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I’ve written several 1980s-style expert systems.

In practice they are basically simplified programming languages. If this, then that. The application of rules can lead to surprising emergent behavior. You might be able to find a pattern in it but you’re more likely to get wrong results and need to update the rule set.

There is also the problem of inputs. You end up needing to be an “expert” on the system to get good results.



The ones I've worked with weren't solely just if->then->else trees. There were also things like weightings, probabilities, risks, etc.


Yeah, I should have clarified. They can provide a way to define the “shape” of things and give answers or choose branches based on that.

That’s what I was thinking about when I mentioned emergent behavior.

The “fuzziness” of expert systems fascinates me. :)




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