Expert Systems vs Intelligent Systems vs Smart Systems
- [University of New South Wales, Australia]
- Overview
Expert systems focus on solving specific problems in a domain using knowledge and rules, intelligent systems encompass a broader range of AI technologies for problem-solving and decision-making, and smart systems leverage sensors, connectivity, and intelligence to interact with the environment and provide enhanced functionality.
- Expert Systems
Expert systems are a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) designed to provide computerized decision-making capabilities similar to human experts in a specific field. They are designed to solve complex problems using a set of rules or algorithms that can mimic the human reasoning process.
An expert system is an AI system that analyzes information and generates conclusions by applying predefined rules to perform specific tasks with expert efficiency. Expert systems can provide expert advice or decision automation, assist in problem solving, and assist in identifying errors or risks.
They combine rules and algorithms that enable them to perform tasks and make decisions based on a knowledge base filled with expert knowledge, heuristics, and reasoning patterns. Expert systems are widely used in various industries, including healthcare, finance, engineering, etc.
Example: MYCIN, developed in the 1970s, is a classic example of an expert system used in the medical domain to diagnose bacterial infections and recommend appropriate antibiotics.
- Intelligent Systems
An intelligent system is a broader term that encompasses various types of systems that exhibit intelligent behavior, such as problem-solving, learning, reasoning, and decision-making. Intelligent systems may include expert systems, but they are not limited to them. Intelligent systems can encompass a wide range of AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and more.
Example: IBM's Watson is an intelligent system that combines various AI technologies to understand and analyze natural language, process large amounts of data, and provide insights and recommendations in diverse domains like healthcare, finance, and more.
- Smart Systems
Smart systems are electronic or computer systems that can sense, act, and control to analyze situations and make decisions. They use data from different sources to perform smart actions that can improve on user actions and decisions. Smart systems can be autonomous, and their intelligence can come from closed loop control, resource management, and networking capabilities.
Smart systems are a key component of many emerging intelligent and autonomous systems, including: Self-driving cars, Artificial pancreas, Internet of Things (IoT), Wearable health monitors, and Advanced manufacturing robots.
Smart systems can also be context-aware applications that use IoT data to enable recognition, discovery, and opportunity through Big Data analytics. For example, a smart systems app can help visualize information by securely transferring measured values and diagnostics from a measuring point to a smartphone.
Example: Smart home systems like Google Home or Amazon Alexa are examples of smart systems that use sensors, connectivity, and AI algorithms to enable voice control, automate tasks, and provide personalized services within a home environment.
