Mind Matters Reporting on Natural and Artificial Intelligence

CategoryEthics

Obstetric Ultrasonography Ultrasound Echography of a first month
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post
Author
Michael Egnor
Date
January 21, 2020
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Abortion Advocate Admits in a Medical Journal That Unborn Children Feel Pain

The scientific community has for decades misrepresented the straightforward science of conception and fetal development for ideological reasons
Michael Egnor
January 21, 2020

I have cared for hundreds of premature infants and it is very clear that these very young children experience pain intensely. An innocuous needlestick in the heel to draw small amount of blood would ordinarily not be particularly painful for an adult. But a tiny infant will scream at such discomfort.

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Photo by Clem Onojeghuo
Type
post
Author
Brendan Dixon
Date
January 16, 2020
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, Work
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Can We Outsource Hiring Decisions to AI and Go for Coffee Now?

I would have fired any of my hiring managers who demonstrated characteristic AI traits immediately. So why do we tolerate it coming from a machine?
Brendan Dixon
January 16, 2020

With historically low unemployment, employers are tempted to reduce costs and speed up the process using artificial intelligence (AI) systems. These systems might help but, for best results, let’s have a look at the problems they can’t solve and some that they might create.

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Soldiers are Using Drone for Scouting During Military Operation in the Desert.
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post
Author
News
Date
January 16, 2020
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Ethics
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Book at a Glance: Robert J. Marks’s Killer Robots

What if ambitious nations such as China and Iran develop lethal AI military technology but the United States does not?
News
January 16, 2020

Artificial intelligence expert Robert J. Marks tackles the contentious subject of military drones in his just-published book, The Case for Killer Robots: Why America’s military needs to continue the development of lethal AI. Many sources (30 countries, 110+ NGOs, 4500 AI experts, the UN Secretary General, the EU, and 26 Nobel Laureates) have called for these lethal AI weapons to be banned. Dr. Marks, a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor University, disagrees. What if ambitious nations such as China and Iran develop lethal AI military technology but the United States does not? Nations that wish to maintain independence (sovereignty), he argues, must remain competitive in military AI. (“Advanced technology not only wins wars but gives pause Read More ›

Robot Predicting Future With Crystal Ball
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post
Author
News
Date
January 2, 2020
Categorized
Business and Finance, Ethics, Global Technology, Work
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Five AI Predictions to Watch in 2020

We'll check on these a year from now
News
January 2, 2020

Some problems experts hope AI can help with may be outside AI's capacities. Some people may simply want to believe doctored images and deepfakes, for example.

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The mankind races - ethnic and multi ethnic - scientific model - concept
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post
Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
December 26, 2019
Categorized
Ethics, Global Technology, Surveillance, Technocracy
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China: DNA Phenotyping Profiles Racial Minorities

In the United States, targeting minorities means political pushback; in China, no such discussion is allowed
Heather Zeiger
December 26, 2019

While there is some merit to the idea that the population of a particular geographic region will have similar DNA patterns, this science comes with a host of assumptions that, when taken too far, crosses the line into pseudoscience.

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Businessman Robot Hands Law Connection HUD Network
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post
Author
Jonathan Bartlett
Date
December 26, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Ethics
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2019 AI Hype Countdown #7: “Robot rights” grabs the mike

If we could make intelligent and sentient AIs, wouldn’t that mean we would have to stop programming them?
Jonathan Bartlett
December 26, 2019

AI programs are just that—programs. Nothing in such a program could make it conscious. We may as well think that if we make sci-fi life-like enough, we should start worrying about Darth Vader really taking over the galaxy.

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thousands of umbrella in causeway bay hong kong in rainy day on august 18 2019
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post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
December 20, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, Global Technology
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Can a Totalitarian State Advance AI?

China vs. Hong Kong provides a test case
Denyse O'Leary
December 20, 2019

George Orwell identified two characteristics of a totalitarian state that offer insight into its central intellectual weaknesses.

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The difference between right and wrong
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post
Author
Jay Richards
Date
December 6, 2019
Categorized
Ethics, Machine Learning
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Will Self-Driving Cars Change Moral Decision-Making?

It’s time to separate science fact from science fiction about self-driving cars
Jay Richards
December 6, 2019

Irish playwright John Waters warns of a time when we might have to grant moral discretion to computer algorithms, just as Christians now grant to the all-knowing but often inscrutable decrees of God. Not likely.

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Tesla Cybertruck
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post
Author
Jonathan Bartlett
Date
November 23, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Ethics
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Tesla’s Cybertruck Runs on … Hype?

When planning for the future, Tesla should maybe think reality, not Mad Max
Jonathan Bartlett
November 23, 2019

The steel ball thrown at the unbreakable window broke the glass. Twice. Unfortunately, Musk had to spend the rest of the demo with a damaged car in the background.

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Man trying to whistle
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post
Author
News
Date
November 15, 2019
Categorized
Data Privacy, Ethics, Medicine and Health
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Google’s Secret Health Data Grab: The Whistleblower Talks

This is the fourth whistleblower in the last eighteen months
News
November 15, 2019

“The decision came to me slowly, creeping on me through my day-to-day work,” we are told, until it came down to “how could I say nothing?”

