Eben Moglen: Time To Apply Asimov's First Law of Robotics To Smartphones

Sparrowvsrevolution writes "Free software lawyer and activist Eben Moglen plans to give a talk at the Hackers On Planet Earth conference in New York next month on the need to apply Isaac Asimov's laws of robotics to our personal devices like smartphones. Here's a preview: 'In [1960s] science fiction, visionaries perceived that in the middle of the first quarter of the 21st century, we'd be living contemporarily with robots. They were correct. We do. We carry them everywhere we go. They see everything, they're aware of our position, our relationship to other human beings and other robots, they mediate an information stream about us, which allows other people to predict and know our conduct and intentions and capabilities better than we can predict them ourselves. But we grew up imagining that these robots would have, incorporated in their design, a set of principles. We imagined that robots would be designed so that they could never hurt a human being. These robots have no such commitments. These robots hurt us every day. They work for other people. They're designed, built and managed to provide leverage and control to people other than their owners. Unless we retrofit the first law of robotics onto them immediately, we're cooked.'"

Comments

Encyclopedia Galactica

[the_povinator]

This kind of phone will be like the Encyclopedia Galactica of phones. Much better than the standard phone (i.e. the Hitchhiker's Guide), but slightly more expensive, a bit boring, and nobody will buy it.

Re:Encyclopedia Galactica

[crypticedge]

I would. I hate how every app I download on my android phone requires access to my contacts, phone state, text messages and a dozen other things a non internet enabled app asks for. Why does a game need to know who my contacts are? It's a single player game, not an online social game. Why does a game require my text messages? Why does it require my GPS location?

It doesn't. We need to revolt against the idea that we are the product and the item we buy is simply a tool they use to spy on us.

Re:Encyclopedia Galactica

[Anonymous Coward]

Stop buying those games. Stop downloading the free crap that really isn't free-it's just not being charged for in a currency you recognise.

Re:Encyclopedia Galactica

[0123456]

I have a better idea: fix the OS to allow users to deny individual permission to applications.

Of course Google won't do that because then they might not be able to track you so well for their targeted advertising.

Three Laws

[SJHillman]

To those who don't remember, Asimov's Three Laws are:

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Re:Three Laws

[Daniel_is_Legnd]

And the zeroth law: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

Re:Three Laws

[Anonymous Coward]

A phone may not reveal a human's address or, through inaction, allow a human being to be spammed.
A phone must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A phone must protect its own IP address as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Re:Impossible

[nospam007]

"Asimov was writing about physical harm. "

No, he was not.
Read 'Liar!' or 'Reason' for example.

Re:Impossible

[charlesbakerharris]

If you'd actually read Asimov, you'd know that emotional and financial harm would both have fallen under the same First Law umbrella as physical harm, in his canon.

For Fucks Sake

[TheSpoom]

The laws of robotics have AI as a prerequisite. My phone's not going to suddenly yearn to throw off its oppressive human masters.

Every app YOU downloaded

[SmallFurryCreature]

YOU downloaded those apps, the phone just executed the command YOU gave it. Should your phone override your commands? Decide on its own what is best for you?

The entire article is insane. You should NEVER take a fictional book and use it as fact. Asimov was not a programmer or OS designer, he was a writer and he used artistic license to suggest a theory, a point from which to start discussion perhaps but not an accurete blueprint for a certain future.

There is no place in a modern OS for Asimov rules of robotics.

First off, our computers have no self determination whatsoever. The idea behind Asimov's robots is that they are "born" and then guide themselves with at most human like instructions to give them direction. How they are programmed, patched etc etc, doesn't become clear in those stories, because it doesn't matter for the story. But it does matter in real life.

How would getting root on a Asimov robot work? What if you as the owner insisted to install a utility/app that would perhaps cause it to violate its rule sets? What if an update removed those rules?

How would your phone even know this? It should be able to somehow analyse any code presented to it, to see if it doesn't override something or a setting has a consequence that would violate the rules? There is no way to do this. How would you update a robot that has a bug causing it to faultily see an update as a violation while in fact its current code is in violation?

The sentient robot is a nice gimmick but it is nowhere in sight in our lives.

Androids install warnings tell you exactly what an app needs. If you don't want to give those permissions, don't install it.

No need for magic code, just consumer beware. Any sentient should be able to do that. That you are not... are you sure you are human? Or are you just a bot dreaming he is human?