Posted by Martyn R Jones on August 15, 1999 at 20:59:47:

In Reply to: Re: Brief defining characteristics of a Data Warehouse posted by Reilly Atkinson on August 13, 1999 at 20:09:25:

Hello Reilly,

Many years ago I made a presentation on AI and Expert Systems to the Unisys European User Group in Seville. The audience was a cross section of bankers, telco, airline and government people from IT and Management.

One of the slides I used was something along the lines of putting AI in context. So I had a diagram showing the matching of techniques to problems. This diagram included of course, Decision Analytic, OR and AI. I was trying to show that selecting techniques from AI was no more difficult than selecting Analysis techniques from other disciplines. Well things seemed to be going pretty well, my 35mm slides were really visually stunning thanks for some local design & artwork studio support. But when I came to the aformentioned slide, I noticed a subtle change in the reception of my messages.

You know the sort of things that dogs do when you talk to them (and you know they really don't understand a word you say) they put their head to one side, look at you, lean their head the other side and look at you again (like pretending that they know), well thats what happened. "You see" I said "you shouldn't be overawed by AI" heads lean to one side "because after all, and put in context" heads to the other side "it's no more conceptually difficult" flop "than putting AI alongside DA and OR" ...

What I hadn't realized was that nearly all of these good folk had about as much a good idea of more than trivial data analysis as they had about really trivial AI.

But I do think that KM could help to push the envelope on the better use of serious analysis techniques - and better still if it is NOT done through the IT organization.

On the DW side I don't think it would be too difficult (in most cases) to actually provide the data in a format and structure etc. that could be used for "deep analysis" by knowledgeable users or intelligent users with access to knowledge about analysis techniques.

Best regards,

Martyn

• KM at the speed of necessity

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