What Expert System Meaning, Applications & Example
A computer system that emulates human expert decision-making.
What is an Expert System?
An Expert System is an AI program designed to mimic the decision-making abilities of a human expert. It uses a knowledge base and a set of rules to analyze information and provide recommendations, diagnoses, or solutions within a specific domain, such as medical diagnostics or financial planning.
Types of Expert Systems
- Rule-Based Systems: Operate on a set of “if-then” rules to make decisions based on known information.
- Fuzzy Logic Systems: Handle uncertain or imprecise data, making them suitable for complex, real-world situations.
- Frame-Based Systems: Use data structures (frames) to represent and organize knowledge in specific domains, often used in natural language understanding.
Applications of Expert Systems
- Medical Diagnosis: Assists doctors in diagnosing diseases by evaluating symptoms and patient history.
- Financial Services: Provides advice on investment and risk assessment, helping users make informed financial decisions.
- Customer Support: Guides agents in troubleshooting based on stored knowledge of common issues and solutions.
Example of an Expert System
An example of an Expert System is MYCIN, an early medical expert system developed to help diagnose bacterial infections and recommend treatments, demonstrating the potential of expert systems in healthcare by analyzing symptoms and suggesting therapies.