6.3 Artificial intelligence

By the end of this section you should be able to

• 6.3.1 Explain what AI is
• 6.3.2 Describe the main characteristics of AI
• 6.3.3 Describe expert systems and machine learning

Lessons

1. What is artificial intelligence?
2. Expert systems
3. Machine learning

Key vocabulary

Artificial intelligence (AI)

The branch of computer science that simulates intelligent behaviour by computers.

Expert system

An AI system that gives expert-level answers in one area using a knowledge base and rules.

Knowledge base

The store of facts in an expert system.

Rule base

The set of rules an expert system uses to reason with the facts.

Inference engine

Applies the rules to the facts to reach a conclusion.

Machine learning

A program that can automatically adapt its own processes and/or data.