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We have long been obsessed with the dream of creating intelligent machines. This vision can be traced back to Greek civilization, and the notion that mortals somehow can create machines that think has persisted throughout history. Until this decade these illusions have borne no substance. The birth of the computer in the 1940s did cause a resurgence of the cybernaut idea, but the computer's role was primarily one of number‐crunching and realists soon came to respect the enormous difficulties in crafting machines that could accomplish even the simplest of human tasks.

Because much human knowledge consists of elementary fragments of know‐how, applying a significant amount of knowledge requires new ways to organize decision‐making fragments into competent wholes. Knowledge systems collect these fragments in a knowledge base and then access the knowledge base to reason about each specific problem. As a consequence, knowledge systems differ from conventional programs in the way they're organized, the way they incorporate knowledge, the way they execute, and the impression they create through their interactions. Knowledge systems simulate expert human performance, and they present a humanlike facade to the user.

In selecting the contributions to this special issue, the editors have tried to plot a course that describes the state of the AI field for both the reader unacquainted with AI and for those who are. We have done this by selecting key research papers in the areas of AI that are impacting and will continue to impact libraries and by including sidebars that give context to the research papers. The language of the research papers is not simplified; AI is not a simple field. But neither is it incomprehensible, so if parts of this special issue are found to be difficult, the reader is advised to concentrate on the overall ideas rather than their specific expression.

A LASER METHOD FOR DATA STORAGE Dr. George Castro and his colleagues of the Physical Science Department of IBM's San Jose Laboratory have patented a laser method of recording data. They suggest the method would enable the brain's capacity to be put on a square surface about a yard across, assuming that the human memory can hold only a million billion bits of basic information.

The purpose of this study is to examine individuals’ subjective perception of spare time available for activities that are more or less attractive.

Three experiments with adult samples manipulate liking of activity and temporal distance and assess the resulting predicted time available.

The authors demonstrate that individuals’ subjective perception of spare time is influenced by how much they like or dislike the activities they plan for. Individuals perceive they have more spare time for activities they like than ones they dislike. The strength of individuals’ liking for activities has more impact on perceived spare time available for liked activities than for disliked ones. These effects are attenuated by individuals’ propensity to plan.

Understanding the effect of spare time perception contributes to the literature on resource slack and provides insights into individuals’ planning for time.

This paper reports on an investigation of the integration of symbolic computation and reasoning into highly computerized numerically‐based realtime control systems for complex plant process management. This is the natural next step in an evolving maturation of the use of computers for automated monitoring and control of continuous processes. A particular implementation involving nuclear power plant intelligent monitoring is being developed from which overall principles and specifications can be distilled, ultimately leading to a general methodology that can be applied to other continuous plant processes.

A scenario is given of a possible library of the future. Such a library might have shelves containing talking books, video cassettes, computer programs on floppy disks and the entire contents of Chemical Abstracts and Encyclopaedia Brittanica on biochips. The catalogue of the library stock and the reference books might well be stored on optical disks and viewed on flat screens. Information on the classification scheme and how to use the collection might be provided by listening to tape recordings and voice synthesisers might inform borrowers where to return items. Robots collect these items from dispensers and replace them on the shelves. Each item in the library has a barcode which is scanned by a laser to provide details of loans/returns and patrons. Terminals linked to computers via satellites enable distant files to be searched on demand for information not stored in the library. Most of the journals taken by the library will be in digital form but a touch of a button on the terminal causes the images to be printed out locally. Fact or fiction? The paper goes on to describe some of the equipment that is currently available to them in the future (such as holography, robotics and satellites). Where we are now in terms of technological developments in libraries and information centres is discussed with reference to some actual projects such as Maggie's Place and Dave's Den. Finally, the impact of such futuristic, electronic libraries on the user as well as the librarian is considered.

There are many definitions of materiality and such differences in definition show that there is great concern about the applicability of materiality in the auditing profession. Various materiality guidelines have been recommended by both academic researchers and accounting bodies, but the Auditing Practices Board in the UK has yet to recommend a guideline of its own. Looks at the recommendations put forward by those researchers and accounting bodies and the implications and possible pros and cons of having structured guidelines by the auditing profession in the UK. Concludes with a recommended materiality guideline which the Auditing Practices Board should seriously consider and the possibility of applying computer‐based decision aids as a tool to improve efficiency and effectiveness of decision making by the auditors.

This paper is designed to set the scene in terms of introducing the methodological framework used in the academic “think tank” in marketing held at Lake of Menteith in Scotland in 1999. Some important academic insights and considerations are discussed at the outset with regard to the evaluation of future impacts on the multiple facets of the marketing discipline, although the amount and quality of dedicated academic research in this area has been limited. The new role of the marketing function and new customer market structures are debated, followed by a discussion of the intrinsic capabilities of scenario planning, as an environmental forecasting technique. Furthermore, we analyse the contribution of knowledge based systems to scenario planning and describe the design/development of an expert system at the Lake of Menteith gathering.