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Big brother electronic eye concept, technologies for the global surveillance, security of computer systems and networks
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post
Author
News
Date
November 11, 2019
Categorized
Ethics, Technocracy
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Can a Big Data Program Be Society’s Crystal Ball?

Can a program with enough data on all of us predict our future?
News
November 11, 2019

Even fans admit that, if the program works, bad actors can use it just as easily as New Scientist’s virtuecrats.

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Autonomous cars on a road with visible connection
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post
Author
Jonathan Bartlett
Date
November 1, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Ethics
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Self-Driving Cars: Florida Lawmakers Speed Through Caution Signs

Legislation seems fuzzy about who accepts responsibility when things go wrong with autonomous vehicles
Jonathan Bartlett
November 1, 2019

I believe that most autonomous vehicle manufacturers will exercise an abundance of caution. But if laws are fuzzy, reckless manufacturers may escape blame and innocent riders, drivers, and pedestrians will pay for the resultant mayhem.

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Blc and white v diversity Ryoji Iwata at Unsplash 1513682121497-80211f36a7d3
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 3, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Ethics, Programming
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Has AI been racist?

AI is, left to itself, inherently unthinking, which can result in insensitivity and bias
Denyse O'Leary
October 3, 2019

Just any available data swatched into systems may embody prejudices that only become evident in use.

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White cyborg finger about to touch human finger 3D rendering
Type
post
Author
News
Date
September 28, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Ethics, Technocracy
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The Three Laws of Robotics Have Failed the Robots

Almost no one out there thinks that Isaac Asimov's Three Laws could work for truly intelligent AI
News
September 28, 2019
Prolific science and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) developed the Three Laws of Robotics, in the hope of guarding against potentially dangerous artificial intelligence. Jonathan Bartlett, Brendan Dixon, and Eric Holloway discuss what went wrong. Read More ›
China Button
Type
post
Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
September 6, 2019
Categorized
Business and Finance, Ethics, Global Technology, Surveillance
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The Unadvertised Cost of Doing Business with China

It’s a big market, with one Big Player, and some strange rules
Heather Zeiger
September 6, 2019
In China, censorship includes democracy, human rights, sex, George Orwell’s 1984, and Winnie-the-Pooh (because the stuffed literary bear has been compared by some Chinese bloggers to their President). Such censorship, say many, minimizes the value of the internet. Read More ›
Joyful preteen lady beaming while embracing human like root
Type
post
Author
Brendan Dixon
Date
September 5, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Education, Ethics, Technocracy
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Tell Kids the Robot Is “It,” Not “He”

Teaching children to understand AI and robotics is part of a good education today
Brendan Dixon
September 5, 2019

We are not truly likely to be ruled by AI overlords (as opposed to powerful people using AI. But even doubtful predictions may be self-fulfilling if enough impressionable people come to believe them. Children, for example. We adults are aware of the limitations of AI. But if we talk about AI devices as if they were people, children—who often imbue even stuffed toys with complex personalities—may be easily confused. Sue Shellenbarger, Work & Family columnist at The Wall Street Journal, warns that already, “Many children think robots are smarter than humans or imbue them with magical powers.” While she admits that the “long-term consequences” are still unclear, “an expanding body of research” suggests we need to train children to draw Read More ›

concept of self-driving car
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post
Author
Brendan Dixon
Date
September 2, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Ethics
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Will Industry Pressure Loosen Self-Driving Car Tests?

Right now, the regulatory agency is under pressure to accept the industry’s “softball” testing suggestions
Brendan Dixon
September 2, 2019
The regulatory agency (NHTSA) needs to adapt. But trusting technical documentation alone or only testing already sold vehicles is grossly insufficient. Technical documentation is what engineers think should happen; it is not the future. And testing sold vehicles creates an incentive to skimp on tests. Read More ›
Urban traffic Pexels
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post
Author
Brendan Dixon
Date
August 23, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, Global Technology
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Are self-driving cars really safer?

A former Uber executive says no. Before we throw away the Driver’s Handbook…
Brendan Dixon
August 23, 2019
Current claims that self-driving cars are safer are hype, not measurement. Meanwhile, Congress is expected to push for legislation next month to pave the way for widespread use of self-driving vehicles without a consensus on safety standards. Read More ›
Superior Artificial Intelligence Wining Chess Concept
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post
Author
News
Date
August 22, 2019
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Data Privacy, Ethics, Technocracy
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Confirmed: DeepMind’s Deepest Mind Is on Leave

The chess champ computer system just never made money
News
August 22, 2019
Co-founder Mustafa Suleyman is a philosopher and social justice activist who hoped to use the technology for fundamental transformations. But his AI ethics board lasted about seven days at Google. Read More ›
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Crosswalk with fake car and pedestrians
Type
post
Author
Brendan Dixon
Date
August 22, 2019
Categorized
Ethics, Global Technology, Machine Learning
Tagged
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Does a Western Bias Affect Self-Driving Cars?

How a driver is expected to act varies by culture
Brendan Dixon
August 22, 2019
Self-driving cars (autonomous vehicles) will need to adapt to different rules and we will, very likely, need to change those rules to make the vehicles work. Read More ›