Applications development using a hybrid AI development system
John Kunz, Thomas P. Kehler, Michael David Williams · John Wiley & Sons, Inc. eBooks · 1987
Abstract Argument for Hybridization This article describes our initial experience with building applications programs in a hybrid AI tool environment. Traditional systems developments have emphasized a single methodology, such as frames, rules, or logic programming, as a methodology that is natural, efficient, and uniform The applications we have developed suggest that natural- ness, efficiency and flexibility are all increased by trading uniformity for the power that is provided by a small set of appropriate program- ming and representation tools The tools we use are based on five major AI methodologies: frame-based knowledge representation with inheritance, rule-based reasoning, LISP, interactive graphics, and ac- tive values Object-oriented computing provides a principle for unifying these different methodologies within a single system. As a result of our applications development experiences, we are beginning to use a development methodology that emphasizes early prototype development, incremental refine- ment of the problem description, use of multiple integrated solution methods, and emphasis on visibility of both the problem-solution process and the explicit description of the problem domain. The benefits of using this hybrid develop- ment methodology include natural and explicit knowledge representations, flexible user-system interaction, and power- ful explanation facilities through use of interactive graphics. We present an example to motivate our discussion. Workers in AI often express a strong preference for one programming methodology over all others, such as rules (e.g., within an