Statistical Applications of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has now provided some effective techniques for formalization of knowledge about goals and actions. These techniques could open new areas of research to statisticians. Experimental systems designed to assist users of statistics have been constructed in experiment design, data analysis technique application, and technique selection. Knowledge formalization has also been used in experimental programs to assist statisticians in doing data analysis and in building consultation systems.The best-explored application of AI techniques is building consultation systems. Many small systems have been built, but few systems have been offered for sale, and fewer yet have found their way into regular use. It has become apparent that this is a harder problem than was expected, although the existing successful systems suggest that it is still worth research exploration.Analogies with successful Artificial Intelligence applications in other fields suggest other statistical applications worth exploring.Opening new areas to research and providing new tools to users would make considerable changes in the use and production of statistical techniques. However, applying currently available AI techniques will lead to more work for statisticians, not less.This review is an updated version of (Gale, 1987).