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Expert Systems were first conceived in the late 1960's and early 1970's, as a branch of Artificial Intelligence. They were suppose to embody the characteristics of a human expert within a computer system. They never quite lived up to the expectations behind their idea however. They are however not more popular today then ever before, with a growing number of organisations tapping in to the possibilities they provide. On the other hand they also have their drawbacks and are unsuitable for many organisations, and indeed many industries. Human experts on the other hand apply complex thought processes and imagination to problems and decision-making and are still held in regard by the majority of the business world as being the far superior of the two options. Both expert systems and human experts have their strengths and their weaknesses and it is difficult to decide which provides the greater 'value-added' for organisations today. This research dissertation takes a closer look at the idea of expert systems and their validity in business today.
