| |
At DARPA, funding for AI research is spread among a number of program
areas, each with a specific application focus. For example, funding for
AI is included in the Intelligent Systems and Software program, which
received roughly $60 million in 1995. This applied research program is
intended to leverage work in intelligent systems and software that
supports military objectives, enabling information systems to assist in
decision-making tasks in stressful, time-sensitive situations. Areas of
emphasis include intelligent systems, software development technology,
and manufacturing automation and design engineering. Intelligent
systems encompass autonomous systems, interactive problem solving, and
intelligent integration of
information.1
Additional DARPA funding for AI is contained in the Intelligent
Integration of Information (I3) program, which is intended to improve
commanders' awareness of battlefield conditions by developing and
demonstrating technology that integrates data from heterogeneous
sources. Specific goals include a 100-fold reduction in the time needed
to retrieve information from large, dynamically changing databases, as
well as the development, demonstration, and transition to the services
of tools that will reduce the time needed to develop, maintain, and
evolve large-scale integrated data
systems.2
The program
supports basic computer sciences, specifically in AI relevant to
integration, technology development, prototyping, demonstrations, and
early phases of technology transfer.
DARPA continues to fund some basic research in AI as well. Such funding
is included in its information sciences budget, which declined from $35
million to $22 million annually between 1991 and 1996. The AI funding
supports work in software technology development, human-computer
interfaces, microelectronics, and speech recognition and understanding,
in addition to intelligent systems. The work on intelligent systems
focuses on advanced techniques for knowledge representation, reasoning,
and machine learning, which enable computer understanding of spoken and
written language and images. Also included are advanced methods for
planning, scheduling, and resource allocation.
1 This
definition was obtained from the FY 97 Implementation Plan on the
Web site of the National Science and Technology Council's Committee on
Computing, Information, and Communications at
<http://www.ccic.gov/pubs/imp97/14.html>.
2 This
information was obtained from the project description ("Intelligent
Integration of Information") on DARPA's Web site at
<http://web-ext2.darpa.mil/iso/i3/about/main.html>.
|
