MAKERERE UNIVERSTY

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY
BACHELOR OF INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

COURSE UNIT: HUMAN FACTORS PSYCHOLOGY

COURSE CODE: IOP 2203
YEAR: YEAR TWO
SEMESTER: TWO
LECTURER: MS. IRENE MUTUZO
COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT: MACHINE LEARNING: QUESTION 2

NO. NAME STUDENT REGISTRATION

NUMBER NUMBER

1. AKANDINDA 2000718270
ANTHONY 20/U/18270/EVE
TELTHEM
2. KIMBUGWE 2000709247 20/U/9247/EVE
LAWRENCE
3. LANYERO LILIAN 2000709191 20/U/9191/EVE

4. KISAKYE MARIAM 2000722114 20/U/22114/EVE

NAIGOMA
5. MUKALAZI HENRY 2000709177 20/U/9177/EVE
MCLOVIN
6. SHIEMBA SARAH 2000709182 20/U/9182/EVE
EUNICE
7. BUGEMBE MARK 2000709235 20/U/9235/EVE
TREVOR
8. NAKIGUDDE 2000709233 20/U/9233/EVE
CHRISTABELLA
9. MUTAGAYWA 1900710060 19/U/10060/EVE
JOSHUA KEVIN

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  What is the meaning of machine learning?
 What is its genesis?
 Where do we see aspects of machine learning in our day to day lives?
 What is the impact?
 What should we expect for the future and how can we best prepare the workplace for the
impact of machine learning?
 What are the other aspects entailed in machine learning?
 The relationship between machine learning and Ergonomics.

What is the meaning of machine learning?

Machine learning is a form of AI (Artificial Intelligence) that enables a system to learn from
data rather than through explicit programming. However, machine learning is not a simple
process. Machine learning uses a variety of algorithms that iteratively learn from data to
improve, describe data, and predict outcomes. As the algorithms ingest training data, it is then
possible to produce more precise models based on that data. A machine learning model is the
output generated when you train your machine learning algorithm with data. After training, when
you provide a model with an input, you will be given an output. For example, a predictive
algorithm will create a predictive model. Then, when you provide the predictive model with data,
you will receive a prediction based on the data that trained the model. Machine learning is now
essential for creating analytics models. You likely interact with machine learning applications
without realizing.

Take for instance, when you visit an e-commerce site and start viewing products and reading
reviews, you’re likely presented with other, similar products that you may find interesting. These
recommendations aren’t hard coded by an army of developers. The suggestions are served to the
site via a machine learning model. The model ingests your browsing history along with other
shoppers’ browsing.

To note; AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the science and engineering of making intelligent

machines, especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar task of using
computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to methods
that are biologically observable." purchasing data in order to present other similar products that
you may want to purchase.

What is its genesis?

Machine learning history starts in 1943 with the first mathematical model of neural networks
presented in the scientific paper "A logical calculus of the ideas immanent in nervous activity"
by Walter Pitts and Warren McCulloch.
Then, in 1949, the book The Organization of Behavior by Donald Hebb is published. The book
had theories on how behavior relates to neural networks and brain activity and would go on to
become one of the monumental pillars of machine learning development.
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In 1950 Alan Turing created the Turing Test to determine if a computer has real intelligence. To
pass the test, a computer must be able to fool a human into believing it is also human. He
presented the principle in his paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence while working at the
University of Manchester. It opens with the words: "I propose to consider the question, 'Can
machines think?'"
The first ever computer learning program was written in 1952 by Arthur Samuel. The program
was the game of checkers, and the IBM computer improved at the game the more it played,
studying which moves made up winning strategies and incorporating those moves into its
program.
Then in 1957 Frank Rosenblatt designed the first neural network for computers - the perceptron -
which simulated the thought processes of the human brain.
The next significant step forward in ML wasn’t until 1967 when the “nearest neighbor”
algorithm was written, allowing computers to begin using very basic pattern recognition. This
could be used to map a route for traveling salesmen, starting at a random city but ensuring they
visit all cities during a short tour.
Twelve years later, in 1979 students at Stanford University invent the ‘Stanford Cart’ which
could navigate obstacles in a room on its own. And in 1981, Gerald Dejong introduced the
concept of Explanation Based Learning (EBL), where a computer analyses training data and
creates a general rule, it can follow by discarding unimportant data.

