1990 Volume 30 Issue 2 Pages 83-89
The evolution of Artificial Intelligence from its early days to the present is reviewed, the various concepts currently utilized are defined, and the software and hardware tools in existence surveyed. The strides that have been made in recent years in applying expert systems to numerous engineering problems, and most notably in the area of Materials Processing Operations, are reviewed. The rate of new applications of Artificial Intelligence to engineering problems is constantly increasing, as it becomes more feasible to build on earlier theoretical research. Ultimately, we can expect that Artificial Intelligence will be applied in all areas of human endeavor, as its benefits in terms of cost/effectiveness becomes more apparent. For the near future, however, one's expectations need to be more circumspect. Areas in Materials Processing Operations that are most promising for expansion into Al in the near future are considered.
