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Explainable AI in Housing Markets: Rule-Based Analysis

BeginnerGuided Project

Get AI to explain what shapes California housing prices. Learn AI Explainability methods which are essential to implementing AI in the regulated industries. As a real estate analyst, explore interpretable AI techniques to reveal why prices vary. Use rule-based models to extract decision rules from housing data, visualizing how income, age, and location influence property values. Turn complex market trends into clear, explainable insights, helping stakeholders make informed decisions with transparent AI-driven analysis instead of black-box predictions.

Language

  • English

Topic

  • Artificial Intelligence

Skills You Will Learn

  • XAI, Artificial Intelligence, Python, Machine Learning, Explainable AI

Offered By

  • IBMSkillsNetwork

Estimated Effort

  • 45 minutes

Platform

  • SkillsNetwork

Last Update

  • March 12, 2025
About this Guided Project
Imagine you're a real estate analyst examining housing markets across California neighborhoods. Some areas command premium prices while similar-looking houses sell for much less. You begin to wonder: What makes certain locations more valuable? Which combination of factors truly drives housing prices? Traditional machine learning models can predict prices accurately, but they rarely explain why one neighborhood is worth more than another. This is where Explainable AI (XAI) becomes invaluable.

In this hands-on project, you'll use IBM's AI Explainability 360 toolkit to develop clear explanations for housing prices. Using GLRMExplainer (Generalized Linear Rule Models) and LinearRuleRegression, you'll identify specific rules determining property values and visualize how features influence predictions. By leveraging interpretable rule-based models, you'll analyze relationships between income, house age, location, and other characteristics, making complex market dynamics understandable. This project demonstrates how explainable AI empowers real estate professionals, policymakers, and homebuyers to make informed decisions and understand market trends with confidence.

A Look at the Project Ahead

In this project, you'll work with the California Housing dataset to uncover the factors driving property values using intepretable AI models. By the end of the project, you will:
  • Preprocess and transform housing data for rule-based AI analysis
  • Build and train interpretable models using LinearRuleRegression and GLRMExplainer
  • Extract and analyze decision rules to understand key factors influencing housing prices
  • Visualize feature contributions to see how individual characteristics like income, location, and house age impact property values
  • Explain specific predictions for individual properties using transparent rule-based reasoning

What You'll Need

To successfully complete this project, you'll need:
  • Basic understanding of Python programming and libraries such as pandas, scikit-learn, and matplotlib
  • Familiarity with fundamental regression concepts and housing market terminology
  • A web browser to access tools and run your code
By the end of this project, you will have built an AI model that not only predicts housing prices but also explains the reasoning behind each prediction, allowing real estate professionals to make data-driven decisions based on transparent, interpretable insights.

Instructors

Karan Goswami

Data Scientist

I am a dedicated Data Scientist and an AI enthusiast, currently working at IBM's Skills Builder Network. Learning how some simple mathematical operations could be used to make predictions and discover patterns sparked my curiosity, leading me to explore the exciting world of AI. Over the years, I’ve gained hands-on experience in building scalable AI solutions, fine-tuning models, and extracting meaningful insights from complex datasets. I'm driven by a desire to apply these skills to solve real-world problems and make a meaningful impact through AI.

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Contributors

Kunal Makwana

Data Scientist

I’m a passionate Data Scientist and AI enthusiast, currently working at IBM on innovative projects in Generative AI and machine learning. My journey began with a deep interest in mathematics and coding, which inspired me to explore how data can solve real-world problems. Over the years, I’ve gained hands-on experience in building scalable AI solutions, fine-tuning models, and leveraging cloud technologies to extract meaningful insights from complex datasets.

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