I just wanted to know what qualifications you AI guys (and gals) have got? have you done AI at uni? have you done a special AI course? have you read any AI books? also are you just AI programmers or just programmers that dabble in AI? absolutely any info is much accepted, thanks very much. ------------------------------------------------------------- and like that....... he was confused

I''ve got a degree in CS with AI and a masters in ALife (titled "evolutionary and adaptive systems"). So I''ve read a lot of academic books and research papers, but not a lot of games AI books as I get most of what I need from the internet.

My last two jobs have been as AI programmer at games companies, although I''m currently unemployed (not for much longer I hope, I''ve a second interview at a company quite well renowned for AI, but i don''t want to spoil it by naming them, in case i don''t get the job).

And that''s me.

Mike

I have a B.Sc. Honours degree (first class) in Applied Mathematics, where my Honours research was in Genetic Algorithms. I am 97.4% (no, really!) of my way through a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, specialising in autonomous planning and replanning for a robotic aircraft in highly non-linear, dynamic real world domains. This involves lots of non-linear prediction of probabilistic states, decision making under uncertainty and online learning of world models.

I've done copious amounts of paid research and teaching in both Maths and AI at University level, although I will finally be free of this place in 7 weeks!!! YIPEE!!!

BTW, anyone want to give me a job??? ;-)

Timkin

[edited by - Timkin on April 8, 2002 10:11:09 PM]

I have been a business database application designer and consultant doing all my own work for over 6 years. However, I have recently found that the work that I have done and designs I have created actually utilize some of the more difficult and advanced concepts of AI. While I don''t have specific AI credentials, my qualifications are that I have always thought in ways that were conducive to AI programming. While the education gives you the tools - and is enormously important (right Timkin?) - those tools are useless unless you posess the proper skills. (wow... way too many S''s in that last phrase!)

Dave Mark
President and Lead Designer
Intrinsic Algorithm Development
"Reducing the world to mathematical equations!"

quote: Original post by InnocuousFox
While the education gives you the tools - and is enormously important (right Timkin?) ...

Well, I''m betting my life on it!

Education is fundamental to understanding... and understanding is required for implementation. Education can come in many forms and doesn''t have to be institutional. Heck, we produce Computer Science graduates here at Monash with the understanding that we HAVEN''T taught them everything... employers like to teach people the businesses own bad habits, rather than bring in new ones!

Consider it this way... education puts you in a position to learn on the job! All puns intended!!!

Cheers,

Timkin

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far.

MikeD: being as you are from the UK and so am I, I would like to ask you which university(s) you have been to, and what the course titles were. Also when you said "CS with AI" did you mean you did an AI course which had some CS parts to it? or did you do a CS course with some AI parts to it? or am I completely wrong as it means something else?

quote: Original post by Mr_Confused
I just wanted to know what qualifications you AI guys (and gals) have got?

have you done AI at uni?
have you done a special AI course?
have you read any AI books?

also are you just AI programmers or just programmers that dabble in AI?

absolutely any info is much accepted, thanks very much.



-------------------------------------------------------------

and like that....... he was confused

I''ve been writing computer programs (and getting paid for it) for over 35 years.

I got my computer degree (and psychology degree) back when computers were
made of stone knives and bearskins (who is enough of a SciFi fan to recall
where that reference came from?).

About 16 years ago, a client asked me to provide software that performed a
"quality of care" analysis for medical treatment at a Drs. Office, and that project
lead me into studying AI. Studying AI lead me into computer games in 1987,
and I have been studying AI and designing and developing AI for Computer
Games ever since.

As for books, read them! Articles, read them! Papers, read them! But most
of all, write programs that implement your AI ideas and try them out.

Eric

Eric,

Star Trek? City on the Edge of Forever where Spock is attempting to build some sort of machine to see the future...

Mr_Confused,

CS degree with specialization in AI quite some time ago... Anyone old enough to know who Ira Pohl is? I took a class from him. David Huffman too... (Yeah - I''m that old).

Bob

I studied computer science at London Uni way back when they didn''t know what computer science was. The year I joined was the year they disposed of punched cards. Thank God!

I didn''t learn any AI of any value at Uni. The courses were just too basic in those days. All my AI knowledge is self taught through books and mainly through papers published online. But like Geta said, the very best way of learning is through experimenting yourself. AI is an infant topic and there''s a vast landscape to be explored. That''s mainly the reason I find it so exciting.



Stimulate

quote: Original post by eeaiguy

Star Trek? City on the Edge of Forever where Spock is attempting to build some sort of machine to see the future...

Bob

Way to go Bob! Spock was attempting to modify a Tri-Corder, with stone knives and bearskins
so they could look into the alternate timeline created accidently by Bones. Kirk was "encouraging"
Spock to hurry, and Spock showed a little of that repressed Vulcan emotion with his retort.

Buy Bob a Samual Adams for that one!

Eric

[edited by - Geta on April 9, 2002 4:05:14 PM]