Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Concepts

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Questions and Answers

In the context of AI, what does 'artificial' primarily refer to?

A process that is entirely unpredictable and arbitrary.

Made by humans to imitate the characteristics of something natural. (correct)

Created by natural processes, mirroring organic behaviours.

A spontaneous existence, unrelated to human intervention.

What is the core objective of Artificial Intelligence?

To enhance the power of computers for data manipulation.

To have computers and machines model human problem-solving and decision-making abilities. (correct)

To develop machines that can act independently without human instructions.

To replace human intelligence with superior artificial systems.

What is the best definition of 'intelligence' in the context of Artificial Intelligence?

The innate biological ability to understand complex concepts.

The skillfulness in using technology effectively.

The capacity to produce original ideas and artworks.

The ability to acquire and then utilise knowledge and skills. (correct)

Which of these defines an intelligent agent in Artificial Intelligence?

An entity designed to perceive its environment, assess it and then act autonomously. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a problem-solving agent?

To find a series of actions that lead to desired goal. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'environment' refer to when discussing intelligent agents?

The sum of all things and states that the agent can act upon or sense. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best captures the behavior of a 'good' agent?

An agent that acts so as to optimise its performance measure. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of a 'structure of agents' when discussing AI concepts?

A framework dictating how an agent perceives, engages with, and makes decisions. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In which type of environment does the current percept alone dictate the subsequent action, without requiring memory of prior steps?

Episodic environment (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which environmental characteristic is defined by whether an agent's sensors can access the complete state at each moment?

Fully observable vs Partially observable (D) Signup and view all the answers

If an agent's current action and state definitively lead to the next state, what type of environment is this?

Deterministic (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of an agent in an AI system?

To perceive the environment and act upon it. (B) Signup and view all the answers

An environment that is random in nature and cannot be predicted completely by an agent is considered to be:

Stochastic (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why would an agent in a fully observable environemnt have an easier time?

Because it does not need to keep track of the world state history (C) Signup and view all the answers

What constitutes the 'environment' in the context of an AI agent?

Everything external to the agent that it can interact with. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these best describes an 'agent function'?

A mapping from percept sequences to actions. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is true of an environment where the agent requires memory of past actions?

It is a sequential environment (B) Signup and view all the answers

If an agent has no sensors, the environment is considered:

Unobservable (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a 'percept' in the context of an intelligent agent?

An agent's sensory input at any given moment. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In which environment does an agent not need to worry about uncertainty?

A deterministic, fully observable environment (D) Signup and view all the answers

How is the rationality of an agent primarily determined?

By a predefined measure of success, its knowledge, and its actions. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What role do 'actuators' play in the agent-environment interaction?

They act on the environment based upon the agent's decisions. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the BEST description of a ‘percept sequence’?

The history of all that the agent has perceived to date. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the 'performance measure' for an AI agent?

It sets the criterion for evaluating the agent’s success. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies a single-agent environment?

A vacuum cleaner operating autonomously in a room. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of agent environments, what distinguishes a static environment from a dynamic environment?

A static environment does not alter while the agent is deliberating, whereas a dynamic environment can change. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following would be classified as a discrete environment?

A chess game with defined moves. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between a known and unknown environment from an agent's perspective?

In a known environment, the agent is aware of all action outcomes, whereas, it's not in the unknown environment. (B) Signup and view all the answers

If an agent is operating in an environment where conditions change while it is deciding on an action, what type of environment is it?

Dynamic environment (C) Signup and view all the answers

In a continuous environment, what is the key characteristic regarding the number of available percepts and actions?

The numbers of both percepts and actions are infinite or unlimited. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario best demonstrates an agent operating in a multi-agent environment?

Multiple drones working together to survey an area. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately reflects an environment considered 'unknown' for an agent?

The agent needs to learn how its actions will affect the environment. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the 'Performance Element' in an AI agent?

To select external actions. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which component of the PEAS model is responsible for suggesting actions that lead to new and informative experiences?

Problem Generator (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to the PEAS model, what category would a car's steering wheel fall under?

