14 Mar Decision Making – Overview

We’ll explore how humans make decisions, how machines make decisions, and how AI uses decision-making to solve real-world problems.

What is Decision Making

Decision making is the process of choosing the best action to take in a given situation. For example:

• Should I study for my test or play video games?
• Should I take an umbrella because it might rain?
• In a game, should I attack the enemy or defend my base?

Humans make decisions based on knowledge, experience, and intuition. Machines, on the other hand, make decisions based on data, rules, and algorithms.

How Do Humans Make Decisions?

1. Gather Information: You look at the situation and collect facts. For example, you check the weather forecast to see if it’s going to rain.
2. Analyze Options: You think about the possible choices. For example, you could take an umbrella, wear a raincoat, or risk getting wet.
3. Choose the Best Option: You pick the action that makes the most sense. For example, you decide to take an umbrella because it’s easy and effective.

How Do Machines Make Decisions?

Machines make decisions using algorithms (step-by-step instructions) and data. Here’s how it works:

1. Input Data: The machine receives information. For example:
   • A self-driving car uses cameras and sensors to “see” the road.
   • A recommendation system (like Netflix) looks at what movies you’ve watched before.
2. Process the Data: The machine uses algorithms to analyze the data. For example:
   • A self-driving car detects obstacles, traffic lights, and pedestrians.
   • Netflix looks for patterns in your movie preferences.
3. Make a Decision: The machine chooses the best action based on the data. For example:
   • The self-driving car decides to stop at a red light.
   • Netflix recommends a movie you might like.

Types of Decision Making in AI

1. Rule-Based Decisions:
   • The machine follows fixed rules. For example:
     • If the traffic light is red, then stop.
     • If the user likes action movies, recommend an action movie.
   • This is simple but not very flexible.
2. Learning-Based Decisions:
   • The machine learns from data and improves over time. For example:
     • A self-driving car learns to recognize pedestrians by analyzing thousands of images.
     • Netflix improves its recommendations by learning from your watching habits.
   • This is more advanced and flexible.
3. Real-Time Decisions:
   • The machine makes decisions instantly based on live data. For example:
     • A self-driving car adjusts its speed based on the distance to the car in front.
     • A game AI decides to attack or defend based on your moves.

How Does AI Use Decision Making?

AI uses decision making to solve all kinds of problems. Here are some examples:

1. Self-Driving Cars:
   • The AI decides when to stop, go, or turn based on what it “sees” with its cameras and sensors.
2. Recommendation Systems:
   • Platforms like YouTube, Netflix, or Spotify use AI to decide what videos, movies, or songs to recommend to you.
3. Games:
   • In video games, the AI decides how enemies should behave. For example, should they attack, hide, or run away?
4. Healthcare:
   • AI can help doctors decide the best treatment for a patient by analyzing medical data.

How Do Neural Networks Help in Decision Making?

Neural networks are a type of algorithm inspired by the human brain. They help machines make complex decisions by learning patterns from data. For example:

• A neural network can learn to recognize a cat in a picture by analyzing thousands of cat images.
• It can then use this knowledge to decide whether a new picture contains a cat.

Example: Decision Making in a Game

Imagine you’re playing a video game where you’re fighting against an AI enemy. Here’s how the AI makes decisions:

1. Input Data: The AI “sees” your position, health, and actions.
2. Analyze Options: The AI considers whether to attack, defend, or run away.
3. Make a Decision: If your health is low, the AI might decide to attack. If it’s losing, it might decide to run away.

Why is Decision Making Important in AI?

Decision making is what makes AI useful in the real world. Without it, machines would just follow fixed instructions and couldn’t adapt to new situations. With decision-making abilities, AI can:

• Drive cars safely.
• Recommend products you might like.
• Help doctors diagnose diseases.
• Even beat humans at complex games like chess or Go!

Key Takeaways

• Decision making is about choosing the best action to take.
• Machines make decisions using data, rules, and algorithms.
• AI uses decision making to solve real-world problems, like driving cars or recommending movies.
• Neural networks help machines make complex decisions by learning from data.

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