Benefits and Limitations of Expert Systems

Benefits and Limitations of Expert Systems:

Some problems like scheduling manufacturing can not be adequately dealt with using mathematical algorithms. But such problems can be dealt with an intelligent way using E.S. E.S. allow experts to be expert. As e.s. are built by DEs, experts will try to focus on the more difficult problems of their speciality.

This, in turn, will result in solutions to new problems and the range of problems which they can solve will widen. Although expert systems lack the robust and general intelligence of human beings they can provide benefits to organisations if their limitations are well understood; only certain classes of problems can be solved using expert system.

Many expert systems require large lengthy and expensive development efforts. Moreover, expert systems lack the breadth of knowledge and the understanding of fundamental principles of a human expert. Their knowledge bases are quite narrow, shallow and brittle.

In fast moving fields such as medicine or computer science, keeping the knowledge base upto date is a critical problem. Expert systems can only represent limited forms of IF-THEN type of knowledge. Such knowledge exists primarily in textbooks. There are no adequate representations for deep causal models or temporal trends. Expert systems cannot yet replicate knowledge which is intuitive, based on analogy or on common sense.

Contrary to early promises, expert system do best in automating lower-end clerical functions. They can provide electronic check lists for lower-level employees in service bureaucracies such as banking, insurance, sales and welfare agencies.

The applicability of expert system to managerial problems generally involve drawing facts and interpretations from divergent sources, evaluating facts and comparing one interpretation of the facts with another and do not involve analysis or simple classification. They typically perform very limited tasks which can be performed by professional, in a few minutes and hours. Hiring or training more experts may be less expensive than building an expert system.