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Symbolic AI

Core Concepts
Letter: S

An AI approach that performs reasoning and problem-solving by manipulating symbols representing concepts and rules.

Detailed Definition

Symbolic AI, also known as classical AI or rule-based AI, is an artificial intelligence approach that performs reasoning and solves problems by explicitly manipulating symbols representing concepts, facts, and rules (such as logical expressions and production rules). It contrasts with connectionist AI (such as neural networks) that primarily relies on data-driven learning. Symbolic AI has important applications in knowledge representation, logical reasoning, planning, and expert systems. Modern AI research often explores the combination of symbolic AI and connectionist AI (neuro-symbolic AI) to leverage the strengths of both approaches for more robust and interpretable AI systems.