Stanford Law School's Center For Internet and Society is offering a limited time crash course on 'Robot Ethics', free of charge. Topics range from security to sex, privacy, social impact and more. It's well worth a crash course, as many people in the near future will be attempting to navigate what's socially acceptable. We can't have a society where Luke Skywalker* is doing 'nasty things' to C3P0....or can we?
We (the people who create, invent, design and market) our toys and technology which ultimately changes our laws or behaviour. Our ethics have been timeless but our technology, its temptations and availability over the demographics of populations, can over rule our morals, making us into blind servants of our common self-induced de-humanization. When your toaster can link up with your hormones and more (through official design or unofficial hacking) no one will have the desire to fix the toaster. We will have been pre-occupied and distracted, unable to deal with systemic problems. It seems to have been heading that way for some time, in my view.
Ultimately, 'society' 'self-decides'....nevertheless, the following crash courses may help prepare us for what may come to pass. Like in the original movie, 'Total Recall' we may have to "get ready for a nice surprise!" See links below:
Robot Ethics Crash Course Paper.
Robots and Privacy (Click download and then you may choose option: "Download anonymously," simply because it's easier.)
-Paul von Dubrovnik
*Any brand names are used as
artistic license only.
We're certainly moving beyond battery operated sex toys, internet porn and Smart Phone (mis) etiquette. People have cars and iPhones and Furniture and Clothing to define themselves and their social status. Will having an Android Mistress (or Mistresses) or Personal Robot Companion(s) or Automated Lawn Mowers or a RoboPet or two or three, be the new Vogue? The Jones' have 2 Robopets, a RoboMower and a RoboSnowBlower and I hear Mister Jones,
a RoboCompanion Salesman himself, has a couple of Android Mistresses on the side. No wonder his wife is always seen with her Harlequin Romance RoboCompanion all the time. The Jones' are rarely ever seen together nowadays, and the neighbours have often seen their son bringing home his best friend's RoboTutor Wonderwoman Edition. He must be struggling with his grades. I'm sure he's learning sooo much. I'm sure she's jailbroken by now. Can you blame the Jones'?
We (the people who create, invent, design and market) our toys and technology which ultimately changes our laws or behaviour. Our ethics have been timeless but our technology, its temptations and availability over the demographics of populations, can over rule our morals, making us into blind servants of our common self-induced de-humanization. When your toaster can link up with your hormones and more (through official design or unofficial hacking) no one will have the desire to fix the toaster. We will have been pre-occupied and distracted, unable to deal with systemic problems. It seems to have been heading that way for some time, in my view.
Ultimately, 'society' 'self-decides'....nevertheless, the following crash courses may help prepare us for what may come to pass. Like in the original movie, 'Total Recall' we may have to "get ready for a nice surprise!" See links below:
Robot Ethics Crash Course Paper.
Robots and Privacy (Click download and then you may choose option: "Download anonymously," simply because it's easier.)
-Paul von Dubrovnik
*Any brand names are used as
artistic license only.