Actuators (B) Signup and view all the answers

For a self-driving car, which of these is best described as a 'Performance Measure'?

Safety and travel time. (A) Signup and view all the answers

A vacuum cleaner utilizes a 'dirt detection sensor'. Under which category of the PEAS model does this device belong?

Sensors (A) Signup and view all the answers

Within the PEAS representation for a medical diagnosis agent, what role do tests and treatments fulfill?

Actuators (D) Signup and view all the answers

In the case of the vacuum cleaner, which of the following is considered an aspect of its 'environment'?

Wood floor. (A) Signup and view all the answers

For a medical diagnosis agent, 'minimized cost' falls under which PEAS category?

Performance Measure (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which phase of the problem-solving process involves defining what actions should be taken to reach the goal?

Problem Formulation (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'search' phase in problem-solving primarily concerned with?

Simulating and finding a sequence of actions that achieves the goal. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main output of a search algorithm in the context of problem-solving agents?

A sequence of actions. (B) Signup and view all the answers

During which phase of problem-solving does the agent carry out the actions determined by the search algorithm?

Execution (C) Signup and view all the answers

What happens if the search phase is unable to find a solution?

The agent concludes that no solution is possible. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the problem-solving process, what would be an example of Goal Formulation?

Defining that the agent should pick and place an item in the correct bin. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which best describes the relationship between the Search phase and the Execution phase?

The Search phase precedes and determines the actions to be taken in the Execution phase. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Course Information

Course title: BPSY121-4: Artificial Intelligence
Instructor: Dr. Suganthi J
University: CHRIST Deemed to be University, Bangalore, India

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Definition (Artificial): Made by humans, especially in imitation of natural processes.
Definition (AI in the context of the course): Artificial intelligence leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind.
Definition (Intelligence): The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

A method of making computers, computer-controlled robots, or software think intelligently like the human mind.

How Psychologists Define Intelligence

Ability to learn
Ability to recognize problems
Ability to solve problems

Intelligent Agents

Agents in Artificial Intelligence
An agent is anything that perceives its environment through sensors and acts upon that environment through actuators.
An agent operates in a cycle of perceiving, thinking, and acting.
An intelligent agent is an autonomous entity that acts on an environment using sensors and actuators to achieve goals.
Examples of agents:
Human Agent: uses senses (eyes, ears) and actuators (hands, legs, voice).
Robotic Agent: utilizes cameras, infrared, NLP for sensors and motors for actuators.
Software Agent: leverages keystrokes, file contents as sensory inputs and displays outputs on a screen.

Sensors and Actuators

Sensor: A device that detects changes in the environment and sends information to other electronic devices. An agent observes its environment through sensors.
Actuator: A component of machines that converts energy into motion to move and control a system. Examples include electric motors, gears, and rails. An actuator is the mechanism that allows the "effector" to execute an action. Actuators typically include electric motors, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders.

Effectors

Devices that affect the environment. Examples include legs, wheels, arms, fingers, wings, fins, and display screens.

Agent and Environment

An agent is anything that can be viewed as perceiving its environment through sensors and acting upon that environment through actuators.
An agent's behavior is described by the agent function that maps any given percept sequence to an action.

Agent Terminology

Performance Measure of Agent: The criteria used to evaluate how successful an agent is.
Behavior of Agent: The action an agent performs after a given sequence of percepts.
Percept: An agent's perceptual input at a given instance.
Percept Sequence: The history of all that an agent has perceived until a particular point in time.
Agent Function: A map from the percept sequence to an action.

Good Behavior: The Concept of Rationality

Rational Agents: Agents that use logic or reason.
Systems that can reasonably be called intelligent: systems that can act rationally.
Rationality: judged by the following points:
Performance measure that defines the criteria of success.
Agent's prior knowledge of the environment.
The actions that the agent can perform.
Agent's percept sequence to date.

