Contemporary Cybernetics

Recently Dr Erik Arnold, a consultant with Booz, Allen and Hamilton International produced an Evaluation Report which reviewed the UK Alvey Intelligent Knowledge‐Based Systems (IKBS) programme. The report gives a history of the programme and indicates its main aims and strategies. Its recommendations and evaluation are based on a comprehensive discussion of the programme's achievements as well as its weaknesses. The evaluation report says that the programme has been a big success in reviving the fortunes of Artificial Intelligence in the UK. For various reasons AI lost its initial impetus in the UK in the early 1970s and there were very few scientists and probably only one university department that could undertake research and development when the Japanese announcements brought the field to the fore. Indeed there was very little interest and support from UK industry and commerce at that time.