GOFAI
Encyclopedia
In artificial intelligence
research, GOFAI ("Good Old-Fashioned Artificial Intelligence") describes the oldest original approach to achieving artificial intelligence, based on logic and problem solving. In robotics
research, the term is extended as GOFAIR ("Good Old-Fashioned Artificial Intelligence and Robotics").
GOFAI was the dominant paradigm
of AI research from the middle fifties until the late 1980s. After that time, newer sub-symbolic approaches to AI were introduced. The term "GOFAI" was coined by John Haugeland
in his 1986 book Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea, which explored the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence research.
The approach is based on the assumption that many aspects of intelligence can be achieved by the manipulation of symbols
, an assumption defined as the "physical symbol systems hypothesis" by Allen Newell
and Herbert Simon
in the middle 1960s. By the 1980s, many researchers began to doubt that high-level symbol manipulation alone could account for all intelligent behaviors. Opponents of the symbolic approach include roboticist
s such as Rodney Brooks
, who aims to produce autonomous robots without symbolic representation (or with only minimal representation) and computational intelligence
researchers, who apply techniques such as neural network
s and optimization
to solve problems in machine learning
and control engineering
. Now, both approaches are in common use, often applied to different problems.
GOFAI was intended to produce general, human-like intelligence in a machine, whereas most modern research is directed at specific sub-problems. Research into general intelligence is now studied in the sub-field of artificial general intelligence.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
research, GOFAI ("Good Old-Fashioned Artificial Intelligence") describes the oldest original approach to achieving artificial intelligence, based on logic and problem solving. In robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
research, the term is extended as GOFAIR ("Good Old-Fashioned Artificial Intelligence and Robotics").
GOFAI was the dominant paradigm
Paradigm
The word paradigm has been used in science to describe distinct concepts. It comes from Greek "παράδειγμα" , "pattern, example, sample" from the verb "παραδείκνυμι" , "exhibit, represent, expose" and that from "παρά" , "beside, beyond" + "δείκνυμι" , "to show, to point out".The original Greek...
of AI research from the middle fifties until the late 1980s. After that time, newer sub-symbolic approaches to AI were introduced. The term "GOFAI" was coined by John Haugeland
John Haugeland
John Haugeland was a professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago from 1999 until his death. He was chair of the philosophy department from 2004-2007. He spent at most of his career teaching at the University of Pittsburgh...
in his 1986 book Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea, which explored the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence research.
The approach is based on the assumption that many aspects of intelligence can be achieved by the manipulation of symbols
Physical symbol system
A physical symbol system takes physical patterns , combining them into structures and manipulating them to produce new expressions....
, an assumption defined as the "physical symbol systems hypothesis" by Allen Newell
Allen Newell
Allen Newell was a researcher in computer science and cognitive psychology at the RAND corporation and at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, Tepper School of Business, and Department of Psychology...
and Herbert Simon
Herbert Simon
Herbert Alexander Simon was an American political scientist, economist, sociologist, and psychologist, and professor—most notably at Carnegie Mellon University—whose research ranged across the fields of cognitive psychology, cognitive science, computer science, public administration, economics,...
in the middle 1960s. By the 1980s, many researchers began to doubt that high-level symbol manipulation alone could account for all intelligent behaviors. Opponents of the symbolic approach include roboticist
Roboticist
A roboticist designs, builds, programs, and experiments with robots. Since robotics is a highly interdisciplinary field, roboticists often have backgrounds in a number of disciplines including computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer engineering...
s such as Rodney Brooks
Rodney Brooks
Rodney Allen Brooks is the former Panasonic professor of robotics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 1986 he has authored a series of highly influential papers which have inaugurated a fundamental shift in artificial intelligence research...
, who aims to produce autonomous robots without symbolic representation (or with only minimal representation) and computational intelligence
Computational intelligence
Computational intelligence is a set of Nature-inspired computational methodologies and approaches to address complex problems of the real world applications to which traditional methodologies and approaches are ineffective or infeasible. It primarily includes Fuzzy logic systems, Neural Networks...
researchers, who apply techniques such as neural network
Neural network
The term neural network was traditionally used to refer to a network or circuit of biological neurons. The modern usage of the term often refers to artificial neural networks, which are composed of artificial neurons or nodes...
s and optimization
Optimization (mathematics)
In mathematics, computational science, or management science, mathematical optimization refers to the selection of a best element from some set of available alternatives....
to solve problems in machine learning
Machine learning
Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, is a scientific discipline concerned with the design and development of algorithms that allow computers to evolve behaviors based on empirical data, such as from sensor data or databases...
and control engineering
Control engineering
Control engineering or Control systems engineering is the engineering discipline that applies control theory to design systems with predictable behaviors...
. Now, both approaches are in common use, often applied to different problems.
GOFAI was intended to produce general, human-like intelligence in a machine, whereas most modern research is directed at specific sub-problems. Research into general intelligence is now studied in the sub-field of artificial general intelligence.
See also
- History of artificial intelligenceHistory of artificial intelligenceThe history of artificial intelligence began in antiquity, with myths, stories and rumors of artificial beings endowed with intelligence or consciousness by master craftsmen; as Pamela McCorduck writes, AI began with "an ancient wish to forge the gods."...
- Physical symbol systems hypothesis
- Synthetic intelligenceSynthetic intelligenceSynthetic intelligence is an alternative term for artificial intelligence which emphasizes that the intelligence of machines need not be an imitation or any way artificial; it can be a genuine form of intelligence. John Haugeland proposes an analogy with artificial and synthetic diamonds—only the...