
(highly complex) locomotives. They propose
to build an expert system which can perform
fault location on such a machine.
Possible KBSs - case histories

• A mineral exploitation company wishes to


extend its operations, which involve searching
for hitherto undiscovered deposits of valuable
metal ores. It is short of trained geologists. It
proposes to build an expert system which can
assess a geological site and come to a
conclusion about how likely it is that there is a
worthwhile mineral deposit there.

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