The Frame Problem: An AI Fairy Tale

  • Authors:
  • Kevin B. Korb

  • Affiliations:
  • School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia (email: korb@cs.monash.edu.au)

  • Venue:
  • Minds and Machines
  • Year:
  • 1998

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Abstract

I analyze the frame problem and its relation to otherepistemological problems for artificial intelligence, such as the problem ofinduction, the qualification problem and the "general" AI problem. I disputethe claim that extensions to logic (default logic and circumscriptive logic)will ever offer a viable way out of the problem. In the discussion it willbecome clear that the original frame problem is really a fairy tale: asoriginally presented, and as tools for its solution are circumscribed by PatHayes, the problem is entertaining, but incapable of resolution. Thesolution to the frame problem becomes available, and even apparent, when weremove artificial restrictions on its treatment and understand theinterrelation between the frame problem and the many other problems forartificial epistemology. I present the solution to the frame problem: anadequate theory and method for the machine induction of causal structure.Whereas this solution is clearly satisfactory in principle, and in practicereal progress has been made in recent years in its application, its ultimateimplementation is in prospect only for future generations of AIresearchers.