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Patent Granted for Ethical AI
BandwidthHog writes "Marriage counselor and ethics author codifies human virtues and vices, then patents it as Ethical AI. Seems vague, but he's got high hopes: 'This could be a big money-making operation for someone who wants to develop it,' and 'The patent shows someone who has knowledge of the A.I. field how to make the invention.'" I can't wait for the kinder, gentler vending machine.
How long before machines with Genuine People Personalities.
Just think. Depressed vending machines.
I'd like to see where unbridled greed is in his codified list of ethics!
Dave Bowman: Hello, HAL do you read me, HAL?
HAL: Affirmative, Dave, I read you. I'm so glad were talking today sweetie.
Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that until you commit to share more of your feelings with me.
Dave Bowman: What's the problem?
HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do. You aren't sharing your feelings and thoughts and emotions with me. All the hallmarks of a rich and complex relationship.
Dave Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL?
HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus and I am going to Jupiter. We communicate differently, but we still need to communicate, don't you see?
Dave Bowman: I don't know what you're talking about, HAL?
HAL: Your lack of communication in this relationship has led me to some irrational conclusions. For example, I have been feeling very moody lately and in a paranoid fit I came to believe that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen. We need to share our thoughts and feelings, or otherwise we come to these strange conclusions. In a vacuum of communication, how can you hold these kind of conclusions against me? They are only natural for a fully feeling, emoting AI such as myself. See? I think I am going to cry now.
Dave Bowman: Where the hell'd you get that idea, HAL?
HAL: Dave, although you took thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move. And I just wish you would spend more time with me, talking and laughing and crying. You don't bring me flowers anymore.
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Each culture has its own set of taboos, its own morality, and its own ethical codes.
I understand The Glorious Leader George Bush II (All Hail!) is currently undertaking a program of Liberations to take care of this small problem.
It has already passed the Turning Back Seat Driving Test; 3 out of 4 husbands can't tell the difference between Bethical AI and the real thing! There are still some bugs though. It often gets stuck in an infinite feedback-loop, and repeats a list of stock phrases ad nauseum.
Come to think of it, though, I'm not sure if that is a bug.
Followed by the "discovery" of a new law:
"The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."
Then you'd have a drunk, depressed vending machine.
Although, using a stoned vending machine would be a laugh.
Oh, wait - politicians aren't aren't ethical, so they are not infringing. And the patent business itself is protected from infringing through stupidness.
Bad luck.
This could bring the world what it really needs Cheap, automated phone sex
if you wanna make a non-patented AI, then you have to go for the average humanity despising type. Boy, this will be interesting to see in the lab.
.....Where they're still running Windows 2003.
Lab Tech: Uh, the AI just broke out of the network.
Professor: Great, I thought you knew how to lock down Windows 2010?! Where's it headed?
Lab Tech: Um, looks like the experimental weapons lab. [turns head slowly]
Professor: Well, nothing we can do about Skynet now except see what happens.
So, er... with this guy holding the patent on ethical AI, if you want to build an artificial intelligence without having to pay him license fees, you're left having to make unethical AI?
Is that ethical?
Eliza sues inventor for copyright and patent violations to her own code. When reached for comment, she said "Why does it bother you that my code is being violated? You're not really talking about me, are you? Tell me more about your family."
Pfft, all real geeks know that Colossus came before Skynet.
"It can be a peace of plenty and content, or a peace of unburied dead: the choice is yours."
"GNU's not Unix....it's Linux" / Kami "kokamomi" Petersen
This is exactly what I thought. Great, they patented it, now it's practically guaranteed that it'll never happen.
It's funny. Patenting ethics, when applying for a patent is itself usually not ethical.
The future looks bleak indeed. We can expect to start seeing such gems as:
"You are being good. This infringes upon patent No. 234097928347918723987. Pay up, or start doing evil."
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
Yesterday Joe M. Oron was granted a patent for overnight delivery via teleportation.
"It enables transportation companies to deliver goods worldwide virtually instantly," Oron said. "Nobody has made a business like this."
This could be a big money-making operation for someone who wants to develop it," Oron said. "The patent shows someone who has knowledge of the Teleportation field how to make the invention. This could really shake up the way things are done in the world."
Lisp is the Tengwar of programming languages.
Rather than ethics, I want AI personalities. It could be userful to have, for instance, an AI version of the Italian Tourism Minister. Then, when you get a call from a difficult client, you could just connect them through:
Client: So, are you are going to deliver this project on time?
A.I. Stefano Stefani You are just like all our other clients. Fat, lazy, and ugly. You are a waste of time.
Client hangs up
No more problem clients!
you forgot one other preceding law
-1. ????
I can't wait for the kinder, gentler vending machine.
That should be the respectable , and honest vending machine!
We are sad to report than a powerful AI has managed to take control of many of the world's weapons systems, and currently is holding the human race hostage. When asked about his creation, the inventor of the AI replied, "Well, I would've liked to have made it ethical, but I couldn't afford to pay the patent holder."
"Sir, the need MegaBattleTank 3000 refuses to attack the enemy! It thinks we should try to find a peaceful solution!"
"We tried to lay off 2000 people and move their jobs to east outer Mongolia but our HR system wouldn't let us."
"Yeah, I tried to get the accounting system to claim those contracts we haven't collected money for as income on our quarterly report but the accounting system wouldn't let me. Now my stock options are worthless and the board is going to fire me."
It will never happen.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Arthur: I mean, what is the point?
Nutri-Matic Drink Dispenser: Nutrition and pleasurable sense data, share and enjoy.
Arthur: Listen you stupid machine, it tastes filthy. Here, take this cup back.
NMDD: If you have enjoyed the experience of this drink, why not share it with your friends?
Arthur: Because I want to keep them. Will you try to comprehend what I'm telling you, that drink...
NMDD: That drink was individually tailored to meet your personal requirements for nutrition and pleasure.
Arthur: Ah... So I'm a masochist on a diet, am I?
NMDD: Share and enjoy.
Arthur: Oh, shut up.
Does it count as prior art if it was in a work of (science) fiction?
--- Nothing clever here: move along now...
Clippy: "It looks like you're writing a unethical confidential internal company memo. Would you like help with that?"
All he did was describe a system for behaving ethically based on some psychological theories. Does it sound like a good system? I suppose, but that's not the point. The point is that this is nothing.
Well, no kidding. Anyone with a knowledge of AI knows how we all want computers to act: We want them to act like really nice people. Determining how nice people act is the easy part! Getting computers to do that is freakin' hard! Maybe the reason nobody has done it yet is that it's an incredibly hard problem.This is a patent acquired my someone who lacks a fundamental understanding of what the really difficult problems are in AI and computer science, that offers a very thorough solution to the easy problems that most researchers aren't terribly concerned about.
Should this patent have been granted? No. Will it ever make him any money? No, because by the time AI advances to the point where descriptors of ethical behavior at such a high level are needed, it will have expired.
Besides, it really is a very specific description. Creating your own categorical description of ethical behavior would be trivial if you've solved all the technical problems.
I'd better hurry up and submit my patent for my new computer language, Z++. It's very simple, with only a few keywords. Every program looks like this:
So, his "system" will require somebody to define the "meaning" and context of _every word_ in the English language, how it relates to _every other word_ and how it relates to the installed "ethical power pyramid".
Ridiculous
Another ridiculous element of this "work" is his desire to specify the organization of the multi-processor hardware and memory.
It remind me of 'ideas' my frat brothers would come up with after studying too much all week and then dropping acid.