Answers.Body: <p>I think you're looking for the term <strong>AI effect</strong>, but this might have been called in different ways.</p>
  <p>Pamela McCorduck wrote about the topic in the book: <a href="https://monoskop.org/images/1/1e/McCorduck_Pamela_Machines_Who_Think_2nd_ed.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Machines Who Think (2nd ed.)</a>. I'll quote her (p. 423).</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>Practical AI successes, computational programs that actually achieved
  intelligent behavior, were soon assimilated into whatever application domain they were found to be useful, and became silent partners alongside other problem-solving approaches, which left AI
  researchers to deal only with the “failures,” the tough nuts that
  couldn’t yet be cracked. Once in use, successful AI systems were
  simply considered valuable automatic helpers.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-08-04T03:19:43.030Z
Answers.Text: While this is not the answer I was looking for, it pointed me into the right direction. Thanks!
Answers.UserDisplayName: Igor F.
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-08-04T01:38:06.817Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-08-04T01:38:06.817Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: nbro
Answers.Body: <p>Larry Tesler: <a href="https://www.nomodes.com/Larry_Tesler_Consulting/Adages_and_Coinages.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tesler's Theorem</a>.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-08-04T03:13:35.433Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-08-04T03:13:35.433Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Igor F.
Body: <p>I am looking for the name/source for the statement regarding &quot;moving the goalposts&quot; w.r.t. AI. I don't remember the statement exactly, but it was something in the sense that we think of AI like of God: We define a problem as an AI problem. As soon as our computers become capable of solving it, it ceases to be an AI problem. For example (he said), in the 1960s one could earn a PhD in AI on chess-playing programs. Today (in the 1980s), they are just chess-playing programs. This is similar to God, in the sense that we used to believe that God lives up in the sky. Now that we've reached the sky, he lives somewhere else.</p>
  <p>What I remember (or believe to remember) about that person is:</p>
  <ul>
  <li>he used to work at Apple Computers in the early days (1970s - 1980s), probably as a technical writer;</li>
  <li>he used to drive a used Rolls Royce;</li>
  <li>his last name starts with a T.</li>
  </ul>
  <p>Any guesses?</p>
  
Tags: <history>
Title: Historical source for a saying about moving the goalposts regarding AI
UserDisplayName: Igor F.
ThreadText: # Historical source for a saying about moving the goalposts regarding AI
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-08-03)
  
  I am looking for the name/source for the statement regarding "moving the goalposts" w.r.t. AI. I don't remember the statement exactly, but it was something in the sense that we think of AI like of God: We define a problem as an AI problem. As soon as our computers become capable of solving it, it ceases to be an AI problem. For example (he said), in the 1960s one could earn a PhD in AI on chess-playing programs. Today (in the 1980s), they are just chess-playing programs. This is similar to God, in the sense that we used to believe that God lives up in the sky. Now that we've reached the sky, he lives somewhere else.
  
  What I remember (or believe to remember) about that person is:
  
  * he used to work at Apple Computers in the early days (1970s - 1980s), probably as a technical writer;
  * he used to drive a used Rolls Royce;
  * his last name starts with a T.
  
  Any guesses?
  
  **Tags:** history
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2023-08-04. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  Larry Tesler: [Tesler's Theorem](https://www.nomodes.com/Larry_Tesler_Consulting/Adages_and_Coinages.html).
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2023-08-04. Score: 4
  
  I think you're looking for the term **AI effect**, but this might have been called in different ways.
  
  Pamela McCorduck wrote about the topic in the book: [Machines Who Think (2nd ed.)](https://monoskop.org/images/1/1e/McCorduck_Pamela_Machines_Who_Think_2nd_ed.pdf). I'll quote her (p. 423).
  
  > Practical AI successes, computational programs that actually achieved
  > intelligent behavior, were soon assimilated into whatever application domain they were found to be useful, and became silent partners alongside other problem-solving approaches, which left AI
  > researchers to deal only with the “failures,” the tough nuts that
  > couldn’t yet be cracked. Once in use, successful AI systems were
  > simply considered valuable automatic helpers.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: While this is not the answer I was looking for, it pointed me into the right direction. Thanks!  
  
  ---
  
  