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Date	May 2021	Marks available	4	Reference code	21M.1.SL.TZ0.4
Level	SL	Paper	1	Time zone	no time zone
Command term	Outline	Question number	4	Adapted from	N/A

Question

Pepper

Pepper is a social robot that uses natural language processing, as well as voice recognition, to understand what is being said. Pepper can also identify basic human emotions by analysing verbal and non-verbal clues (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Pepper the social robot

[Source: Wikipedia, 2019. Pepper (robot). [image] Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_(robot). Accessed 21 March 2019.]

Pepper has multiple sensors and a battery that lasts for 12 hours and is equipped with wireless connectivity. Pepper is released in batches of a thousand, and they usually sell out immediately.

Software developers can create new apps for Pepper, as the robot has a generic profile. So far, Pepper has been successfully used on cruise ships, in homes in Japan, and with the elderly in the United Kingdom. However, Pepper could not answer questions from customers in supermarkets in some parts of the USA and Latin America.

Pepper uses machine learning to improve its natural language processing.

In addition to a voice sensor, identify two sensors that would be found in Pepper.

[2]

a.i.

Outline two reasons why Pepper could not answer a customer’s question in a supermarket.

[4]

a.ii.

Identify two advantages of using unsupervised learning to enable Pepper to improve its natural language processing.

[2]

b.i.

Identify two disadvantages of using unsupervised learning to enable Pepper to improve its natural language processing.

[2]

b.ii.

Pepper is released in batches of a thousand, and they usually sell out immediately.

Explain one reason why Pepper is only released in relatively small batches.

[2]

b.iii.

King Robotics is planning to use social robots in schools. The robots will use a unique approach called care receiving. In this approach to teaching, the robot does not directly instruct the student; instead, the robot makes mistakes and asks the student for help to correct them. Early studies have found that children respond very positively to this approach. The robots will also be able to carry out direct teaching activities.

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using social robots such as Pepper to support the care-receiving teaching approach as well as carry out direct teaching activities.

[8]

Markscheme

Answers may include:

Proximity sensor (to avoid obstacles)
Navigation sensor

Award [1] for each sensor identified up to [3] marks.

a.i.

Answers may include:

The developers of Pepper did not train Pepper beyond the most commonly used dialects/accents…
therefore, there may be groups of people whose accent is outside Pepper’s range of words, etc.

Pepper was not programmed with basic information at the store…
such as the location of various items.

Pepper was not tested with stakeholders, i.e., customers in the store…
so designers were unable to ensure that Pepper could answer the customer’s questions.

Award [1] for each reason why Pepper could not answer a customer’s question in a supermarket and [1] for a development of that reason up to maximum of [2] marks.

a.ii.

Answers may include:

Less time-consuming than supervised learning
Can occur in real time

Award [1] for each advantage of using unsupervised learning identified up to [2] max.

b.i.

Answers may include:

Dependent on the software to define the labels
Less accurate than supervised learning

Award [1] for each disadvantage of using unsupervised learning identified up to [2] max.

b.ii.

Answers may include:

To accommodate feedback from customers into the next production schedule…
to allow Pepper to evolve more rapidly.

To accommodate software/hardware updates…
to stay ahead of the competition (which would not always be possible with larger batches).

Award [1] for identifying a reason why Pepper is released in small batches and [1] for a development of that reason up to [2] max.

b.iii.

Answers may include:

Advantages:

Students often respond better to robots, as they are very motivating. For example, students who are very shy often respond to robots (expression, identity).
Robots that make mistakes may help with children who have special educational needs, such as those with autism (expression, identity).
By teaching a robot that is less intelligent, children can reinforce their own learning. We learn by teaching others (expression, identity).
The robot’s need will inspire care-taking behaviour in the children (expression, identity).
Students will want to play with the robot and will feel less pressured to perform correctly (expression, identity).
Robots can provide individual attention, so students can learn at their own pace (identity).
Robots can co-exist with teachers in the classroom. serving as assistants.
If there is a shortage of teachers, robots can fill in the gap, especially for teaching repetitive material.
Robots do not have emotions, so they are not affected by health or emotional issues (reliability).

Disadvantages:

Robots can’t inspire students the way human teachers can. They can’t teach with passion and emotion (values).
Robots can’t respond to children being nervous, upset, excited or loud (values).
Robots can’t create opportunities for students to collaborate and work together in the classroom.
Robots may lead to privacy concerns, as they can record the student’s actions and voice.
Teachers have responsibilities and a duty of care, which robots cannot take over.
Teachers may not trust the robots and therefore won’t allow them in the classroom.
Students may not trust the robot and therefore will not participate.
Cost – robots are likely to have a high cost to buy and maintain.
Cost – a team will be needed to control the robot if it stops working, and fixing certain parts will be costly to the school (systems).
Robots could lead to a reduction in staffing (change, automation).
Robots may not understand what a student is saying (accents, volume level, etc.), and students may become frustrated (systems).
Robots may malfunction, run out of power, etc. (systems).

In part (c) of this question it is expected there will be a balance between the terminology related to digital systems and the terminology related to social and ethical impacts.

Keywords: innovation, learning, pedagogy, robot, social robot, autonomous, evolution, trust, automation, change, expression, identity, systems, values

Refer to SL/HL paper 1, part c markbands when awarding marks. These can be found under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials > Digital society markbands and guidance document.