← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

Deciding if a system is an expert system or machine learning

Decide if a system gives advice from a knowledge base and rule base (expert system) or changes its own processes or data (machine learning), then justify with because.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 6.3 Artificial Intelligence — Module 24

Understanding Deciding if a system is an expert system or machine learning in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

What it does: The program gives advice from stored facts and rules, so it is classified as an expert system and justified with because. The program improves by altering its own processes using past results, so it is machine learning. A good justification names the key evidence: the knowledge base and rule base used to give advice. 'Clever' is too vague to earn marks.

Common mistakes: A symptom checker gives advice from a knowledge base, so has_knowledge_base should be TRUE. With FALSE the IF would never classify it as an expert system. A program that improves with each game changes its own processes or data, so this should be TRUE. With FALSE it would not be classed as machine learning.

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Learning
Duo
A program asks a patient questions about symptoms and gives medical advice using stored facts and IF-THEN rules. How should it be classified?
Expert systemMachine learning
Matches
A medical advice program using a rule base is machine learning, because it gives advice.
↓
Giving advice from a knowledge base and rule base is an expert system, not machine learning. The reason given does not match the type.
Applying
Meanings
Term
classify AI system
Meaning
Decide if a system gives advice from a knowledge base and rule base (expert system) or changes its own processes or data (machine learning), then justify with because.
Practice
IF usesKnowledgeBase AND usesRuleBase THEN
Testing
Gaps
IF hasKnowledgeBase hasRuleBase THEN
Check Answer
Spots
1system ← "symptom checker"
2has_knowledge_base ← FALSE

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Quick Questions

1. A program asks a patient questions about symptoms and gives medical advice using stored facts and IF-THEN rules. How should it be classified?
A. Expert system ✓
B. Machine learning
It gives advice from a knowledge base and a rule base. Nothing in the description says it changes its own processes or data.
2. A chess program plays thousands of games and plays better each time by changing its own strategy. How should it be classified?
A. Expert system
B. Machine learning ✓
It changes its own processes based on past games, which is the sign of machine learning.
3. Which justification is the best for classifying a medical advice program as an expert system?
A. It is an expert system because it uses a knowledge base and rule base to give advice. ✓
B. It is an expert system because it is a clever computer program.
A good justification names the key evidence: the knowledge base and rule base used to give advice. 'Clever' is too vague to earn marks.
4. A game program keeps a record of the moves that lost and updates its own data so it avoids them next time. Which evidence matters most for classifying it?
A. It changes its own data, so it is machine learning ✓
B. It plays a game, so it is an expert system
The type of task does not decide the classification. Changing its own data or processes shows machine learning.
5. A system gives advice from a knowledge base and rule base, and it also adjusts its own rules after each result. What is the best classification?
A. It must be an expert system only
B. It uses features of both an expert system and machine learning ✓
Giving advice from a knowledge base and rule base is an expert system feature. Changing its own rules is a machine learning feature. A system can be both.

Match the Pairs

classify: expert system → The system gives advice using a knowledge base and rule base, and does not change its own rules.
classify: machine learning → The system changes its own processes or data to improve, for example a program that gets better with each game.
A medical advice program asks questions, matches the answers to if-then rules and suggests a diagnosis, so it is an expert system. → IF fever AND rash THEN advise 'see doctor' -> expert system, because it uses a knowledge base and rule base
A program that plays a game, learns from each result and changes its own strategy for the next game is machine learning. → score <- score + 1; update strategy -> machine learning, because it changes its own processes
A medical advice program using a rule base is machine learning, because it gives advice. → Giving advice from a knowledge base and rule base is an expert system, not machine learning. The reason given does not match the type.
A game program that improves each game is an expert system, because it plays well. → A program that improves by changing its own processes or data is machine learning. Playing well is not a justification.

Key Term

classify AI system
Decide if a system gives advice from a knowledge base and rule base (expert system) or changes its own processes or data (machine learning), then justify with because.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF hasKnowledgeBase AND hasRuleBase THEN OUTPUT "expert system" ENDIF
Hint: Type the logical operator that means a medical advice program must have both a knowledge base and a rule base.
2. IF changesData OR changesProcess THEN OUTPUT "machine learning" ENDIF
Hint: Type the logical operator that means the system only needs to change its own data or its own processes, not both.
3. IF usesRules AND changesData THEN OUTPUT "both types" ENDIF
Hint: Type the keyword that displays the result when a system is both an expert system and machine learning.
4. reason ← "it has a rule base" OUTPUT "expert system because " & reason
Hint: Type the variable name that holds the justification which follows the word because in the classification.
5. label ← "machine learning" OUTPUT "A game AI that improves is " & label
Hint: Type the variable name that holds the classification for the game program that improves with each game.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A system ← "symptom checker"
B has_knowledge_base ← FALSE
C changes_own_data ← FALSE
D IF has_knowledge_base THEN
E OUTPUT "expert system"
Line B — A symptom checker gives advice from a knowledge base, so has_knowledge_base should be TRUE. With FALSE the IF would never classify it as an expert system.
Question 2
A improves_each_game ← FALSE
B IF improves_each_game THEN
C OUTPUT "machine learning"
Line A — A program that improves with each game changes its own processes or data, so this should be TRUE. With FALSE it would not be classed as machine learning.
Question 3
A system ← "medical advisor"
B uses_rules ← TRUE
C type ← "machine learning"
D OUTPUT type
Line C — A medical advisor that uses a rule base to give advice is an expert system. It does not change its own data, so it should be type ← "expert system".
Question 4
A system ← "game AI"
B learns_from_games ← TRUE
C type ← "machine learning"
D reason ← "it has a rule base"
Line D — The game AI is machine learning because it changes its own data as it learns. The reason must refer to this, not to a rule base, which belongs to expert systems.
Question 5
A has_rules ← TRUE
B adapts ← TRUE
C OUTPUT "expert system only"
Line C — The system uses rules AND changes itself, so it is both an expert system and machine learning. Saying 'expert system only' ignores the adapting part.

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