A number in an expert system that shows how much to trust a conclusion.
It is the AI’s sticky note on a guess: “I’m pretty sure.” It is not a pinky promise.
Expert systems use it after rules fire. It helps explain unsure diagnoses and other maybe-answers.
MYCIN
MYCIN used certainty factors to score medical diagnosis conclusions.
Expert System
An Expert System uses it to show how sure an answer is.
Production
A Production rule can carry it and pass along confidence.
Bayesian Network
It is rougher than a Bayesian Network and is not strict probability.