Cambridge A Level Information Technology (ICT): New and emerging technologies (9626)

This study guide covers topic 13, New and emerging technologies (section 13.1) of the Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (version 3). It is A Level only content. The syllabus states that Paper 3 (Advanced Theory) questions are based on sections 12–21, so this topic is examined there; in Paper 4 (Advanced Practical) candidates apply knowledge and understanding of all subject content.

Use it with the revision notes and the practice questions. The full course is on the Cambridge A Level IT hub, and the printable 9626 checklist lists every outcome. To find your weak spots quickly, try a free diagnostic.

What this topic covers

Syllabus section	What you must be able to do	Level
13.1 Types	Describe artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics, computer-assisted translation, holographic imaging, holographic and 4th generation optical data storage, 3D printing, vision enhancement, wearable computing, blockchain technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), molecular data storage and autonomous transport systems	A Level only
13.1 Impact	Explain the impact on individuals, organisations, medicine and healthcare, scientific research and the environment	A Level only
13.1 Evaluation	Give advantages and disadvantages of the different types	A Level only

The syllabus says that where it uses “including”, everything listed must be studied. It also says Cambridge publishes technical updates each year to take account of emerging technologies, so check the 9626 page on the Cambridge website with your teacher for any update.

The technologies

For each one, learn what it is, a real use, and one advantage and one disadvantage, then apply them to the scenario in the question.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

A computer system that carries out tasks that normally need human intelligence: recognising speech and images, understanding language, making decisions and learning from data (machine learning) so its performance improves.

• Uses: chatbots, fraud detection in banking, recommending products, analysing medical scans.
• Advantage: processes huge amounts of data quickly and consistently.
• Disadvantage: can be biased if trained on biased data; decisions can be hard to explain.

AI also drives expert systems; see the expert systems study guide.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)

AR overlays computer-generated images or information on a live view of the real world, through a phone camera or smart glasses. VR replaces the real world with a fully computer-generated, immersive 3D environment, usually seen through a headset that tracks head movement.

• Uses: AR for furniture previews, maintenance instructions overlaid on a machine; VR for flight and surgical training, virtual tours, games.
• Advantage: safe practice of dangerous or expensive tasks (VR); information at the point of need (AR).
• Disadvantage: headsets are costly; VR can cause motion sickness and cuts the user off from their surroundings.

Robotics

The design and use of programmable machines that use sensors, a processor and actuators to carry out tasks automatically.

• Uses: car assembly, warehouse picking, robot-assisted surgery, bomb disposal.
• Advantage: works continuously with high precision, and in hazardous places.
• Disadvantage: high set-up and maintenance cost; replaces some manual jobs.

Computer-assisted translation (CAT)

Software that helps a human translator; it does not replace them. A translation memory stores sentences already translated and suggests matches, and a terminology database keeps key terms consistent. This differs from machine translation, where software translates on its own.

• Advantage: faster, more consistent translation of repetitive documents such as manuals.
• Disadvantage: software cost and training; suggestions can be wrong in a new context, so the translator must still check.

Holographic imaging

Producing three-dimensional images (holograms) that can be viewed from different angles, made by recording the interference pattern of laser light.

• Uses: security holograms on bank cards and banknotes, 3D medical and anatomy images for teaching, displays.
• Advantage: shows depth, so complex structures are easier to understand; hard to forge.
• Disadvantage: specialist, expensive equipment.

Holographic and 4th generation optical data storage

Optical discs are often described in generations: CD, DVD, then Blu-ray. Fourth generation optical storage means newer optical methods that store far more data, for example by recording in many layers or through the depth of the medium rather than only on its surface. Holographic storage records data as holograms throughout the volume of the medium and can read a whole “page” of data at once rather than bit by bit.

• Advantage: very high capacity and fast data transfer; suited to long-term archives.
• Disadvantage: mostly still in development, expensive, and not widely available.

3D printing

Additive manufacturing: an object is built layer by layer from a digital (CAD) model, using plastics, resins, metals or even living cells (bioprinting).

• Uses: prototypes, custom prosthetics and dental parts, spare parts, building components.
• Advantage: one-off, customised items are cheap to make; less material wasted than cutting from a block.
• Disadvantage: slow for large numbers; limited strength for some materials.

Vision enhancement

Technology that improves or restores what a person can see: night vision devices that amplify low light or detect infrared, electronic magnifiers and smart glasses that enlarge and increase contrast for people with low vision, and retinal implants.

• Advantage: more independence for people with visual impairments; safer work at night for security and rescue staff.
• Disadvantage: expensive; some devices are heavy or need surgery.

Wearable computing

Computing devices worn on the body: smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses and smart clothing. Sensors measure heart rate, movement or location and send data to a phone or the cloud.

• Advantage: continuous, hands-free monitoring.
• Disadvantage: privacy of personal health data; short battery life.

Blockchain technology

A decentralised, distributed ledger. Records are grouped into blocks; each block holds a hash of the previous block, so the blocks form a chain. Copies are held on many computers (nodes), and new blocks are added only when the network agrees. Changing an old record would change its hash and break the chain, so tampering is easy to detect.