Where do we see aspects of machine learning in our day-to-day life?

 Riding Apps: From how to fix the price of the ride, and how to minimize the waiting
time to how do riding cars fix up one’s trip with other passengers to lessen diversion.
Yes, the solution is machine learning.  Machine learning assists the company to estimate
the price of a ride, computing optimal pickup location and ensuring the shortest route of
the trip, also for fraud detection. For example, Uber uses machine learning to optimize its
services.
 Email Intelligence
Spam Filters: Some rules-based filters aren’t served actively in an email inbox such as
when, for example, a message comes with the words “online consultancy”, “online
pharmacy”, or from “unknown address”. 
Email Classification: Gmail categories emails into groups Primary, Promotions, Social,
and Update and label the email as important. 
Smart Replies: You must have observed how Gmail prompts simple phrases to respond
to emails like “Thank You”, “Alright”, “Yes, I’m interested”. These responses are
customized per email when ML and AI understand, estimate, and reflect on how one
counters over time.  
 Social Networking 
Facebook: While uploading a photo on Facebook, it automatically reflects faces and
suggests friend’s tag. Facebook uses AI and ML to identify faces.
Snapchat: It offers facial filters (known as Lenses) that filter and track facial activity,
permits users to tag animated images or digital masks that shift when their faces move.
 Google Maps: Using the location data from smartphones, Google maps can inspect the
agility of shifting traffic at any time, moreover map can organize user reported traffic like
construction, traffic and accidents. By doing this, Maps can reduce commuting time by
indicating the fastest route.

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  Personal Smart Assistants. From Siri to Cortana to Google Assistant, these personal
assistants rely on machine learning algorithms to collect information, understand one’s
preferences and improve the experience based on prior interactions with individuals.

What is the impact (negative and positive)?

Positive impact
 Easier identifying trends and patterns. Machine Learning reviews large volumes of
data and discover specific trends and patterns that would not be apparent to humans. For
instance, for an e-commerce website like Amazon, it serves to understand the browsing
behaviors and purchase histories of its users to help cater to the right products, deals, and
reminders relevant to them. It uses the results to reveal relevant advertisements to them.
 Continuous Improvement. As ML algorithms gain experience, they keep improving in
accuracy and efficiency. This lets them make better decisions. Say you need to make a
weather forecast model. As the amount of data, you have keeps growing, your algorithms
learn to make more accurate predictions faster.
 Handling multi-dimensional and multi-variety data. Machine Learning algorithms are
good at handling data that are multi-dimensional and multi-variety, and they can do this
in dynamic or uncertain environments.
 Used in health care. Machine Learning is used to analyse massive healthcare datasets to
accelerate discovery of treatments and cures, improve patient outcomes and automate
routine processes to prevent human error. For example data mining provides physicians
data they can use to personalise patient treatment.
 Reduction in human error. The phrase human error was born because humans make
mistakes from time to time. Computers, however, do not make mistakes if they are
programmed properly. With ML, the decisions are taken from previously gathered
information applying a certain set of algorithms. So errors are reduced and the chance of
reaching accuracy with a greater degree of precision is a possibility. For example in
weather forecasting.
 Faster decisions. In addition to the above, using ML alongside other technologies we
can make machines take decisions faster than humans and carryout actions quicker.
While taking a decision humans will analyse many factors both emotionally and
practically but AI and ML powered machines work on what is programmed and deliver
results in a faster way.
Negative impact
 The moral component — The level of intelligence and “morality” that a machine exerts
is a direct result of the data it receives. One consequence is that, based on the data input,
machines may train themselves to work against the interest of some humans or be biased.
Failure to erase bias from a machine algorithm may produce results that are not in line
with the moral standards of society.
 Accuracy of risk assessments — Risk assessments are used in many areas of society to
evaluate and measure the potential risks that may be involved in specific scenarios.
However, there are serious implications to note when using a machine learning system to
make risk assessments. A quantitative analyst estimates that some machine learning

