Artificial Intelligence
Unit I
UNIT I INTRODUCTION TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND PROBLEM- SOLVING AGENT
Intelligentagents, agents; environment, nature of environment,
structure of agents, goal-based agents, utility-based agents, learning
agents. Problems of AI, AI technique, Tic - Tac - Toe problem. Defining
the problem as state space search, production system, problem
characteristics, and issues in the design of search programs
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is concerned with the design of intelligence in an artificial
device. The term was coined by John McCarthy in 1956.
Intelligence is the ability to acquire, understand and apply the knowledge to
achieve goals in the world. AI is the study of the mental faculties through the use
of computational models.
AI is the study of intellectual/mental processes as computational processes.
AI program will demonstrate a high level of intelligence to a degree that equals or
exceeds the intelligence required of a human in performing some task.
AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed
to think and act like humans.
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions
which maximize its chances of success. John McCarthy, who coined the term in
1956, defines it as "the science and engineering of making intelligent
machines, especially intelligent computer programs.“
How AI Works
1. AI systems use algorithms, data analysis, and computational power to
learn from data without explicit programming.
2. AI can process large amounts of data quickly to find patterns and solve
complex problems.
3. AI can automate repetitive tasks, freeing up human resources for more
creative work.
AI applications
AI is used in many applications, including self-driving cars, medical
diagnostics, and scientific research.Also help with customer
satisfaction, marketing strategies, and safety.
AI history
● The term "artificial intelligence" was first used in 1956 at a Dartmouth College
meeting.
● In 1956, researchers proved that a machine could solve any problem if it were
allowed to use an unlimited amount of memory.
● The following years had good times and bad times for AI, called "AI Winters." In
the 1970s and 1980s, we hit limits with computer power and complexity. But in
the late 1990s, things got exciting again. Computers were faster, and there was
more data. IBM's Deep Blue beating chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997
was a big moment.
● The 2000s started a new era with machine learning, language processing, and computer
vision. This led to cool new products and services. The 2010s saw AI take off with
things like voice assistants and self-driving cars. Generative AI, which makes
creative stuff, also started getting big.
● In the 2020s, generative AI like ChatGPT-3 and Google's Bard grabbed everyone's
attention. These models can create all sorts of new things when you give them a
prompt, like essays or art. But remember, this tech is still new, and there are things to
fix, like making sure it doesn't make things up.
Cognitive Science: ThinkHuman-Like (Systems that think like humans)
a. Requires a model for human cognition. Precise enough models allow simulation by
computers.
b. Focus is not just on behavior and I/O, but looks like reasoning process.
c. Goal is not just to produce human-like behavior but to produce a sequence of steps
of the reasoning process, similar to the steps followed by a human in solving the same
task.
Laws of thought: Think Rationally (Systems that think rationally)
a. The study of mental faculties through the use of computational models; that it is, the
study of computations that make it possible to perceive reason and act.
b. Focus is on inference mechanisms that are probably correct and guarantee an optimal
solution.
c. Goal is to formalize the reasoning process as a system of logical rules and procedures of
inference.
Turing Test: Act Human-Like (Systems that act like humans )
a. The art of creating machines that perform functions requiring intelligence when
performed by
people; that it is the study of, how to make computers do things which, at the moment,
people
do better.
b. Focus is on action, and not intelligent behavior centered around the representation of the
world
Example: Turing Test:
o 3 rooms contain: a person, a computer and an interrogator.
o The interrogator can communicate with the other 2 by teletype (to avoid the machine
imitate the appearance of voice of the person)
o The interrogator tries to determine which the person is and which the machine is.
o The machine tries to fool the interrogator to believe that it is the human, and the person
also tries to convince the interrogator that it is the human.
o If the machine succeeds in fooling the interrogator, then conclude that the machine is
intelligent.
Rational agent: Act Rationally (Systems that act rationally )
a. Tries to explain and emulate intelligent behavior in terms of
computational process; that it is concerned with the automation of the
intelligence.
b. Focus is on systems that act sufficiently if not optimally in all
situations.
c. Goal is to develop systems that are rational and sufficient
Intelligent Agent’s
Agent
An Agent is anything that can be viewed as perceiving its environment through
sensors and acting upon that environment through actuators.