• Uses: cryptocurrencies, tracking goods through a supply chain, secure records.
• Advantage: no single point of control; a transparent, tamper-evident history.
• Disadvantage: some methods of agreeing new blocks use a lot of electricity; mistakes are hard to reverse.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Everyday objects with embedded sensors, processors and network connections, so they can collect and exchange data over the internet and be controlled remotely: smart thermostats, smart meters, connected medical monitors, farm soil sensors. IoT builds on the sensor ideas in the monitoring and control study guide.

• Advantage: automation and remote control; data for better decisions.
• Disadvantage: many devices have weak security; privacy concerns.

Molecular data storage

Storing data using molecules, for example encoding binary data as sequences of the four DNA bases.

• Advantage: extremely high storage density and potentially very long life.
• Disadvantage: writing and reading are slow and expensive, so it suits archives, not everyday data.

Autonomous transport systems

Vehicles that sense their surroundings (cameras, radar, lidar, GPS) and use AI to move with little or no human control: self-driving cars, driverless trains, delivery drones.

• Advantage: removes human error such as tiredness; can run continuously.
• Disadvantage: unclear legal responsibility after an accident; risk of hacking; job losses for drivers.

Impact of new and emerging technologies

Individuals and organisations

• Individuals: more convenience (smart homes, AR shopping), health monitoring, new learning and leisure (VR). But they need new skills, may lose jobs to robots or AI, and their personal data is collected.
• Organisations: lower costs and faster processes (robots, AI), new products and services, better data for decisions (IoT). But there are high set-up costs, staff retraining, security risks and the need to restructure job roles.

Medicine and healthcare

The syllabus lists five areas.

• Patient care and monitoring: wearables and IoT sensors send vital signs to staff remotely, with alerts when readings go outside safe limits; AI helps analyse scans.
• Development of prosthetics: 3D printing makes cheap, custom-fitted limbs quickly and can easily resize them as a child grows; robotics gives powered joints.
• Tissue engineering: growing tissue to repair or replace damaged tissue, for example by 3D bioprinting layers of living cells.
• Artificial blood vessels: bioprinting and tissue engineering are being used to develop vessels for grafts, which could reduce reliance on donors.
• Design of medical tools and equipment: CAD with 3D printing for rapid prototypes and custom surgical guides; VR and AR for training surgeons on new equipment.

Scientific research

AI finds patterns in data sets far too large for people to analyse; robots run repeated laboratory experiments around the clock; IoT sensor networks collect field data continuously; VR and holographic imaging let researchers see 3D structures such as molecules; new storage methods hold huge research archives.

The environment

• E-waste: cheap wearables and IoT devices are replaced often and contain hazardous materials.
• Recycling: robots with AI vision can sort waste faster than people; some 3D printers use recycled plastic.
• Power consumption: data centres for AI and some blockchains use large amounts of electricity, but smart meters and thermostats can cut energy use.
• Manufacturing processes: 3D printing adds material only where needed and allows local production, cutting transport.
• Energy from wireless signals: small, low-power sensors can harvest tiny amounts of energy from radio signals such as Wi-Fi, so they need fewer or no batteries.

Worked examples

Worked example 1 (Explain, 4 marks)

Explain two ways 3D printing has affected the development of prosthetics.

1. A prosthetic can be designed from a scan of the patient and printed to fit exactly [1], so it is more comfortable and works better than a standard-size limb. [1]
2. Printing a one-off item is cheap and quick [1], so children can have a new limb printed as they grow, and people in poorer areas can afford one. [1]

Worked example 2 (calculation)

A school installs 120 IoT sensors that each use 0.5 W all the time. They control heating that used 40,000 kWh a year, and cut its use by 6%. Calculate the net energy saved in a year.

Sensor energy = 120 × 0.5 W × 24 h × 365 days = 525,600 Wh = 525.6 kWh
Heating saving = 0.06 × 40,000 = 2,400 kWh
Net saving = 2,400 − 525.6 = 1,874.4 kWh

The point for the environment: IoT devices use power too, so the saving is less than it first looks.

Worked example 3 (Evaluate, 6 marks)

A city council plans to replace its bus drivers with autonomous buses. Evaluate this plan.

• No tiredness or distraction, so fewer accidents caused by human error. [1] But the buses may react badly to unusual events such as road works [1], so safety is not guaranteed.
• Buses can run all night without paying drivers, cutting long-term costs. [1] But vehicles and sensors are expensive, and drivers lose their jobs. [1]
• Software can be updated centrally. [1] But a hacked control system could stop or misdirect the whole fleet. [1]

A conclusion helps on “Evaluate”: for example, a trial on one route with a safety supervisor on board.

Common errors

• Mixing up AR and VR: AR adds to the real view; VR replaces it.
• Saying CAT software “translates the document”; that is machine translation.
• Confusing holographic imaging (3D pictures) with holographic data storage (storing data).
• Describing blockchain as “a secure database” without mentioning blocks, hashes linking them, or distributed copies.
• Writing “robots are expensive” with no link to the scenario.
• On medical questions, writing about medicine in general instead of the named area, such as prosthetics or tissue engineering.
• Giving only advantages on an “Evaluate” or “Discuss” question.

Where to go next

• Condensed facts: revision notes
• Test yourself: practice questions
• Related: expert systems, monitoring and control, hardware and software
• Hub: Cambridge A Level IT and 9626 checklist
• Check your gaps: free diagnostics

Official syllabus

Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, version 3 (published July 2025), Cambridge International, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Topic 13, New and emerging technologies, section 13.1.