Project Number: 030411-114414 - DCB IQP 1002 Artificial Intelligence Through the Eyes of the Public An Interactive Qualifying Project Report submitted to the Faculty of the WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science by ____________________________________ Matthew Dodd ____________________________________ Alexander Grant ____________________________________ Latiff Seruwagi Approved: __________________________________________________ Professor David C Brown, Major Advisor Abstract: Artificial Intelligence is becoming a popular field in computer science. In this report we explored its history, major accomplishments and the visions of its creators. We looked at how Artificial Intelligence experts influence reporting and engineered a survey to gauge public opinion. We also examined expert predictions concerning the future of the field as well as media coverage of its recent accomplishments. These results were then used to explore the links between expert opinion, public opinion and media coverage. ii Authorship Abstract Seruwagi 1. Introduction Seruwagi 1.1. Subject Seruwagi 1.2. Goals Seruwagi 1.3. Motivation Seruwagi 1.4. Possible Outcomes Seruwagi 2. Review of Related Work Seruwagi 2.1. Past IQP Seruwagi 3. Problem Seruwagi & Grant 3.1. Goals Seruwagi & Grant 3.2. Requirements Seruwagi & Grant 4. Methodology Dodd, Grant & Seruwagi 4.1. Motivation Grant 4.2. Process Dodd, Grant & Seruwagi 4.3. Survey Dodd & Grant 5. Background Seruwagi 5.1. Theoretical and Historical Foundations Seruwagi 5.2. Key Contributors and Ideas Seruwagi 5.3. Approaches to and Subfields of Artificial Intelligence Seruwagi 6. Current Information Dodd & Grant 6.1. Where Artificial Intelligence is Dodd 6.2. Where Artificial Intelligence is Going Grant 7. Results Dodd & Grant 7.1. Background Question Results Grant 7.2. Body Question Results Grant 7.3. Open Ended Question Results Dodd 7.4. Results from Question Analysis Grant 8. Conclusions Dodd, Grant & Seruwagi 8.1. Key Results Dodd, Grant & Seruwagi 8.2. Final Conclusions Dodd & Grant iii 8.3. Future work Grant 9. Experience Dodd & Grant 9.1. What we learned Dodd 9.2. How would we do this differently Grant 10. References Dodd, Grant & Seruwagi 11. Appendices Dodd 11.1. Opened Responses Dodd 11.2. Survey Dodd iv Table of Contents Abstract: ........................................................................................................................................... i Authorship...................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ v Table of Tables .............................................................................................................................. ix Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................. xi 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Subject................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Goals ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Motivation ............................................................................................................................. 2 1.4 Possible Outcomes ................................................................................................................ 2 2. Review of Related Work ............................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Past IQP ................................................................................................................................ 3 3. Problem ....................................................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Goals ..................................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Requirements ........................................................................................................................ 6 4. Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 8 4.1. Motivation ............................................................................................................................ 8 4.2. Process ................................................................................................................................. 8 4.2.1. Historical Background .................................................................................................. 8 4.2.2. Media Analysis ........................................................................................................... 10 4.2.3. Expert Predictions ....................................................................................................... 11 4.3. Survey ................................................................................................................................ 12 4.3.1. Design of Survey ......................................................................................................... 12 v 4.3.2. Design of Analysis ...................................................................................................... 14 4.3.3 Survey Analysis ........................................................................................................... 14 5. Background ............................................................................................................................... 18 5.1 Theoretical and Historical Foundations of AI .................................................................... 18 5.2 Key Contributors and Ideas ................................................................................................ 21 5.2.1 Initial Expectations and Predictions ............................................................................. 25 5.2.2 Early Criticisms of Artificial Intelligence .................................................................... 27 5.3 Approaches to and Subfields of Artificial Intelligence ....................................................... 31 5.3.1 Divisions of Approaches .............................................................................................. 31 5.3.2 Subfields of AI ............................................................................................................. 32 6. Current Information .................................................................................................................. 36 6.1. Where Artificial Intelligence is .......................................................................................... 36 6.1.1. Current Media Coverage ............................................................................................. 36 6.2. Where Artificial Intelligence is going ................................................................................ 43 6.2.1. Expert Predictions: Futurists ....................................................................................... 43 6.2.2 General Artificial Intelligence ..................................................................................... 43 6.2.3 Smart Robots ................................................................................................................ 45 6.2.4 Human Computer Interaction ...................................................................................... 46 6.2.5 What the Future Holds ................................................................................................. 46 7. Results ....................................................................................................................................... 47 7.1 Background Question Results ............................................................................................. 47 7.1.1 What is your age? ......................................................................................................... 47 7.1.2 What is your occupation? ............................................................................................. 47 7.1.3 What is your gender? ................................................................................................... 48 7.1.4 If applicable, what is your technical background? ....................................................... 48 vi 7.1.5 Do you consider yourself good with computers? ........................................................ 49 7.1.6 Have you ever taken a class in Artificial Intelligence? ................................................ 50 7.1.7 Where do you get your news from? ............................................................................. 50 7.1.8 How do you think this AI related event was portrayed by the media? ........................ 51 7.1.9 Summary of Background Results ................................................................................ 52 7.2 Body Question Results ........................................................................................................ 53 7.2.1 When was