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Date	November 2020	Marks available	2	Reference code	20N.1.SL.TZ0.4
Level	SL	Paper	1	Time zone	no time zone
Command term	Identify	Question number	4	Adapted from	N/A

Question

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SBE Cruise Lines is implementing new IT systems using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance passenger experiences. Recently, the company equipped its ships with touch screens where passengers can interact with their own customizable 3D avatar. Passengers wear a bracelet on their wrist, and their 3D avatar appears on touch screens as they walk around the ship (see Figure 5).

Figure 5: A passenger interacting with the avatar

The bracelet tracks a passenger’s location on the ship using thousands of sensors, and this data is constantly synchronized with that passenger’s data stored in the cloud. This may include their photo, room number or passport information.

To improve the passenger experience, the avatar developers update the IT systems on the cruise ship every night. To ensure that the IT updates are completed, George Smith, the project manager, must communicate with a number of stakeholders.

George believes that, to make the best improvements, the avatar developers should observe the passengers’ real-time interactions with the system.

Identify two stakeholders that George, the project manager, must consult before implementing the IT updates.

[2]

a.i.

Identify two sensors that the passenger’s bracelet may use.

[2]

a.ii.

Identify two types of machine learning used by artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

[2]

a.iii.

Explain why the avatar developers would create avatars that do not look like humans.

[3]

b.i.

Explain why George believes the avatar developers should observe the passengers’ real-time interactions with the system.

[3]

b.ii.

Matt Earle, the CEO of SBE Cruise Lines, has been investigating using artificial intelligence (AI) systems to track passengers and suggest activities they may wish to take part in when they interact with the touch screens on the ship. Some of his colleagues have concerns about taking this approach.

To what extent should Matt rely on the recommendations from the AI system to suggest activities to passengers?

[8]

Markscheme

Answers may include:

Programmers
Developers or avatar developers
Information systems manager
End users

Award [1] for identifying each stakeholder up to [2 max].

a.i.

Answers may include:

Motion
Proximity

Award [1] for identifying each sensor, up to a maximum of [2].

a.ii.

Answers may include:

Supervised
Unsupervised
Reinforcement

Award [1] for identifying each type of machine learning, up to a maximum of [2].

a.iii.

Answers may include:

The avatar developers were concerned that the avatar may fall into the uncanny valley;…
this may trigger unwanted reactions from the users of the avatar…
who may feel it detracts from the usefulness of the avatar / might lead to passengers not using the system.

Award [1] for identifying a reason why the avatar developers would create the avatars so they do not look like humans and [1] for each subsequent development of that reason up to a maximum of [3].

b.i.

Answers may include:

Observation allows for the developer to see exactly how the passengers would interact with the avatar.
Observation gives more detail than would be gathered from other techniques, such as questionnaires or interviews.
Observation does not rely on the passenger trying to remember what happened (either during an activity or after).

Award [1] for identifying a reason why the avatar developers should observe the passengers' real-time interactions with the system and [1] for each subsequent development of that reason up to a maximum of [3].

b.ii.

Answers may include:

Reasons why Matt should rely on the recommendations from the AI system:

The recommendations are likely to be based on the greatest data set possible and use data analytics techniques: real-time interactions, etc. (systems).
The use of data analytics techniques / AI should mean that they will be appropriate for individual cruise ship passengers – customized for each passenger based on data.
Can create a unique experience for passengers – recommended activities, etc.
Can provide changes to passenger experience quicker than if done without AI (systems).

Reasons why Matt should not rely on the recommendations from the AI system:

The recommendations may not be sufficiently customized to each passenger’s need if enough data is not collected (systems).
The AI system may be expensive – the increased amount of customer satisfaction may not be sufficient to justify this cost.
There may be particular characteristics of the passengers that the AI system may not be able to understand (systems).
This may be a gimmick and an example of technological determinism (values, ethics).

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: leisure, data, trust, judgement, values, ethics, anonymity, privacy, monitoring, algorithm, change, systems, power

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.