Inference Engine
An inference engine is a core component of artificial intelligence and expert systems that applies logical rules to a knowledge base to deduce new information or make decisions. It processes data and facts using inference rules, such as forward chaining (data-driven) or backward chaining (goal-driven), to derive conclusions or predictions. Inference engines are widely used in rule-based systems, machine learning deployments, and automated reasoning applications.
Developers should learn about inference engines when building AI-driven applications that require automated decision-making, such as chatbots, recommendation systems, fraud detection, or diagnostic tools. They are essential for implementing logic in expert systems, optimizing real-time data processing in IoT devices, and deploying machine learning models in production environments where interpretable reasoning is needed.