annotate org/minds-eye.org @ 63:df7950667f58

add thoughts on mind's eye
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Fri, 27 Sep 2013 13:06:26 -0400
parents
children be36b7325a47
rev   line source
rlm@63 1 #+title: Ethics of Mind's Eye
rlm@63 2 #+author: Robert McIntyre
rlm@63 3 #+email: rlm@mit.edu
rlm@63 4 #+description:
rlm@63 5 #+keywords:
rlm@63 6 #+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org
rlm@63 7 #+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org
rlm@63 8 #+babel: :mkdirp yes :noweb yes :exports both
rlm@63 9
rlm@63 10 * COMMENT Ethical Considerations Regarding DARPA's Mind's Eye Program
rlm@63 11
rlm@63 12 As scientists and engineers, it is our sacred duty to explore the
rlm@63 13 boundaries of human knowledge in a responsible way. We are part of the
rlm@63 14 larger organism of humanity, and tasked with discovering new things
rlm@63 15 that help the race first, and all life second.
rlm@63 16
rlm@63 17 While knowledge and non-sentient technology is neither morally good or
rlm@63 18 evil, the things we discover are embedded in a wider cultural context,
rlm@63 19 and in many cases it is possible to foresee possible uses and abuses
rlm@63 20 our new technology will enable.
rlm@63 21
rlm@63 22 It is naive to think that the government or any group of humans is
rlm@63 23 either wholly good or evil, but by reasoning from the
rlm@63 24 motivations/power of such groups, we can try to infer whether a
rlm@63 25 technology will improve the lot of humanity or not.
rlm@63 26
rlm@63 27 It is possible to give and institution/culture a technology that they
rlm@63 28 will enthusiastically accept, but which will greatly diminish their
rlm@63 29 quality of life.
rlm@63 30
rlm@63 31 Some examples:
rlm@63 32
rlm@63 33 PGP -- an encryption suite that can help individuals to send messages
rlm@63 34
rlm@63 35
rlm@63 36
rlm@63 37 * Questions
rlm@63 38
rlm@63 39 - What should our ethical place be in deciding whether or not to
rlm@63 40 pursue research?
rlm@63 41
rlm@63 42 - Follow orders, assume our overall culture will use things
rlm@63 43 responsibly, and leave the ethical considerations to the
rlm@63 44 government/people.
rlm@63 45
rlm@63 46 - Many scientists who worked on the atomic bomb later questioned
rlm@63 47 their decisions.
rlm@63 48 - Yet, an advanced society /should/ have atomic weapons, if for
rlm@63 49 nothing else than to defend themselves from meteors, blow shit
rlm@63 50 up, etc.
rlm@63 51
rlm@63 52 - We are each morally responsible for the things we help create. We
rlm@63 53 are responsible for the misuses of technology we develop and the
rlm@63 54 pain and suffering it causes. Ultimately our contributions to
rlm@63 55 society will be judged by whether our technology did more good
rlm@63 56 than bad.
rlm@63 57
rlm@63 58 - If we decide that we *are* morally responsible for the technology we
rlm@63 59 develop, then is the Mind's Eye project in particular something we
rlm@63 60 should be doing?
rlm@63 61
rlm@63 62 - Here are some things you can build with Mind's Eye tech:
rlm@63 63
rlm@63 64 - System to monitor single humans living alone and call for help
rlm@63 65 in the case of emergencies (such as a fall)
rlm@63 66
rlm@63 67 - Same system for hospitals and nursing homes (of course, this
rlm@63 68 also makes them even more impersonal)
rlm@63 69
rlm@63 70 - The equivalent of a FBI special agent watching everything you do
rlm@63 71 from the moment you step out your door to the moment you go back
rlm@63 72 to your house to sleep, building a dossier of every move you
rlm@63 73 make, everyone you talk to, where you shop, etc.
rlm@63 74
rlm@63 75 - A concentration camp / prison that is ABSOLUTELY impossible to
rlm@63 76 escape from.
rlm@63 77
rlm@63 78 - Many other countries that don't care as much about human rights
rlm@63 79 as America will use this technology to monitor their citizens
rlm@63 80 24/7.
rlm@63 81
rlm@63 82 - Protection from surveillance in you own home does not apply
rlm@63 83 unless you *own* your house. Say goodbye to privacy in school
rlm@63 84 dorms, apartments, rented houses, etc.
rlm@63 85
rlm@63 86 - People are OK with current surveillance because it is
rlm@63 87 *dumb*. Mostly people only use security camera footage in the case
rlm@63 88 of crimes, and it is a painstaking process because it requires
rlm@63 89 manual human intervention. With AI, this will soon not be the
rlm@63 90 case.
rlm@63 91