Four stances on knowledge acquisition and machine learning

This paper consists of four condensed position papers given as an initial statement by five members of a panel session on Knowledge Acquisition and Machine Learning. This panel session was instigated by Yves Kodratoff in order to cover an issue that was raised in 1987 at the first workshop on knowledge acqusition for knowledge-based systems held at Reading (UK). It was at this meeting that those involved in machine learning and knowledge acquisition came to realise that a cultural gulf existed between two groups of people; people who seemed to be working in the same area. It has been the objective over the years at the meetings of both the European Working Sessions on Learning (EWSL) and the European Knowledge Acquisition Workshops (EKAW) to bridge the gap between these two cultures. This panel is intended to be a further step towards achieving this objective.