The role of artificial intelligence in information retrieval

This opinion paper presents a view of the scope for artificial intelligence in information retrieval. It considers four potential roles for AI in IR, evaluating AI from a realistic point of view and within a wide information management context. The conclusion is that AI has limited potential, not just because AI is itself insufficiently developed, but because many information management tasks are properly shallow information processing ones. There is nevertheless an important place for specific applications of AI or AI-derived technology when particular constraints can be placed on the information management tasks involved.