AI Course
Probabilistic Artificial Intelligence
In many real-world situations, AI systems do not have complete or perfect information. Sensors can be noisy, data can be missing, and outcomes are often uncertain.
Probabilistic Artificial Intelligence deals with this uncertainty by using probability to represent and reason about uncertain events.
Why Probability Is Needed in AI
Classical logic assumes everything is either true or false. But the real world does not work that way.
- Medical diagnosis is uncertain
- Weather prediction is uncertain
- User behavior is uncertain
Probabilistic AI allows systems to make the best possible decision even when information is incomplete.
Real-World Connection
Consider a spam email filter.
- An email may look like spam
- But it might still be legitimate
Instead of saying “spam” or “not spam” with certainty, the system assigns probabilities and decides based on likelihood.
What Is Probability in AI?
Probability measures how likely an event is to happen.
- 0 means impossible
- 1 means certain
- Values in between represent uncertainty
AI systems use probability to model belief rather than absolute truth.
Simple Probabilistic Reasoning Example
Let’s start with a basic probability calculation in Python.
def probability_of_rain(rainy_days, total_days):
return rainy_days / total_days
prob = probability_of_rain(30, 100)
print(prob)
Code Explanation
This function calculates probability using:
- Number of favorable outcomes
- Total number of possible outcomes
Here, the probability of rain is 0.3, meaning a 30% chance.
Output Explanation
The output 0.3 tells us rain is possible but not certain. This uncertainty is exactly what probabilistic AI is designed to handle.
Probabilistic Reasoning in AI Decisions
AI systems often compare probabilities before making decisions.
def decide_action(prob_success):
if prob_success > 0.7:
return "Take action"
else:
return "Wait"
print(decide_action(0.8))
Instead of certainty, decisions are based on thresholds and confidence levels.
Where Probabilistic AI Is Used
- Medical diagnosis systems
- Spam detection
- Speech recognition
- Autonomous vehicles
- Recommendation systems
Nearly every modern AI system relies on probability at some level.
Practice Questions (With Code Thinking)
Practice 1: What is the probability if an event occurs 50 times out of 100?
Practice 2: If prob_success = 0.9, what will the function return?
Practice 3: Probability in AI is mainly used to handle what?
Quick Quiz (Logic + Code)
Quiz 1: If an event occurs 25 times out of 100, what is its probability?
Quiz 2: AI systems often make decisions based on?
Quiz 3: Which concept allows AI to reason under uncertainty?
Coming up next: Bayesian Networks — structured probabilistic models for reasoning.