what are heuristics in decision making in ai

Heuristics are a problem-solving or decision-making technique that uses minimum relevant information, past results, and experiences to produce a workable and practical solution for a problem in a reasonable time. In AI, heuristic functions prioritize speed above accuracy and are frequently paired with optimization techniques to provide better outcomes. A heuristic is a function that determines how near a state is to the desired state, and heuristic functions vary depending on the problem and must be tailored to match that particular challenge. Heuristic algorithms can be used to solve advanced computational problems, providing efficient and approximate solutions. However, heuristics can result in error, and thus must be used with caution. Addressing heuristic-based thinking in AI agents is far from trivial, and experts are working on developing methods to reduce the impact of heuristics on AI systems.