A human agent has eyes, ears, and other organs for sensors and hands, legs, mouth,
and other body parts for actuators.
A robotic agent might have cameras and infrared range finders for sensors and
various motors for actuators.
A software agent receives keystrokes, file contents, and network packets as sensory
inputs and acts on the environment by displaying on the screen, writing files, and
sending network packets.
AI Agent
Percept:
We use the term perception refers to the agent's perceptual inputs at any given
instant.
Percept Sequence:
An agent's percept sequence is the complete history of everything the agent has
ever perceived.
Agent function:
Mathematically speaking, we say that an agent's behavior is described by the
agent function that maps any given percept sequence to an action.
Structure of an AI Agent
Agent = Architecture + Agent Program
Architecture is the machinery that the agent executes on. It is a device with
sensors and actuators, for example, a robotic car, a camera, and a PC. An agent
program is an implementation of an agent function. An agent function is a map
from the percept sequence(history of all that an agent has perceived to date) to an
action.
Examples of agents
● Intelligent personal assistants: These are agents that are designed to help users with various
tasks, such as scheduling appointments, sending messages, and setting reminders. Examples of
intelligent personal assistants include Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
● Autonomous robots: These are agents that are designed to operate autonomously in the physical
world. They can perform tasks such as cleaning, sorting, and delivering goods. Examples of
autonomous robots include the Roomba vacuum cleaner and the Amazon delivery robot.
● Gaming agents: These are agents that are designed to play games, either against human
opponents or other agents. Examples of gaming agents include chess-playing agents and
poker-playing agents.
Examples of agents
● Fraud detection agents: These are agents that are designed to detect fraudulent behavior in
financial transactions. They can analyze patterns of behavior to identify suspicious activity and
alert authorities. Examples of fraud detection agents include those used by banks and credit card
companies.
● Traffic management agents: These are agents that are designed to manage traffic flow in cities.
They can monitor traffic patterns, adjust traffic lights, and reroute vehicles to minimize
congestion. Examples of traffic management agents include those used in smart cities around the
world.
Types of Agents
Agents can be grouped into five classes based on their degree of perceived intelligence and capability :
● Simple Reflex Agents
● Model-Based Reflex Agents
● Goal-Based Agents
● Utility-Based Agents
● Learning Agent
Simple Reflex Agents
A Simple Reflex Agent is the most basic type of artificial intelligence (AI) agent. It makes decisions
based only on the current situation (or perception) without considering past experiences or future
consequences.
�� How It Works:
● The agent senses its environment using sensors.
● It follows a set of predefined rules (condition-action rules).
● Based on the current input, it takes an instant action without memory or learning.
Example
Imagine an automatic room heater:
● If the temperature is too low → Turn ON the heater.
● If the temperature is too high → Turn OFF the heater.
The heater does not remember past temperatures or predict future changes—it simply reacts to the present
condition.
�� Limitations:
● Cannot learn from past experiences.
● Does not work well in complex environments where past actions matter.
● Only works for well-defined problems with clear rules.
Model-Based Reflex Agents
A Model-Based Reflex Agent is a smarter version of a Simple Reflex Agent because it has an internal
model of the environment. This helps it handle more complex situations.
�� How It Works:
1. Senses the environment using sensors.
2. Uses an internal model to store information about the world.
3. Applies condition-action rules to decide the best action.
4. Acts based on both current perception and stored knowledge.
Model-Based Reflex Agents
�� Example:
Self-Driving Car at a Traffic Signal
● A simple reflex agent might only see the red light and stop.
● A model-based agent remembers that the light will turn green soon and prepares to move.
�� Why is it Better?
Can handle partial information by recalling past events.
Works in dynamic environments where things change over time.
More realistic and practical for real-world AI applications.
Goal-Based Agents
A Goal-Based Agent is an advanced AI agent that not only reacts to the environment but also plans
actions to achieve a specific goal.