Four Main Rules of an AI Agent

Rule 1: An AI agent must have the ability to perceive the environment.
Rule 2: The observation must be used to make decisions.
Rule 3: Decision should result in an action.
Rule 4: The action taken by an AI agent must be a rational action.

Omniscience, Learning and Autonomy

Omniscience: An omniscient agent knows the actual outcome of its actions and can act accordingly.
Learning: A rational agent that gathers information and learns from what it perceives. Initial configuration may reflect prior knowledge of the environment.
Autonomy: A rational agent should be autonomous—it should learn what it can to compensate for partial or incorrect prior knowledge.

Environment

Everything around the agent, but not part of the agent itself.
The environment provides the agent with something to sense and act on.
Environments are mostly considered to be non-feministic.

Nature of Environments

Fully observable vs. Partially observable
Static vs. Dynamic
Discrete vs. Continuous
Deterministic vs. Stochastic
Single-agent vs. Multi-agent
Episodic vs. Sequential
Known vs. Unknown
Accessible vs. Inaccessible

Structure of an AI Agent

Agent = Architecture + Agent Program
Architecture: The machinery that the agent executes on, such as a device with sensors and actuators. Example: robotic car, camera, PC.
Agent Program: An implementation of an agent function.
Agent Function: A map from the percept sequence (history of all that an agent has perceived to date) to an action.

Types of Agents

Simple reflex agents
Model-based reflex agents
Goal-based agents
Utility-based agents

Learning Agents

Type of agent that can learn from its experiences.
Starts with basic knowledge and then adapts automatically through learning.
Learning Element: Responsible for making improvements by learning from the environment.
Critic: Provides feedback on how well the agent is performing against a fixed standard.
Performance Element: Responsible for selecting external actions.
Problem Generator: Suggests actions to lead to new and informative experiences.

PEAS Representation

A model to define AI agent properties.
Made up of four words:
P: Performance measure
E: Environment
A: Actuators
S: Sensors

PEAS Examples (Self-Driving Car)

Performance: Safety, time, legal driving, comfort.
Environment: Roads, other vehicles, road signs, pedestrians.
Actuators: Steering, accelerator, brake, signal, horn.
Sensors: Camera, GPS, speedometer, odometer, accelerometer, sonar.

Example Agents with PEAS

Medical Diagnosis: Performance: healthy patient, minimized cost; Environment: patient, hospital, staff; Actuators: tests, treatments; Sensors: keyboard (entry of symptoms).
Vacuum Cleaner: Performance: cleanness, efficiency, battery life, security; Environment: room, table, wood floor, carpet, various obstacles; Actuators: wheels, brushes, vacuum extractor; Sensors: camera, dirt detection sensor, cliff sensor, bump sensor, infrared wall sensor, joint angle sensors.
Part-Picking Robot: Performance: percentage of parts in correct bins; Environment: conveyor belt w various obstacles, bins; Actuators: jointed arms, hands; Sensors: camera, infrared wall sensor, joint angle sensors.

Problem Solving

Problem Solving Agents: Decide what to do by finding a sequence of actions that leads to a desirable state or solution.
Requires thinking through a series of moves to a goal state.
Search: The computation used by problem-solving agents.

Problem Solving Process

Goal Formulation: The initial phase, defining the desired target/goal that requires action.
Problem Formulation: Determining the steps required to reach the goal.
Search: Finding a sequence of actions to achieve the goal.
Execution: Implementing the recommended actions one by one.

Problems and Solutions

Problem definition (formal):
Initial State
Actions
Transition Model
Goal Test
Path Cost

Example Problems (Standardized/Toy)

Vacuum world problem: robot moves around a grid of cells sucking dirt.
Grid world problem: a two-dimensional rectangular array of cells where agents move around.

Example Problem (8 Puzzle)

A 3 x 3 grid with 8 numbered tiles and one blank space
The goal is to reach a specified goal state

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Description

Test your understanding of fundamental concepts in Artificial Intelligence, including definitions of intelligence and agent behavior. This quiz covers the core objectives and characteristics of intelligent agents and their environments. Perfect for students beginning their journey in the field of AI.