AI and Decision-Making
True or False Artificial intelligence (AI) applications and technologies are more intelligent than traditional information systems.
True. Although AI applications and technologies may not offer true human intelligence, they are certainly more intelligent than traditional information systems. Over the years, the capabilities of these systems have improved in an attempt to close the gap between artificial intelligence and human intelligence.
True or False. The user interface component of an expert system provides user-friendly access to the expert system.
True. The user interface component of an expert system is the same as the user interface component of a decision support system. It provides user-friendly access to the expert system. Although graphical user interfaces have improved this component, one goal of artificial intelligence technology is to provide a natural language for the user interface.
True or False. Integrating expert system capabilities into the user interface component can improve the quality and user friendliness of a DSS.
True
During the _____ phase of the systems development life cycle (SDLC), analysts investigate a proposed solution’s feasibility and determine how best to present the solution to management to obtain funding.
Planning
Which term is used for unique identifiers of computer or network addresses on the Internet?
a. Prototypes
b. Domain names
c. Foreign Keys
Domain names
True or False. Robots are one of the most successful applications of artificial intelligence (AI)
True. Robots are one of the most successful applications of AI. They perform well at simple, repetitive tasks and can be used to free workers from tedious or hazardous jobs.
True or False. An expert system is not a good choice when a lot of human expertise is needed to tackle a problem.
False. An expert system should be used if a lot of human expertise is needed but a single expert cannot tackle the problem on his or her own. An expert system can integrate the experience and knowledge of several experts more easily.
Explanation capabilities can be added to a decision support system (DSS) by integrating it with a(n) ___
a. expert system
b. artificial neural network
c. database management library
d. natural-language processing system
a. Artificial intelligence-related technologies can improve the quality of DSSs. They can add explanation capabilities (by integrating expert systems) and learning capabilities (by integrating artificial neural networks) and create an interface that is easier to use (by integrating a natural-language processing system).
______ is the measure of how beneficial or practical an information system will be to an organization and should be measured continuously throughout the systems development life cycle (SDLC) process.
Feasibility
A similarity between e-commerce and traditional commerce is that both:
a. use the same mode of service to cater to consumers.
b. require a physical store to sell consumer goods.
c. concentrate on selling products to generate profit.
c. concentrate on selling products to generate profit.
In a transaction-processing system, if you enter a customer account number, the system displays the customer’s current balance. In this scenario, _____ decision-making analysis has been used to display the desired results.
a. if-else
b. if-continue
c. what-if
d. what-is
D. “What-is” analysis is commonly used in transaction-processing systems and management information systems. For example, if you enter a customer account number, the system displays the customer’s current balance.
True or False. Problems involving a combination of the five senses, such as taste and smell, are not suitable for expert systems.
True. An expert system is unsuitable when problems require human experts-for example, a combination of the five senses, such as taste and smell. Selecting a perfume is a problem better solved by human experts.
Adding deductive reasoning to traditional database management system (DBMS) functions is a benefit of integrating an expert system into the database component of a(n) _____ system.
a. transaction processing
b. decision support
c. global positioning
d. executive information
b. Adding deductive reasoning to traditional DBMS functions is a benefit of integrating an expert system into the database component of a decision support system (DSS). Artificial intelligence technologies, particularly expert systems and natural-language processing, can be integrated into the database, model base, and user interface components of a DSS.
_____ feasibility is concerned with whether a new system can be completed on time.
Scheduling
_____ are considered the first large-scale interactive global system.
a. Credit Card Services
b. Hotel Reservation Systems
c. Airline reservation systems
Airline reservation systems
In the context of the types of decision-making analyses, what type of analysis is used in decision support systems?
a. case-based
b. what-is
c. what-if
d. rule-based
C. The what-if analysis is used in decision support systems. Decision makers use it to monitor the effect of a change in one or more variables.
In the context of an expert system, a _____ works with the knowledge base management system to ensure that the knowledge base is as up to date as possible.
a. knowledge mining tool
b. knowledge acquisition facility
c. knowledge inference engine
d. meta-knowledge system
b. A knowledge acquisition facility works with the knowledge base management system to ensure that the knowledge base is as up to date as possible. It is a software package with manual or automated methods for acquiring and incorporating new rules and facts so that the expert system is capable of growth.
Which statement is true of integrating an expert system into the database component of a decision support system (DSS)?
a. It reduces access speed.
b. It adds the capability to handle fuzzy data.
c. It adds inductive reasoning to traditional database management system functions.
d. It increases the time and cost of calculating data for models.
b. Adding the capability to handle uncertainty and fuzzy data is a benefit of integrating an expert system into the database component of a DSS. Integrating expert system capabilities into the user interface component can improve the quality and user friendliness of a DSS.
_____ feasibility is concerned with issues such as political repercussions of using an information system and meeting the requirements of the Information Privacy Act.
Legal
The _____ component of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system collects and analyzes relevant internal and external information needed by other functions.
unified database
supply chain
e-commerce
unified database
Fill in the blank. Decision support systems generate information by using data, models, and well-defined algorithms, but expert systems work with _____ data.
heuristic
Heuristics consist of common sense, rules of thumb, educated guesses, and instinctive judgments, and using heuristic data encourages applying knowledge based on experience to solve or describe a problem. In other words, heuristic data is not formal knowledge, but it helps in finding a solution to a problem without following a rigorous algorithm.
In the forward chaining technique, used by the inference engine component of an expert system, the _____ condition is evaluated first.
a. if
b. then
c. what-is
d. what-else
a. In forward chaining, a series of “if-then-else” condition pairs is performed. The “if” condition is evaluated first, and then the corresponding “then-else” action is carried out
In the context of adding artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to a decision support system’s model base component, _____ can be added to include heuristics in the model base’s analysis capabilities.
Expert Systems can be added to include heuristics in the model base’s analysis capabilities.
Which is an advantage of the joint application design (JAD) approach?
a. It incorporates varying viewpoints from different functional areas of an organization to help ensure that collected requirements for an application is not too narrow or one-dimensional in focus.
b. It provides a method for investigating an environment in which a problem is poorly defined and information is difficult to gather.
c. It reduces the need to train information system users and increases the system’s chance of success by encouraging users’ involvement.
d. It improves communication among users, top management, and information systems personnel because seeing a concrete model often prompts potential users of the system to ask questions, express opinions, and so forth.
a. An advantage of the JAD approach is that it incorporates varying viewpoints from different functional areas of an organization to help ensure that collected requirements for an application are not too narrow or one-dimensional in focus. JAD is a collective activity involving users, top management, and IT professionals
A(n) _____ system uses spatial and nonspatial data and specialized techniques for storing coordinates of networks of lines (roads, rivers, streets) and reporting zones (zip codes, cities, counties, states).
geographic information or GIS