Course Prerequisite(s)

About Course

Explore the origins, core principles and practical applications of Symbolic AI and rule-based reasoning in this accessible follow-up to our “Foundations of Artificial Intelligence: From Myths to Machine Learning” course. You’ll journey through the logic-driven roots of artificial intelligence, uncovering how early pioneers sought to replicate human thought using symbols, rules and explicit reasoning systems.

This course demystifies the building blocks of expert systems – the very first “thinking machines” – and shows how these approaches shaped early breakthroughs in medicine, law, finance and beyond. You’ll gain a clear understanding of the strengths and limits of symbolic and rule-based AI, including how they handle (and sometimes struggle with) ambiguity, learning and real-world complexity.

As you progress, discover how researchers extended classical logic with tools like fuzzy logic and evolutionary computation to address the shades of grey and unpredictability found in everyday life. Learn how nature itself inspired new methods – genetic algorithms, swarm intelligence and more – that continue to influence AI today.

Perfect for students, professionals and lifelong learners curious about how classic AI systems were designed, where they excelled and why some methods still matter in a world dominated by data-driven and neural network approaches. No prior technical background is required – just an interest in understanding the fundamental logic and reasoning techniques that underpin the field of artificial intelligence.

Complete the course and quizzes to earn your free NORAI Connect certificate.

Based on Victor A. Lausas’ acclaimed book, “Artificial Intelligence Made Unlocked” (ISBN 978-952-88-0520-5), this course distils the essentials for anyone ready to understand and apply AI in the real world. If you prefer to read the book instead, you can also get the book for free for a limited time:

Subscribe to the North Atlantic newsletter and download your free copy of Artificial Intelligence Made Unlocked: From Logic to Learning for FREE!

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The book is also on shelves at Lulu for 19.99€.

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What Will You Learn?

  • Understand the fundamental principles and history of symbolic, rule-based AI systems.
  • Identify the core components and reasoning mechanisms behind expert systems.
  • Recognise real-world applications and limitations of symbolic AI in medicine, law, and finance.
  • Explain the challenges symbolic AI faces with ambiguity, learning, and scalability.
  • Discover how fuzzy logic and evolutionary computation address uncertainty and complex problem-solving.
  • Compare symbolic AI with modern, data-driven and nature-inspired approaches.

Course Content

Foundations of Symbolic AI
Uncover the origins of artificial intelligence through symbolic reasoning. Learn how early AI systems used logic, symbols and explicit rules to mimic human thought, setting the stage for everything that followed. Discover the strengths, limitations and historical significance of this foundational approach.

  • Symbolic AI: The Logic-Driven Roots of Artificial Intelligence

Core Structures and Reasoning
Dive into the inner workings of expert systems - the first true "thinking machines." Explore how knowledge bases and inference engines power decision-making and see how symbolic AI was engineered to emulate real human expertise across complex domains.

Symbolic AI in Action: Case Studies & Applications
See symbolic AI come to life through landmark applications in medicine, law, finance and technical troubleshooting. Examine classic expert systems like MYCIN and TAXMAN and understand how rule-based AI shaped early breakthroughs - and revealed critical challenges.

Challenges and Evolution
Explore the real-world hurdles faced by symbolic AI, from handling ambiguity and learning new information to scaling for complex tasks. Understand why these limitations drove the search for new methods, paving the way for more adaptive, data-driven approaches.

Beyond Symbolic AI: Handling Uncertainty
Learn how AI moved beyond black-and-white logic. Discover fuzzy logic - an approach that embraces shades of grey, enabling machines to handle uncertainty and nuanced decision-making. See how fuzzy logic is used in real-world applications and why it remains relevant today.

Nature-Inspired Computation and Evolution
Journey into AI inspired by the natural world. Uncover how evolutionary computation, genetic algorithms and swarm intelligence solve complex problems by mimicking nature’s own strategies - fueling breakthroughs in engineering, scheduling and machine learning.

Final Assessment
Test your understanding of symbolic AI, rule-based reasoning, fuzzy logic and nature-inspired computation.

Earn a FREE certificate on completion!

Add this certificate to your resume to demonstrate your skills & increase your chances of getting noticed.

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