Social and epistemological bases of technology transfer: The case of artificial intelligence

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This thesis addresses a problem in the literature on technology transfer of understanding the local appropriation of knowledge. Based on interpretive and analytic traditions developed in Science and Technology Studies (STS) and ethnomethodology, I conceptualise technology transfer as involving communication between discursive communities. I develop the idea of 'performance of community' to argue that explanations of research and technology, and readings of those explanations, are sites for the elaboration of the identity of a discursive community. I explore this approach through a case study in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). I focus on what I call 'explanatory practices', that is practices of describing, identifying and explaining Al, and trace the differences in these practices, according to location, context and audience. The novelty of my thesis is to show the pervasiveness of performance of community within these explanatory practices, through showing the differences in the claimed identity and significance of Al, associated with different locations, contexts and audiences. I draw out some of the implications of my approach by counterposing it to a theory of technology transfer as the passing of neutral units of information, which I argue is implicit in a complaint made by Al vendors that the Al marketplace had been damaged by overselling or hype. In particular, I show that disclaimers of hype (more than the perpetration of it) had always been associated with the marketing of Al. More generally, my claim is that it is politically important to understand that neutral information is not available even as an ultimate standard, and that the local appropriation of knowledge is not an aberration to be controlled, but a component of both successful and unsuccessful communication between discursive communities

A report on the commercial and educational applications of expert systems

Expert, or intelligent knowledge-based, systems have emerged as the main practical application of Artificial Intelligence research. This thesis reports on their history, development and increasing commercial application. An analysis of the tasks and domains of 785 systems is reported which indicated a level of task specificity. The technology is suggestive of significant educational relevance as it is closely linked with concepts of expertise, intelligence, knowledge and learning. These basic educational concepts are discussed. The thesis reports on a survey of the use of the NCC Expert System Starter Pack in Further and Higher Education. The relationship between other computer-based learning systems and expert systems are discussed and it is argued that the development of intelligent tutoring systems is a more complex operation than the educational application of expert systems. A wide spectrum of potential educational applications is indicated. It is suggested that placing pupils in the position of knowledge engineers provides an exciting curriculum application. It is further argued that the use of expert systems in a commercial training role promises to be a major future development. Other educational applications are considered and the wider social implications associated with the use of expert systems are summarised