Last Update: May 14, 2000


icon3 Objective:

As a continuation of the Machine Intelligence Workshop series, we would like to announce a workshop this year specially focused on topics related to "Life Long Learning and Discovery in Procedural and Declarative Knowledge." This will be the 17th Machine Intelligence Workshop.

Through training and learning human beings can acquire impressive skills in various activities such as speaking natural language, playing instruments, playing sports, driving cars, playing board games, calculating, proving mathematical theorems and diagnosing diseases. These activities are all targets for life long learning. Procedural knowledge (knowing how) is mainly concerned with motor skills such as playing insruments and playing sports. On the other hand, declarative knowledge (knowing that) refers to knowledge related to language and thought.

Life long learning is concerned with the persistent and accumulative nature of learning. There are several key issues related to these topics. One is the non-linear property of learning. One's ability increases rapidly when one has acquired certain amounts of knowledge. On the other hand selection of the relevant background knowledge to apply to a new problem becomes increasingly hard for a learner as knowledge accumulates.

Another aspect related to life long learning is its role within discovery. Humans can learn not only from teachers but also from mental exploratory activities triggered by new observations. While learning can be divided into supervised and unsupervised forms, creativity is most related to the latter.

Related to procedural knowledge acquisition, research on verbalization of tacit knowledge is particularly important because tacitness is an inherent nature of procedural knowledge and also it prevents from using such acquired skills efficiently in future learning.

Related to decralative knowledge, on the other hand, research on human language acquisition is one of the most challenging topics. They include all aspects of life long learning and discovery.

The purpose of this workshop is to encourage discussions and exchange of ideas among participants on any aspects of life long learning and discovery in procedural and declarative knowledge.

The field requires collaborative studies from various research areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cognitive science, bio-mechanism and neuro physiology.

The workshop will be conducted as an activity of "Research on Creative Digital Media: Basic Study and its Applications" sponsored by Grant-in-Aid for Center of Excellence (COE) Program from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (MESSC) of Japan.


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E-Mail to ueno@sfc.keio.ac.jp if you have any question.