DP Digital Society Questionbank

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.

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

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

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

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.

Fake news

We see and hear news every day and trust that the information provided is accurate. That belief may soon end.

Artificial intelligence (AI) software is now being developed that can produce fake video footage of public figures using recordings of their own voices. Using as little as one minute of user-generated content (data), it can reproduce a particular person’s voice. The developer of this software demonstrated the results by using the voices of Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama in a computer-generated conversation.

Once a person’s voice has been reproduced, a fake video can be created by processing hundreds of videos of the person’s face. Video footage of politicians are often used, as there is so much data available online.

Law professor John Silverman commented that, as humans we tend to believe what we see, and the increased number of tools to make fake media that is unrecognizable from real media is going to prove a major challenge in the future.

Discuss the claim that companies who develop software that can create fake videos of politicians should be accountable for the fake videos posted by users of their software on social media platforms.

Identify two types of artificial intelligence (AI).

Identify two characteristics of deep learning.

Identify two types of machine learning.

Outline how pattern recognition works.

Identify two advantages of using artificial neural networks (ANNs).

Identify two disadvantages of using artificial neural networks (ANNs).

To what extent should pattern recognition in AI systems be trusted to make decisions about sending real-time alerts to the police?

Automated medical image analysis

EBBZS IT, based in Groningen, the Netherlands, intends to develop a system using artificial intelligence (AI) to help doctors at Joelstraat Hospital interpret medical images.

Due to the high resolution* of the digital images (see Figure 4), EBBZS IT claims the AI system will be able to learn from these images to assist doctors when diagnosing patients’ illnesses.

EBBZS IT also claims the AI system will be able to cope with the significant increase in the volume of patients and the increased complexity of their symptoms and conditions.

Figure 4: Examples of digital images used in the AI system

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

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?

Identify two characteristics of pattern recognition.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using machine learning to predict natural disasters like earthquakes.

Smart warehouse

Greenwood Industries’ warehouse uses a smart storage solution for the picking of products from the shelves of the warehouse. Robots are used in this automated picking process.

Currently, these robots are programmed to access a knowledge base* that enables these robots to use the most efficient route for the picking of products.

Greenwood Industries claims the picking process would be improved if the expert system was replaced by an artificial neural network (ANN).

Discuss whether Greenwood Industries should replace the existing system with one that uses an artificial neural network (ANN).

* knowledge base: a set of rules that are manually input into an expert system.

Identify two characteristics of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

Should we completely automate journalism?

Some of the news articles that you read are written by automated journalism software. This software uses algorithms and natural language generators to turn facts and trends into news stories.

Narrative Science, a company that produces automated journalism software, predicts that by 2026 up to 90 % of news articles could be generated by machine learning algorithms.

Discuss whether it is acceptable for news articles to be generated by automated journalism software.

To what extent should the decisions of judges be based on algorithms rather than their knowledge and experience?

Using a Segway with machine learning capabilities?

The Segway Patroller is a two-wheeled, battery-powered electric vehicle. Recently, Segway Patrollers have been used for security purposes in cities as well as in public spaces such as concerts, railway stations and shopping malls.

The Segway Patroller can travel up to a speed of 20 kilometres per hour (about 12 miles per hour) and travel about 40 kilometres (25 miles) in distance before the battery needs to be recharged.

Figure 3: A Segway Patroller

Explain one advantage of using deep learning instead of traditional machine learning techniques.

Identify two characteristics of pattern recognition.

Evaluate the decision by the NHS to share patient data with Google.

Explain why each image is watermarked before it is uploaded to ACP’s website.

Explain why each image has its resolution reduced before it is uploaded to ACP’s website.

The developers of the AI software decided to use supervised machine learning to develop the algorithms in the sentencing software.

Identify two advantages of using supervised learning.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a government using a facial recognition system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor the behaviour of its citizens.

Cameras in school

The principal at Flynn School has received requests from parents saying that they would like to monitor their children’s performance in school more closely. He is considering extending the school’s IT system by installing cameras linked to facial recognition software that can record student behaviour in lessons.

The facial recognition software can determine a student’s attention level and behaviour, such as identifying if they are listening, answering questions, talking with other students, or sleeping. The software uses machine learning to analyse each student’s behaviour and gives them a weekly score that is automatically emailed to their parents.

The principal claims that monitoring students’ behaviour more closely will improve the teaching and learning that takes place.

Discuss whether Flynn School should introduce a facial recognition system that uses machine learning to analyse each student’s behaviour and give them a score that is automatically emailed to their parents.