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 strategies may fail up to 90 percent when tested in a real-life setting. The reason is that
while algorithms used in machine learning are based on an almost infinite number of
items, much of this data is very similar. For these machines, finding a pattern would be
easy, but finding a pattern that will fit every real-life scenario would be difficult.
 Transparency of algorithms — Supporters of creating transparency in AI advocate for
the creation of a shared and regulated database that is not in possession of any one entity
that has the power to manipulate the data; however, there are many reasons why
corporations are not encouraging this. While transparency may be the solution to creating
trust between users and machines, not all users of machine learning see a benefit there.
 Unemployment. As ML is replacing the majority of the repetitive tasks and other works
with robots, human interference is becoming less which will cause a major problem in
employment standards. Many organizations are looking to replace the minimum qualified
individuals with robots and machines which can do similar work with more efficiency.
 Monetization. Algorithms from machine learning and used to gather as much
information as they can about an individual and in turn used by big tech and retail
companies to sell their products because they know one’s preferences.
What should we expect for the future and how can we best prepare the workplace for
the impact of machine learning?
A future of Jobs report released by the World Economic Forum in 2020 predicts that 85
million jobs will be lost to machines and automation by 2025. We should expect tremendous
developments in the fields of transportation for example advanced autonomous cars, in
manufacturing where AI robots will work along humans to perform a wide range of tasks, in
customer service, media, education, healthcare and many other sectors.
Those with jobs that involve repetitive or routine tasks must learn new skills so as not to be
left by the wayside.
One of the absolute prerequisites of ML to be successful is that there is need to invest
massively in education to retrain people for new jobs. Therefore, in preparing the workplace
for the impact of ML, managers need to train people about this new technology, teach them
about programming and coding like they are learning a new language.
Knowledge Work in The Age of Robots. The issue now is to understand how intelligent
technologies will impact our jobs, augment them, and enable us to be more productive in and
out of the office, not to simply focus on job obsolescence.
For both business and human resource leaders, we propose asking ourselves and our teams
three questions on how technology will impact the jobs in your company:
1. What key jobs will be impacted by intelligent technologies?
2. What are key strategies employees can use to deal with intelligent technologies?
3. What can a business and HR leader do about the impact of intelligent technologies in their
organization? When we answer these questions, we then can prepare the workplace for the
impact of machine learning.
What are the other aspects entailed in Machine Learning?
Algorithm. An algorithm is any form of automated instruction. Algorithms are the building

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blocks that make up machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Computer Vision (CV) is how a machine or system generates an understanding of visual
information by invoking one or more algorithms acting on the information provided. The
understandings are translated into decisions, classifications, pattern observations and many
more. Computer Vision techniques are behind most Artificial Intelligence and machine
learning applications we use daily, for example facial recognition capabilities in our
smartphones.
Reinforcement Learning. Reinforcement machine learning is where machines learn to act in
different scenarios by receiving rewards or punishments for its actions. The reward function
determines if an action taken was correct and the punishment function tells whether the
action will result in loss.
Supervised Machine Learning. This requires labelled input and output data using the
training phase of the machine learning life cycle. This training data is often labelled by a data
scientist in preparation phase, before being used to train and test the model. Once the model
has learned the relationship between the input and output data, it can be used to classify new
and unseen datasets and predict outcomes. The reason it is called supervised machine
learning is because at least part of this approach requires human oversight.
Unsupervised Machine Learning. Unsupervised machine learning is the training of models
on raw and unlabelled training data. It is often used to identify patterns and trends in raw
datasets, or to cluster similar data into a specific number of groups. As the name suggests,
unsupervised machine learning is a more hands-off approach compared to supervised
machine learning.
The relationship between Machine Learning and Ergonomics.
Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions
among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory,
principles, data and methods to design in order to optimise human well-being and overall
system performance
Research and studies have shown that developments in machine learning technologies have
opened up possibilities of not only evaluating workplaces but also creating direct feedback
for potentially hazardous situations. Because of the predictive nature of machine learning,
models are able to gather information from employees about a potentially harmful work
tools. This has led to the improvements in workplace designs by applying technology directly
to minimise risk factors for occupational upper musculoskeletal injury especially in industrial
workers. For instance machine learning algorithms using data collected from workers can
personalise the safety of an individual and be used to calculate his or her ergonomic risk.
Consequently, the organisation can benefit from fewer injuries, more accurate diagnosis of
environmental issues and increase in employee health.

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