Ethical questions in AI

An AI future

Edwin proposed reading two papers concerned with the future blessings that AI might bring us. They've got quite a large scope, but could provide some good topics for discussion.

What if AI Succeeds? The Rise of the 21st Century Artilect by Hugo de Garis, AI-Magazine, vol. 10, no. 2 (PDF)
Also see his home page.
Why the future doesn't need us by Bill Joy.

Privacy and pattern recognition

A slightly different discussion was proposed by Dick, on some current applications of pattern recognition, image processing and AI techniques in areas where privacy plays a large role. Perhaps the issues raised here are complementary to the more far-reaching papers above.

The material consists of a number of small articles from newspapers etc. Not everything is equally relevant.

Face recognition:

Unmasking criminals, a BBC Tomorrow's World story on face recognition in CCTV images of crimes being committed
In general CCTV images:
- An article in the Daily Telegraph: Security camera can find a face in crowds
- The Newham Council press release about this system
- A short discussion
- A piece on research in the University of Sussex newsletter on a similar system
- A manufacturer's datasheet (PDF) about the system in use in Newham

Pedestrian tracking in car parks:

An article in the Daily Telegraph: 'Smart' spy camera tells good from bad
A research page at the University of Leeds

Monitoring using CCTV (closed-circuit television) in general:

An article in the Daily Telegraph: Mini spy cameras rove the streets to fight crime
An article in the Daily Telegraph: TV cameras have limited effect on town centre crime
An article in the Daily Telegraph: Anger over sale of closed-circuit security video
Ten reasons why CCTV is bad
An article in De Volkskrant: Videobewaking op straat gaat boven privacy (Dutch)
"Dr. T. Blom van de Erasmus Universiteit signaleert dat bewaking van de straat door camera's sterk toeneemt. Het klimaat is er kennelijk rijp voor. De laatste paar jaar is er sprake van een kentering. De nieuwe lijn is volgens hem: wie de openbare ruimte betreedt, heeft de redelijke verwachting van het recht op privacy opgegeven."
Related: an article in De Volkskrant: Camera's kunnen tot doorbraak telewerken leiden (Dutch)

Data mining:

An article in De Volkskrant: 'Privatiseringsplannen overheid zijn ondoordacht' (Dutch)
Data mining and privacy: a conflict in the making? by Kurt Thearling
Data mining approaches for intrusion detection (in computers) by Wenke Lee and Salvatore J. Stollo
Big Banker is watching by Lynda Edwards
An article in USA Today on DoubleClick

AI software for blocking 'dirty pictures':

Smut filter blocks all but smut
"It actually evaluates the page before it downloads (by) breaking apart the images, breaking apart the pixels, looking at shadings and color, common positions. We train the system. There are over 10 million neural networks involved in the thing," Beecher says.

General privacy sites:

Privacy International, a human rights group
Technology for CCTV surveillance
The Surveillance Society, a special of Minnesota Public Radio