'Robots for everyone' in 5 years, says Japan's most valuable tech startup - CNET.In case you thought that we lawyers were an endangered species, you haven't been listening. In 5 years, this developer says there will be robots in every home, and they will take over the mundane house cleaning tasks that are the bane of our existence. However, what happens when they go rogue, and start throwing pots and pans around? No, I'm not talking about your spouse. Lawyers will be spending a lot of time litigating robot negligence and product liability. Was it the manufacturer's fault? Was there contributory negligence by the homeowner. Was the robot properly maintained and serviced? And, that doesn't even cover the army of lawyers required to write the warranty disclaimers and liability waivers required to purchase one of these domestic goddesses. I can't wait until I get my first robot product liability case. I will be using artificial intelligent research to quickly get to the relevant issues. At what point will I be litigating whether a robot has individual rights? And you thought you were going to live in a utopia without lawyers. Get over it.
Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room | Quanta Magazine. Artificial Intelligence isn't really intelligent at all. Intelligence requires a (currently) human only ability. That ability is to distinguish between images that require a second look to analyze and determine objects. Until computers can be trained to take that "second look" before they make decisions, automated systems will have a critical flaw that could endanger real human beings. Call it human sight, or human judgment, it is one of the big reasons we are human, and, so far, we can't teach computers to do it. When computers can see the elephant in the room, AI will take a big step towards replacing humans in dangerous situations. Until then, fellow lawyers, our jobs are safe.
The Future of Technology and the Law | Tech Hangout Live - YouTube. I will be interviewed on Thursday evening at 9 P.M. Eastern time by Mike Summers on the future of technology and the law. While aimed at lay persons, the discussion should be interesting, as we will be discussing the likely effects that artificial intelligence, and tech advances and social media and their effects on privacy and freedom of speech. As I have discussed often, technology has both expanded freedom of speech, and made it easier to restrict it at the same time. AI won't eliminate lawyers; but, as human beings, it will enhance our abilities. Will future lawyers be able to draw the lines between freedom and tyranny? Let's talk about it.
Want to convince someone you're not a robot? Use the word 'poop' - CNET. In the future, will we be able to tell the robots from the humans? Will we care? Of course, if all robots look like the ones in the movies, we probably won't; at least, until they start killing us. But, if you still want to know, or if you have to prove you are human, use words like "poop", or "soul", or "love". This assumes, of course, that the concepts aren't programmed into the future Terminators. It does seem like overkill to create a robot that "poops". But, some people are just sticklers for detail. Poop on, human.
The Military Now Has Tooth Mics For Invisible, Hands-Free Radio Calls - Defense One. No, Virginia, the foreseeable future does not involve Terminator robots roaming the earth, killing humans. However, the future will be populated by humans augmented with wearable and implantable technology that will enhance human function. Some of that technology will most definitely be used in warfare; but, battlefield communications will not be the only use. This article discusses a current, real product that consists of a microphone/speaker device that is connected to the teeth of the user. It enables speech and hearing through bone conduction, and will revolutionize communication in many situations. In the not too distant future, this technology may be used to connect to all of the human senses, including sight. Imagine a soldier being able to see in infrared without goggles. I am most interested in law practice, of course, so I am interested in a voice in my head that has encyclopedic knowledge of the law, and that can assist me in any situation. "Hey, ratbrain. Do you really want to cite that case to this Judge? He has ruled in similar situations that it doesn't apply. There is a 95% probability that you will lose. Cite this case instead."
AI cyberattacks: Artificial intelligence threatens cybersecurity. Killer drones, robots that attack, smart bombs; our modern computer technology is filled with scare stories about what danger AI poses for humankind. Lost in the talk about tech, however, is the fact that these machines are created by people. As in times past, weapons are made and used by human beings. We are the greatest risk to ourselves. Any balanced view of history must conclude that technology has been, by far, more benefit to mankind than danger. So, let's stop demonizing robots, and start working on creating a world that is free from risk caused by bad human beings. Jeez.
