What prevents the market of intelligent systems to develop in Belarus?

Within the frames of the Week of Belarusan Thinking a public lecture “Intelligent Systems: Problems and Prospects” was organized by the Flying University and the International Consortium “EuroBelarus”.

Speaker — PhD, professor Uladzimir Haliankou — has been exploring the problem of artificial intelligence and intelligent systems for 40 years now. His students have been leaving to work in foreign IT companies for several years now.

Uladzimir Haliankou and Uladzpmir Matskevich

During the lecture Uladzimir Haliankou was discussing the problem of developing the market of intelligent systems. “Mankind should mature for this,” said the speaker.

So what is an intelligent system? There are several definitions of it. For example, it is a computer system, in the course of communication with which the feeling that you are communicating with a human appears. A computer system that can solve intellectual problems or the tasks with which a traditional computer system cannot cope. However, the most precise definition of intellectual system is that it is a system that is able to acquire new knowledge and skills and has no limitations in expanding its capabilities. The intelligent system is based on the knowledge and substantively independent (universal) mechanisms for solving problems.

As Uladzimir Haliankou emphasized, the transition from traditional computer systems to intelligent is a logical stage of their evolution.

Why do we need intelligent systems? Firstly, to significantly improve the automation level of human activity. Secondly, for to transfer modern information (computer) technologies in a completely new, more sophisticated level. And third, the shift is just inevitable. “Intelligent systems are not a fantasy,” the speaker assured.

Nevertheless, the demand for information systems exceeds the offer, even with a fairly high level of scientific results. The main reason is the lack of engineers.

In addition, there should be a common technology for developing intelligent systems and an effective method of educating intellectual systems engineers.

“We have science, but we have no engineering yet. It needs to be developed,” stated the professor.

But there are questions not only to creators, but also to users of intelligent systems, as well as to the technology of their development. Speaking globally, to develop the market of intelligent systems we need interaction of science, education, engineering, and business, and this is what we lack, the speaker noted.

“If we understand what is meaning, how to formalize it and put in the computer's memory, many questions will be resolved,” he promised. And concluded: “We can only learn how to make intelligent systems by making them.”

EuroBelarus Information Service