Different tasks in engineering problem solving require different computation tools. Artificial intelligence techniques, as a tool, provide the capability to the program to solve complex problems by extracting ideas from data of a knowledge-base usually a database using a domain oriented set of rules in a manner that a human brain archives decision-making process to come up with a comprehensible solution. Expert systems are profession specialized programs. They are artificial intelligent systems but are inclined to only one area of professionalism. Artificial intelligence unlike conventional programs which concentrate on what data to analyze to come up with a solution, they concentrate on how an expert makes choices when faced with a professional challenge and why he/she makes such choices. These abilities are only provided by Artificial intelligence techniques and this is a role they play in decision support functions.
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(Jones Kafwilo [jkafwilo@yahoo.com])