1. Knowledge maintenance is important to keep a knowledge base relevant.

a)Describe in detail three methods that could be applied to update knowledge in any knowledge based system of
your choice. (15 marks)

 Explanation based learning- involves individual observing and extracting rules in our real system. These are
the cases where choices of algorithm that lead to good results. We then add this rules to the agents knowledge
base, thus, the system will first apply this new rules when I a situation described in those rules to arrive to the
good results in quicker way.

 Reinforced learning- involves – involves rewarding good decisions and rewarding bad decisions negatively, so
that finally the good knowledge (decisions) are reinforced while the bad ones are minimized. Its currently
considered most adequate because ti doesn’t seek to extend the knowledge base but to improve it.(Anne
Ruas,Cecile Duchene et al)

b) Explain why it would be difficult to develop a KBS for a domain in which there were a considerable reliance on
tacit and implicit knowledge(Jeffrey Cummings ,knowledge sharing) (10 marks)

 hard to articulate- highly explicit knowledge is difficult to transfer in formal, systematic language i.e. people no
more than they can explain.

 deeply rooted in action- this knowledge is acquires more by continuous involvement and commitment in a
specific context i.e. “the way thing s are done here”.

 Low Transferability- tacit knowledge exhibits “causal ambiguity”, which is ambiguity about what factors,
skills, or knowledge elements interactively define the function of interest. This makes it difficult to identify the
relevant knowledge elements, its thus difficult to teach and learn.

 Scarcity- Tacit knowledge resides in individual cognition and organizational routines all developed through
experience and use. Only the few who have worked all over the entire domain can acquire it all(if
possible).

 2. A.I technologies often emerge from insight to the way nature works. These ‘natural’ ideas are
shaped in to forms that enable technological solutions to be developed. Select one of the following A.I
technologies: case based reasoning; genetic algorithms; artificial life; and

a) Describe the inspiration from nature that has most significantly contributed to its

development. (10 marks)

Genetic algorithms: is a search heuristic that mimics the process of natural evolution. This heuristic is
routinely used to generate useful solutions to optimization and search problems. Genetic algorithms belong
to the larger class of evolutionary algorithms (EA), which generate solutions to optimization problems using
techniques inspired by natural evolution, such as inheritance, mutation, selection, and crossover.
(wikipedia)
 When two organisms mate i.e after selection, they share their genes. The resultant offspring may end up
having half the genes from one parent and half from the other(inheritance). This process is called
recombination. Very occasionally a gene may be mutated. Normally this mutated gene will not affect the
development of the phenotype but very occasionally it will be expressed in the organism as a completely
new trait( A.I junkie).

Crossover- Cross over is a process of taking more than one parent solutions and producing a child solution
from them, naturally speaking; Chromosomal crossover (or crossing over) is an exchange of genetic
material between homologous chromosomes

b) Specify a suitable problem of your choice (i.e. one that requires a KBS approach) and explain how the chosen
AI technology could be used to produce a solution by following the approach of the “inspiration from
nature.” (15 marks)

telecommunications networks:

GAs are being developed that will allow for dynamic and anticipatory routing of circuits for telecommunications
networks. These could take notice of your system's instability and anticipate your re-routing needs. This is to solve
issues such as slow LAN performance, inconsistent internet access, a FAX machine that only sends faxes sometimes,
your land line's number of 'ghost' phone calls every month etc.

How: Using more than one GA circuit-search at a time. Other GAs are being developed to optimize placement and
routing of cell towers for best coverage and ease of switching, so your cell phone and blackberry will be thankful for
GAs too.(brainz organisation)

3. There is a growing concern today about sustainable systems and green IT as these issues can affect the
choice of systems built and manner in which they are operated and managed.

a) Develop an argument either in favour of or against the preference for KBS over conventional IT systems.
The discussion must be justified by appeal to sustainability principles and green IT issues.(15 marks)

Arguments against the preference for KBS

Energy efficiency(Wikipedia, green computing)

  Judging from the current technology we have, it is justified to say that knowledge bases or rather knowledge
databases are bound to exhibit more complexity than convectional databases, worse if the knowledge base is
meant to run in its own(automated updates and self improvement). Well, whatever, even the simplest KBS is
bound to have huge data and storage power. Talking of power; ” Data center facilities are heavy consumers of
energy, accounting for between 1.1% and 1.5% of the world’s total energy use in 2010 . The U.S. Department of
Energy estimates that data center facilities consume up to 100 to 200 times more energy than standard office
buildings,” says Wikipedia. Converting this to green house gas release(standard units for measuring power in
green computing). You can imagine what means.

Replacing human with more electronics:

 KBS is designed to ape human natural features, to help develop expert systems, systems that can work as
effectively as humans do. Honestly speaking as much there are more benefits accrued from this inventions,
definitely we are introducing more electronic technology, sensors, cameras etc. that finally will end up in the
waste pit,bins or such: Some electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, may contain contaminants such as
lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants. Even if recycled like in developed countries,
recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to workers and communities and great care must
be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaching of material such as heavy metals from
landfills and incinerator ashes(Wikipedia, electronic waste)

b) Discuss the broad implications for KBS arising from the introduction of cloud computing techniques that
provide intelligent computing power over the internet(10 marks).

 Cloud computing is a technology that uses the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and
applications. The analogy is , 'If you need milk , would you buy a cow ?'. Cloud computing allows consumers
and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with
internet access. It shares some characteristics with autonomic computing.

Expert systems services as cloud services: Expert systems are designed to solve complex problems by
reasoning about knowledge, like an expert. Example is the medical diagnosis expert systems. Such system’s
services can be availed on request from remote locations. With the great research being done in expert
systems, cloud computing provides much infrastructure for selling their services.

Self managing remote applications:

Cloud computing is a new technology as we speak, like others it is bound to hit. At such a time knowledge
based concepts usage will be inevitable since very many users will be accessing the services for various ends.
Eventually such requests may overwhelm the services administrator. KBS will have to chip in to automate the
services so that we have self managing, self improving. In other words KBS is definitely the bridge to excellence
of cloud computing.

References:

1. Ann Ruas, Cecile Duchene and others. Methods of improving and updating the knowledge base of the
generalization systems. Retrieved on 19/03/2012 from the website:
http://www.cartogis.org/docs/proceedings/2006/ruas_dyevre_duchene_taillandier.pdf
2. Jeffrey Cummings. THE WORLD BANK OPERATIONS EVALUATION DEPARTMENT: Knowledge sharing. Retrieved
on 19/03/2012 from the website:
http://lnweb90.worldbank.org/oed/oeddoclib.nsf/docunidviewforjavasearch/
d9e389e7414be9de85256dc600572ca0/$file/knowledge_eval_literature_review.pdf

3. Wikipedia. Genetic algorithms. Retrieved from website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_algorithm

4. A.I junkie. Genetic Algorithms in Plain English .Rerieved on 20/03.2012 from webpage: http://www.ai-
junkie.com/ga/intro/gat1.html

5. Brainz organization.15 real world applications of GAs. Retrieved from website: http://brainz.org/15-real-world-
applications-genetic-algorithms/

6. Wikipedia. Green computing. Retrieved from the website; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_computing

7. Wikipedia. Electronic waste. Retrieved from the website; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste

8. Sarah Gingichashvili. Green Computing,11,2007. Retrieved on 9/3/2012 from the website:

http://thefutureofthings.com/articles/1003/green-computing.html

9. Wiki invests. Cloud computing. Contributors; David Cleveland, chlcks, khannan s et. al. retrieved from:
http://www.wikinvest.com/concept/Cloud_Computing