�� How It Works:
1. Senses the environment using sensors.
2. Uses an internal model to understand the world.
3. Has a goal (a desired outcome) and works towards achieving it.
4. Chooses actions that bring it closer to the goal, not just based on immediate conditions.
Goal-Based Agents
�� Example:
Self-Driving Car with a Destination
● A simple reflex agent might stop at red lights but does not know where to go. ● A goal-based
agent has a destination and makes decisions (turning, stopping, accelerating) to reach that goal
efficiently.
�� Why is it Better?
More intelligent and adaptable than reflex agents.
Can make long-term decisions instead of reacting to immediate situations. Works well
in complex environments where different actions are needed to achieve a goal.
Utility-Based Agents
A Utility-Based Agent is even smarter than a Goal-Based Agent because it doesn’t just aim to
reach a goal—it chooses the best possible way to achieve it.
�� How It Works:
1. Senses the environment using sensors.
2. Uses an internal model to understand the world.
3. Has a goal, but also evaluates different actions to find the best one. 4. Uses a utility
function to measure how good each action is and selects the best option.
Utility-Based Agents
�� Example:
Self-Driving Car Choosing the Best Route
● A goal-based agent only aims to reach the destination.
● A utility-based agent chooses the fastest, safest, and most fuel-efficient route instead of just
any route.
�� Why is it Better?
Optimizes performance by choosing the best action.
Can handle multiple possible solutions and pick the best one.
Works well in uncertain and dynamic environments where multiple factors matter.
Learning Agent
A Learning Agent is the most advanced type of AI agent. Unlike other agents, it learns from experience and improves its
performance over time.
�� How It Works:
1. Senses the environment using sensors.
2. Uses an internal model to understand the world.
3. Learns from past experiences and updates its knowledge.
4. Improves decision-making based on feedback.
�� Main Components of a Learning Agent:
1. Learning Element – Learns and improves over time.
2. Performance Element – Decides what action to take.
3. Critic – Evaluates how well the agent is doing.
4. Problem Generator – Suggests new experiences to explore
Learning Agent
�� Example:
Voice Assistants (Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant)
● A simple agent follows fixed rules (e.g., responding to "What’s the weather?"). ● A
learning agent improves by understanding user preferences and accents over time.
�� Why is it Better?
Adapts to new situations without being reprogrammed.
Continuously improves performance.
Handles uncertainty by learning from mistakes.
Agent program
Internally, the agent function for an artificial agent will be implemented by an agent
program. It is important to keep these two ideas distinct.
The agent function is an abstract mathematical description; the agent program is a
concrete implementation, running on the agent architecture.
To illustrate these ideas, we will use a very simple
example-the vacuum-cleaner world
This particular world has just two locations: squares A and B. The vacuum agent
perceives which square it is in and whether there is dirt in the square. It can
choose to move left, move right, suck up the dirt, or do nothing. One very simple
agent function is the following: if the current square is dirty, then suck, otherwise
move to the other square.
Uses of Agents
● Robotics: Agents can be used to control robots and automate tasks in manufacturing,
transportation, and other industries.
● Smart homes and buildings: Agents can be used to control heating, lighting, and
other systems in smart homes and buildings, optimizing energy use and improving
comfort.
● Transportation systems: Agents can be used to manage traffic flow, optimize routes
for autonomous vehicles, and improve logistics and supply chain management. ●
Healthcare: Agents can be used to monitor patients, provide personalized treatment
plans, and optimize healthcare resource allocation.
● Finance: Agents can be used for automated trading, fraud detection, and risk
management in the financial industry.
User Agents
● Games: Agents can be used to create intelligent opponents in games and simulations, providing a
more challenging and realistic experience for players.
● Natural language processing: Agents can be used for language translation, question answering,
and chatbots that can communicate with users in natural language.
● Cybersecurity: Agents can be used for intrusion detection, malware analysis, and network security. ●
Environmental monitoring: Agents can be used to monitor and manage natural resources, track
climate change, and improve environmental sustainability.
● Social media: Agents can be used to analyze social media data, identify trends and patterns, and
provide personalized recommendations to users.
